ICIRR AmeriCorps Position

f you know of any people who'd be interested in an AmeriCorps spot with ICIRR, please pass this along.

As early as June 1 we will have an opening here at ICIRR for an AmeriCorp Member. I’d really like to reach out to young adults who are familiar with immigrant communities, outgoing, and bi-lingual in any language representing a sizeable immigrant community here in Chicago (Arabic, Hindi. Urdu, Russian, Polish, etc). I’m attaching the job description. The person has to be a Legal Permanent Resident or US Citizen. Let me know if you have youth who might be interested. I’d love to get someone who is already familiar with the work of ICIRR’s members.

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
Title: Immigrant Family Resource Program AmeriCorps Member: Outreach Specialist
Make a difference by providing stepping stones to self-sufficiency for diverse immigrant
communities. Work with organizations across the state providing community outreach.
Organization and Program Description: ICIRR is a 23-year-old membership
organization composed of over 100 dues paying organizations whose mission is to
promote the full and equal participation of immigrants and refugees in the political, civic
and economic life of our diverse society.
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) Immigrant Family
Resource Program is a unique-in-the nation partnership between the Illinois Department
of Human Services (IDHS), ICIRR, and ethnic community-based organizations across
Illinois. Over the past nine years the Immigrant Family Resource Program (IFRP) has
excelled in educating and providing access to immigrant families needing safety-net
services like Food Stamps and Medicaid through case management, professional
interpretation and translation, and referral services.
IFRP partners with 40 ethnic organizations across Illinois; operates in 52 languages,
mainly Spanish, Korean, Arabic, Polish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Hindi, Vietnamese, and
Urdu; and reaches people from 80 countries of origin. IFRP reaches Metro Chicago’s
diverse immigrant communities including Latino, Polish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean,
Arab, South Asian, Eastern European, African, and Refugee groups; Suburban Cook and
Collar County growing immigrant communities; and rural Latinos in Central and
Downstate Illinois. This access has proved vital in integrating immigrant families into
the fabric of our state.
Position Description:
The primary goal of the IFRP AmeriCorps Partner is to increase access to and
participation in specific safety-net programs through improved community outreach. The
specific programs and outreach topics include Health Programs, Food Stamps,
Employment Assistance, and Work Rehabilitation depending on eligibility of individual
community members. The Outreach Specialist will be supervised by the IFRP Program
Associate and Program Director.
The full time Outreach Specialist will be primarily responsible for ensuring Partner
outreach is successful and will do so by:
• providing ICIRR created materials for outreach and education;
• monitoring and evaluating current outreach events conducted by IFRP Partners;
• maintaining bi-weekly record keeping and reporting of partner outreach and
effectiveness (based on new cases, information and referrals);
• assisting with day-to-day project operations including data collection and reporting;
• inter-program planning and coordination, information dissemination to grantees and
between agency partners (including limited work on IFRP page of website);
assisting with in-service training opportunities for project grantees;
participating in bi-weekly ICIRR staff meetings.
The Outreach Specialist will be based out of the ICIRR offices in downtown Chicago but
will travel to outreach events in the Metro Chicago area and sometimes in other parts of
Qualifications:
• Demonstrated experience working effectively with diverse constituencies with
differing interests and needs;
• Access to car (mileage will be reimbursed);
• Outgoing personality with excellent interpersonal and organizational skills;
• Ability to balance time between field work (outreach) and administrative work;
• Experience with Excel and Microsoft word;
• Detail oriented with the ability to juggle many different tasks simultaneously and
complete them in a timely manner;
• Some knowledge and awareness of immigration law and policies, and experience
working with immigrants and/or refugees preferred;
• Desire to work in social service or community organizing;
• High school degree or equivalent required; some college preferred;
• Ability to write clearly in English;
• Preferably bi-lingual in English and language of one of the target communities:
Spanish, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Polish, Korean, French, Hindi, or Urdu.
Additional Details:
As an AmeriCorps Partner, the Outreach Specialist will receive a modest living
allowance, health insurance, and an education award of $4,725. The one-year position
begins June 1, 2009 with 5 days of training and will be completed on May 31, 2010. This
AmeriCorps position at ICIRR is arranged with the Logan Square Neighborhood
Association (LSNA). The AmeriCorps Partner will receive some training with the other
LSNA AmeriCorps Partners.
Send Questions and Resumes with Cover Letter to:
Jennifer M Kons
55 E Jackson Blvd, #2075
For Information on AmeriCorps visit
Chicago IL 60604
www.AmeriCorps.gov
jkons@icirr.org
ICIRR is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

