VABA-DC Joins Coalition of Non-Profits To Establish Volunteer Law Corps and Hold Pro-Bono Vietnamese-Language Legal Clinics For Oil Spill Disaster Victims in the Gulf Coast.

MEDIA ADVISORY

EVENT DATE: JUNE 26-27, 2010

Contact:           Shandon Phan, shandonphan@gmail.com or (202) 415-3366

In response to the urgent legal needs of the Vietnamese American community affected by the BP Oil Spill Disaster, VABA-DC has joined forces with various national and local community organizations and bar associations to hold two bilingual legal aid clinics for Vietnamese American fishermen in the Gulf Coast on June 25-26, 2010.

“VABA-DC is committed to serving the legal needs of the Vietnamese American community,” said Mai T. Pham, VABA-DC President. “It is critical for us to be part of this important effort to protect the rights and interests of the Vietnamese American community along the Gulf Coast and their way of life.”

The legal clinics will provide language access, information, and legal assistance to approximately one thousand Vietnamese American fishermen regarding BP claims policy and procedures. The clinics will be staffed by a team of 26 Vietnamese American attorney and law student volunteers from various bar associations and community organizations across the U.S. Of those, five are VABA-DC members.

“The outpouring of support from individuals and organizations across the country has been extraordinary,” said Mai Phan, a former Biloxi native, former president of the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California and the project’s lead organizer. “During this time of crisis, Vietnamese-American attorneys and law students across the country have answered the call of service, dedicating their time and efforts to protect the rights and interests of thousands of community members.”

The large-scale legal clinics project highlights the tradition of service established by community advocates and organizations in bringing professionals of various backgrounds to the region to serve those in need in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The project is supported by Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao, who is scheduled to stop by the New Orleans clinic on Saturday.

VABA-DC is the only Vietnamese American Bar Association on the East Coast, representing over 100 Vietnamese American attorneys and law students in the area. Its mission is to promote the professional growth and advancement of Vietnamese American attorneys, encourage and facilitate the entry of Vietnamese American students into the legal profession, contribute to the public interest by serving as a voice for the local Vietnamese American community and assist community members with legal concerns.

Clinics Schedule:

Biloxi, Mississippi

When:              Friday, June 25th 1-5pm
Where:             Biloxi Community Development Department Auditorium
676 Martin Luther King Blvd, Biloxi. MS

New Orleans, Louisiana

When:              Saturday, June 26th: 9am-5pm
Where:             Mary Queen of Viet Nam School
14001 Dwyer Blvd, New Orleans, LA

Coalition Members:

Asian American Bar Association of Louisiana
Asian Americans for Change
Boat People SOS (BPSOS)
Mary Queen of Viet Nam CDC
Mississippi Center for Justice
National Association of Vietnamese American Service Agencies (NAVASA)
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA)
Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California (VABANC)
Vietnamese American Bar Association of the Greater Washington DC (VABA-DC)
Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association of New Orleans (VAYLA)

A Versailles fisherman shucking oysters.

Did you know that between 30-50% of the fishermen along the Gulf Coast are South East Asians, especially ethnic Vietnamese? A comprehensive article on CNN.com today delves into the impact of the oil spill on the Vietnamese American fisherfolks & families on the Gulf Coast, many of whom are from Versailles. Read about how the community is responding from Father Vien, Tuan Nguyen from Mary Queen of Vietnam Community Development Corp (MQVN-CDC), and Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao. Community activist Celine Tran speaks about the impact on the Biloxi Vietnamese American families. The article also has a nice shout out to A VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLES.

“About 30-40 people showed up at the Community Cinema night at WXXI Studio in Rochester, NY to see A Village Called Versailles on Tuesday, May 18, 2010. The Q&A session following the film included speakers Laura Garrison, Assistant Vice President/Producer, Bob Smith, Host/Producer, as well as myself.

There were about 5 Vietnamese people in the crowd. Two of my childhood friends, who also stayed in the same refugee camp with me back in the day, were really touched by the documentary. They, too, were inspired and proud of the strength and determination of the Vietnamese Americans in New Orleans. It was an honor and a humble opportunity for me to be back in Rochester, NY. Thank you WXXI team for bringing me back home.”

First, some important news. The BP oil spill has hugely impacted the Southeast Asian/Vietnamese American fishermen, who make up 35-45% of the fishing industry along the Gulf Coast (here is a LA Times article about this). Mary Queen of Vietnam Community Development Corp. (MQVN-CDC) in Versailles hosted a community meeting this month to address the issue. Read about it here, and please contact MQVN-CDC directly to find out how you can help.

A VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLES continues its free nationwide Community Cinema screenings. Today 5/18 is our SUPER TUESDAY, with six screenings around the country. Father Vien, Mimi, and myself will all be attending screenings. So come say hello, and please see the listing below for info on the remaining free screenings. We also brought home two awards from the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival–the Documentary Audience Award and the “Call to Action” Award for promoting social change. Thanks to APA Bar Association-LA and Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Assoc for turning out the supportive crowd, and to Father Vien and Mimi for joining us.

Don’t forget, our national PBS broadcast premiere on Independent Lens is only a week away on May 25th. To see when A VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLES will be playing on your local PBS station, click here.

Finally, Mary Queen of Vietnam Community Development Corp. (MQVN-CDC) put together a “5 Years Post-Katrina” update about how the Versailles community is doing. Folks at MQVN-CDC are responsible for all the amazing community projects mentioned in the film (health clinics, charter school, urban farm, etc). You can download the PDF here and find out more about MQVN-CDC here.

So here are this week’s events featuring special guests from the film:

ROCHESTER, NY Tues. May 18 @ 7pm, WXXI Studios, Mimi Nguyen will attend more details
HOUSTON, TX Tues. May 18 @7pm, Rice Cinema, Father Vien will attend more details
SAN FRANCISCO, CA Tues. May 18 @5:45pm, San Francisco Main Public Library, Koret Auditorium, Director S. Leo Chiang will attend
OAKLAND, CA Wed. May 19 @ 6:30pm, Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Director S. Leo Chiang will attend
BILOXI, MS Fri. May 21 @ 6pm, Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center, Father Vien, Minh Nguyen, and Christina Wadhwani (MQVN-CDC) will attend more details
PHILADELPHIA, PA Sat. May 22 @7pm, Asian Arts Initiative, Director S. Leo Chiang will attend more details

Here are all the remainingA VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLES free community screenings organized by state. You can also find the screening info at the Independent Lens website.

ARIZONA
Tucson, Fri. May 21 @4pm, Miller-Golf Links Branch Library more details

CALIFORNIA
Oakland Wed. May 19 @ 6:30pm, Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Director S. Leo Chiang will attend
San Francisco Tues. May 18 @5:45pm, San Francisco Main Public Library, Koret Auditorium, Director S. Leo Chiang will attend
West Hollywood, Tues. May 25 @730pm, Blue Conference Room in the Pacific Design Center more details

COLORADO
Denver, May 25 @ 7pm, Starz FilmCenter more details
Fruita, May 26 @ 630pm, Dinosaur Journey Museum more details
Montrose, May 18 @ 730pm, Montrose District Library more details

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington, D.C., Sun. May 23 @5pm, Busboys and Poets more details
Washington, D.C., Sun. May 30 @3pm, Washington DC Jewish Community Center more details

INDIANA
Evansville, Wed. May 19 @ 7pm, WNIN Studios more details
Indianapolis, Sun. May 23 @ 4pm, The K.I. EcoCenter more details

LOUISIANA
New Orleans, Sat. May 22 @ 6pm, Dillard University, Samuel DuBois Cook Fine Arts Center more details

MINNESOTA
Blaine, Sat. June 11 @ 10:30am, Northtown Library more details
Brooklyn Center, Mon June 14 @ 7pm, Brookdale Library more details

MISSISSIPPI
Biloxi, Fri. May 21 @ 6pm, Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center, Father Vien, Minh Nguyen, and Christina Wadhwani (MQVN-CDC) will attend more details

NEW YORK
Ithaca, Fri. May 21 @7pm, Henry St. John Building more details
Manhattan, Tues. May 18 @730pm, East 54th Street Recreation Center more details
Queens, Tues. May 18 @6pm, Al Oerter Recreation Center more details
Rochester, Tues. May 18 @ 7pm, WXXI Studios, Mimi Nguyen will attend more details

PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia, Sat. May 22 @7pm, Asian Arts Initiative, Director S. Leo Chiang will attend more details

SOUTH CAROLINA
Charleston, Th. May 27 @6pm, Charleston County Public Library more details

TEXAS
Houston, Tues. May 18 @7pm, Rice Cinema, Father Vien will attend more details

A few Community Cinema events will feature special guests from the film:

ROCHESTER, NY Tues. May 18 @ 7pm, WXXI Studios, Mimi Nguyen will attend more details
HOUSTON, TX Tues. May 18 @7pm, Rice Cinema, Father Vien will attend more details
PHILADELPHIA, PA Sat. May 22 @7pm, Asian Arts Initiative, Director S. Leo Chiang will attend more details
OAKLAND, CA Wed. May 19 @ 630pm, Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Director S. Leo Chiang will attend
SAN FRANCISCO, CA Tues. May 18 @545pm, San Francisco Main Public Library, Koret Auditorium, Director S. Leo Chiang will attend

All other Community Cinema Screenings will include a free screening and panel discussion. For complete information, visit Independent Lens.