OCA Action Day: Action For Higher Education

Take Action For Higher Education:

Dear OCA Chapters and Members,

Recently, Congress reauthorized the Higher Education Act and permanently established the Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) program, which, similar to other minority serving institutions programs, provides grants to colleges and universities that serve considerable numbers of low income students, particularly underserved Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).

We are asking OCA chapters and members to do the following in order to gain support for this important issue in the House of Representatives.


1) CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE via the email webform on each representative’s website and use OCA’s template (Word document entitled ‘newcongressmantemplate’).

1. To find your House representative, please refer to: http://www.house.gov/
2. Copy and Paste the template letter into the webform - http://www.ocanational.org/images/stories/docscenter/newcongressmantemplate
3. Or call your representative’s Washington DC office
4. Let dlee@ocanational.org know that you've done this!


2) CONTACT COLLEGES that are potentially eligible for the funding (.pdf file entitled 'Institutions’), and have them go through the process above and state their affiliation with the college.


Institutions - http://www.ocanational.org/images/stories/docscenter/institutions.pdf

We ask that you contact your Representative with the letters provided by Monday, March 30, 2009. The deadline for Representatives to sign-on is Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

Please submit to Douglas Lee at dlee@ocanational.org any action you or your chapter conducts.

Thanks,

OCA National Center

Apply for the OCA Summer Internship Program

Dear Friends and Potential Applicant,

OCA, a national organization dedicated to ensuring social justice for Asian Pacific Americans (APA), is now accepting applications for the 2009 Summer Internship Program.

Celebrating its 20th year, the OCA Internship Program seeks to cultivate future leadership by providing students an opportunity to be involved in the political process through a national organization. The program has successfully led past interns to become more active on their college campus, increased the presence of the APA community in local, state and federal governments, and encouraged interns to become leaders in the APA community and stay engaged with the APA community in their respective fields.

The OCA Summer Internship Program engages interns with numerous activities to bring to life all that Washington, DC has to offer. In addition, OCA will bring the interns to our annual national convention, the largest APA conference in the country. This year's convention will be in San Francisco from August 6-9. The convention will feature speakers, entertainment, workshops, and our signature gala. Applicants are strongly encouraged to make sure they are able to attend convention.

Summer interns will be placed at a full-time position in a federal agency, nonprofit, or congressional office that matches their interest. Interns can also be placed at the OCA National Center and work first-hand with one of the largest APA organizations in the country. In addition to their placement, summer interns will be highly engaged in many OCA activities and be involved with grassroots organizing.

For the summer session, the internship will last approximately ten weeks and a stipend will be provided. Applications will be reviewed by the Internship Committee and a telephone interview may be scheduled.
The completed application package should be sent in one package and should include:

* Application form
* Resume including extracurricular activities
* Academic transcript (copy is fine)
* One-page essay on your interest in participating in the OCA Summer Internship Program
* Two Letters of Reference

For more information on OCA’s internship programs and application, go to OCA’s website at www.ocanational.org. Applications for internships need to be postmarked or submitted online by March 15, 2009 for the summer session.
Eligible applicants for the internship program will be notified of selection as soon as sponsors and funding can be secured. A firm commitment will be required at that time to secure admission.

Please contact the OCA National Center at (202)-223-5500 or dlee@ocanational.org if you have any questions.

Best regards,
Douglas Lee
OCA - Senior Program Manager
1322 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
t 202.223.5500
f 202.296.0540
c 202.536.7512

email: dlee@ocanational.org
web: www.ocanational.org

Half of a half apology from Epic Failure Miley

Soooo... Miley decided she should apologize again for her slanty eyed business! And I thought, finally?! Then I read the apology and IT WASN'T AN APOLOGY.