ARIZONA
Tucson, Sun. May 16,@2pm, Valencia Branch Library more details
Tucson, Fri. May 21 @4pm, Miller-Golf Links Branch Library more details
Tucson, Th. May 13 @9am, Quincie Douglas Branch Library more details

CALIFORNIA
Aliso Viejo Th. May 6 @7pm, Soka University more details
Hayward Tues. May 11 @6pm, Hayward Main Library more details
San Diego, Wed. May 5 @630pm, San Diego Public Library, 3rd Floor Auditorium more details
West Hollywood, Tues. May 25 @730pm, Blue Conference Room in the Pacific Design Center more details

COLORADO
Colorado Springs, May 6 @ 6pm,Colorado College more details
Denver, May 25 @ 7pm, Starz FilmCenter more details
Fruita, May 26 @ 630pm, Dinosaur Journey Museum more details
Grand Junction, May 11 @ 6pm, Mesa County Central Library more details
Montrose, May 18 @ 730pm, Montrose District Library more details
Palisade, May 15 @ 10am, Palisade Library more details
Pueblo, May 12 @ 7pm, Rawlings Public Library Infozone more details

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington, D.C., Sun. May 23 @5pm, Busboys and Poets more details
Washington, D.C., Sun. May 30 @3pm, Washington DC Jewish Community Center more details

GEORGIA
Athens, Th. May 6 @7pm, Athens-Clarke County Library more details

ILLINOIS
Chicago, Sat. May 15 @2pm, The Chicago Cultural Center, Claudia Cassidy Theater more details

INDIANA
Evansville, Wed. May 19 @ 7pm, WNIN Studios more details
Indianapolis, Sun. May 23 @4pm, The K.I. EcoCenter more details

LOUISIANA
New Orleans, Sat. May 22 @6pm, Dillard University, Samuel DuBois Cook Fine Arts Center more details

MICHIGAN
Grand Rapids, Tues. May 4 @7pm, The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts

MISSOURI
Kansas City, Sat. May 8, @2pm, Plaza Library

NEW YORK
Bronx, Tues. May 4 @ 6pm, Owen Dolen Golden Age Center more details
Brooklyn, Mon. May 3 @ 1pm, Von King Recreation Center more details
Brooklyn, Mon. May 3 @7pm, Von King Recreation Center more details
Ithaca, Fri. May 21 @7pm, Henry St. John Building more details
Manhattan, Tues. May 18 @730pm, East 54th Street Recreation Center more details
Queens, Fri. May 7 @630pm, Vic Hanson Recreation Center more details
Queens, Th. May 13 @630pm, DKW Recreation Center more details
Queens, Tues. May 18 @6pm, Al Oerter Recreation Center more details
Saratoga Springs, Sat. May 1 @3pm, Saratoga Spring Public Library more details

SOUTH CAROLINA
Charleston, Th. May 27 @6pm, Charleston County Public Library more details

TENNESSEE
Nashville, Sat. May 15 @230pm, Nashville Public Library more details

VERMONT
Brattleboro, Th. May 13 @730pm, Brattleboro Museum and Art Center more details

WISCONSIN
Sheboygan, Tues. May 11 @7pm, John Michael Kohler Arts Center more details
Sheboygan, Wed. May 12 @1230pm, John Michael Kohler Arts Center more details

Take a look at where we’re going this month. Pack your bags, we’re hitting the road!

We are also excited to announce our free Community Cinema screenings and panel discussions (presented by ITVS and Independent Lens) begin April 19th in St. Louis, MO and go through May 30th in Washington, DC. Community Cinema is offered in over 50 cities across the United States. To see if the film will be playing in your city, click here.

And don’t forget to mark your calendars for the PBS broadcast on Independent Lens on May 25th @ 10pm!

JACKSON, MS:

WHAT: Crossroads Film Festival
WHEN: Sat 4/17 @3:10pm
WHERE: Jackson, Mississippi
INFO/TIX: Crossroads Film Festival
FACEBOOK EVENT: http://tinyurl.com/crossroadsfilmfest

DENVER, CO:

SEATTLE, WA:

WHAT: FREE Community Cinema Screening
WHEN: Sun 4/25 @ 1pm
WHERE: SIFF Cinema, Nelsholm Family Lecture Hall 321 Mercer Street, Seattle, WA 98109
INFO: Seattle International Film Festival

Check out the wrap up for the festival, including all of the award announcements!