"I want to thank all of my fans for their support not only this week, but always! I really wanted to stress how sorry I am if the photo of me with my friends offended anyone. I have learned a valuable lesson from this and know that sometimes my actions can be unintentionally hurtful. I know everything is a part of GOD’s ultimate plan, and mistakes happen so that eventually I will become the woman he aspires me to be."

Let's be honest, she doesn't care. I made the IF to show that she doesn't care about her Asian/Asian American fans. She's rich, famous, has celebrity privileges and does whatever she wants. So let's do something about this, shall we?

Many Asian American blogs have pushed back against Miley's half assed apology and have called her out on her BS apology. The OCA, Organization of Chinese Americans, is literally the only Asian American advocacy group that's called Miley out on her racist self. Where are the others at?

The Minority Militant has mentioned the lack of Asian American (AsAm) groups on the front lines with OCA and well, it's a good point. Are there reasons for other AsAm advocacy groups to not even bother with Miley? Maybe the other advocacy organizations have other priorities? Maybe they're intimidated? Maybe it's a waste of time for them? Maybe they think addressing Miley won't solve anything? Whatever the reasons may be, I think it's up to the empowered people, the general public, to speak up. PLEASE talk to your respective AsAm advocacy groups about this Miley fiasco. Tell them you want them to say, "Enough is enough, stop the slanty eye business."

And if you want to take it further, you can head to The Minority Militant's blog and read up on how Miley's going to the White House to show her movie. Ick. Or you can mail Disney and tell them their star is an epic failure. OR! You can do both.

Disney Snail Mail:
Michael Poryes (Executive Producer/Creator Hannah Montana)

c/o Debbee Klein Paradigm

360 N. Crescent Dr., North Bldg.

Beverly Hills, CA

90210

Steven Peterman (Executive Producer/Creator Hannah Montana)

c/o It's A Laugh Productions

201 N Occidental Blvd Bldg 6

Los Angeles, CA 90026

USA

Rich Ross

President, Disney Channel Worldwide

3800 W Alameda Ave #2026

Burbank, CA

Or if you live in California and are Asian, you might be in the $4 Billion dollar LAWSUIT against Miley Cyrus.

According to the suit, each APIA person in L.A. County is entitled to the minimum damages for a civil rights violation -- $4,000.

Source, Source, Source, Source, Source, Source, Source = CAN YOU BELIEVE ALL THE MEDIA OUTLETS /BLOGS REPORTING ON THIS?!

Miley Continues to be an Epic Failure

Soooo... Miley made an "apology" to the Asian/Asian American community. But then, she had to kill the apology by saying,

Ive also been told there are some people upset about some pictures taken of me with friends making goofy faces! Well, Im sorry if those people looked at those pics and took them wrong and out of context!

In NO way was I making fun of any ethnicity! I was simply making a goofy face. When did that become newsworthy? It seems someone is trying to make something out of nothing to me. If that would of been anyone else, it would of been overlooked! I definitely feel like the press is trying to make me out as the new 'BAD GIRL'

...But, when I have made mistakes in the past, I feel like Ive owned up to them and apologized.... Anyway, I really wish everyone would stop focusing on my personal life and get back to focusing on what I love! Music and Acting!

WELL! She said "sorry IF!" Well, I'm sorry IF your music, acting, and face just happens to be offensive to me too! A goofy face is a goofy face! Goofy face means an Asian face! How fun! We were just playing around![end sarcasm]

Bluntly speaking, you don't give a half assed apology. Also, don't piss off your Asian/Asian American audiences. I don't know if Miley knows, but hmm, there's a lot of us back in the motherlands (aka Japan, China, S/N Korea, India, Laos, Vietnam, i.e. all Asian areas of the world) and you don't wanna offend, got it? I believe DISGRASIAN said it best, "You were giving us the chink-eye, an internationally-recognized symbol of unwelcome."

OCA, Organization of Chinese Americans, stepped up their work and said, “The picture is offensive and now this statement is inadequate,” George Wu, Executive Director of the OCA, an Asian-American equality group said on Friday. “That’s not enough. It’s not a real apology. We’re not backing down without a fuller apology."

She needs some schooling, stat. She had a chance to apologize and she messed it up.

Source, Source

Miley Cyrus Gets Slanty Eyed: Epic FAIL

I found out about this from Jossip.com. What the heck is this crap? Not only does she and her pals look out of their minds, there's some slanty eyed business.

I'm also glad to see that OCA issued a statement to TMZ in regards to this.

"The photograph of Miley Cyrus and other individuals slanting their eyes currently circulating the Internet is offensive to the Asian Pacific American community and sets a terrible example for her many young fans. This image falls within a long and unfortunate history of people mocking and denigrating individuals of Asian descent......Not only has Miley Cyrus and the other individuals in the photograph encouraged and legitimized the taunting and mocking of people of Asian descent, she has also insulted her many Asian Pacific American fans, said George Wu, executive director of OCA. The inclusion of an Asian Pacific American individual in the photo does not make it acceptable.

What the image really boils down to is that slanted eyes have a history with Asian Americans (and Asians internationally, in general). The history is that Asian Americans have been made fun of, mocked, demoralized, dehumanized, seen as foreigners in the history of the United States and at ONE point, EXCLUDED (1882 Chinese Exclusion Act) from immigrating to the United States. So what's my point? My point is that Asian Americans are not seen as Americans, that they're seen as EASY SCAPE GOAT targets for racial/social commentary in the eyes of mainstream society and that if you know someone who's Asian (i.e. that Asian American guy in the photo), who thinks that this kind of disrespect to themselves is "ok" to participate in and showcases that to others, it's not acceptable. If one looks at the past of Asian Americans in the U.S., there are newspaper comics demonizing us, degrading us, hurting us, lynching us.

Maybe to push it even further, this slanty eyed business also creates feelings of exclusion, disrespect, heightened negative self-conciousness, isolation, anger and sadness from Asians/Asian Americans.

There isn't any motive in this kind of work aside from idiocy.

Additional Source

Sign the petition: Tell the CDC to Reverse the HPV Vaccine Requirement for Immigrant Women and Girls!

Please note that the petition deadline has been extended to February 13, 2009. Please circulate this email to your listserves.

Dear Friends:

Please sign the petition to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asking it to reverse the newly imposed Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination mandate for immigrant women and girls. To view and sign the petition, go to http://www.petitiononline.com/napawf/petition.html by COB Friday, February 13, 2009.

In response to the high number of individuals who wished to sign-on to the organizational sign-on letter to the CDC circulated last week, this petition was created to allow individuals to express their opposition to the mandate. The petition will serve as a follow-up to the organizational sign-on letter to the CDC that will be sent next week.

As you may know, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in 2007 recommended that Gardasil, the only FDA approved HPV vaccine, be administered to females ages 11 to 26 in the U.S. This recommendation became an automatic requirement for those applying for immigrant visas or adjustment to permanent residency status when the government updated its vaccination list in July 2008. U.S. citizens are currently not required to receive the vaccination, and yet it is mandatory for prospective immigrants. Although the HPV vaccine has been deemed safe and effective by the FDA, it is not designed to combat the types of infectious diseases that the immigration requirements are intended to address. Moreover, the vaccine is prohibitively expensive-costing a minimum of $360 to receive the three-dose vaccination in addition to over $1,000 in filing fees-making the mandate an undue financial burden for prospective immigrant women and their families.

Please join us in asking the CDC to retract its listing of HPV as a required vaccination for immigrants in the revised Technical Instructions to the Civil Surgeons for Vaccination Requirements, which would eliminate the directive for civil surgeons to administer the vaccine to immigrant females ages 11 to 26.

We urge you to sign on to this petition to put pressure on the CDC to correct this unfair and burdensome requirement on immigrants. To learn more, please contact Nancy Chung at nchung@napawf.org.

The deadline for sign-ons is COB Friday, February 13, 2009.

Nancy K. Chung, Esq.
Reproductive Justice Fellow and Georgetown Women's Law and Public Policy Fellow
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum
6930 Carroll Avenue, Ste 506
Takoma Park, MD 20912
o: 301-270-4440
f: 301-270-1882
www.napawf.org