By Jaehee Park for BPSOS

Vietnamese Americans around the country are gearing up to challenge the human rights record of Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who will be visiting the US for four days starting June 24.

The Four Seasons, a unique collection of songs, dances, and theatrical performances celebrating Vietnamese culture and history, will take the stage on Sunday, June 8, 3:00pm, at the Center for the Arts - Concert Hall of George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MS 3F5, Fairfax, VA.

Press Release

Contact: Dr. Nguyen Dinh Thang, Executive Director

May 28, 2008

(001) (703) 538-2190

thang.nguyen@bpsos.org

Report Reveals “Deterioration” of Religious Freedom, Human Rights in Vietnam

FALLS CHURCH, VA May 28 – On the eve of State Department’s dialogue on human rights with the government of Vietnam in Hanoi, a report released Wednesday highlights an on-going crackdown on Vietnam’s independent religious leaders, journalists, and pro-democracy voices.

The first four months of 2008 witnessed further deterioration of human rights conditions in Vietnam, according to the US-based Vietnam Study Group, with dissidents subjected to harsh sentencing, detention, and harassment. The report includes the list of 62 individuals detained for political or religious reasons since August 2006.

Click here to download the document.

Area Residents Benefit from Replacement Homes, Repairs

BAYOU LA BATRE, AL April 9 — Boat People SOS (BPSOS) recently joined several community partners in welcoming Bayou La Batre residents to their homes, which had been repaired or replaced in the wake of Hurricane Katrina with over $220,000 in funding raised by the American Red Cross, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), and other funders.

Boat People SOS and the Vietnamese American Bar Association on June 5 will jointly present an evening workshop designed to educate attorneys about the legal needs of immigrant victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. This evening program will give participants the skills they need to represent these vulnerable populations.

The event, which is open to the public, will be held at the law offices of WilmerHale, 1875 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, in Washington, DC.

Continuing Legal Education credits will be available. For details, check the Boat People SOS website at: www.bpsos.org.

By Mai Bui

February 3, 2007 - The Northern Virginia Vietnamese Senior Citizen Association (NOVASCA) on February 3 organized a workshop on Alzheimer’s disease with the assistance of the Seniors and Trauma Survivors Empowerment Program of Boat People SOS (BPSOS).

Kat* gave me a hug so tight, I could hardly breathe, but what really took my breath away was when she pulled back and once again, looked down at the check she was holding and tears just freely rolled down her checks. Our program was able to assist Kat with funds for new furnishings and ten thousand dollars towards a car. Kat along with her three children were victims of Katrina. Hearing her story, perhaps they were victims long before.

HOUSTON, TX, March 5, 2008. Vietnamese-American survivors of torture in the Houston area will have better access to free legal services aimed at helping them untangle red tape and improve their lives, thanks to a Boat People SOS (BPSOS) initiative recently funded with $20,000 from an organization that wishes to remain anonymous. “We are extremely grateful to our anonymous benefactor for this support,” said Trish Thao Nguyen, branch manager for BPSOS in Houston. “Thanks to this grant, some 60 Vietnamese-American survivors of torture in the greater Houston area will have improved access to free BPSOS legal services that help them to apply for US citizenship, obtain the related medical disability waiver, and carry out family reunification procedures.”

Awards More Than $2.5 Million in Grants to Groups Including BPSOS-Camden

PHILADELPHIA, PA— The Philadelphia Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® recently honored forty-eight grantees representing some of the finest healthcare, community and family organizations from throughout their thirteen-county service area. The Komen Philadelphia Affiliate distributed of $2,581,066 in grants to support breast health education, awareness, screening, treatment and support that will be implemented in 2008-2009. Four of these grantees are New Jersey-based and will be using the funds to help women and men of all ages fight breast cancer in Camden and surrounding communities.

Ngo Quang Truong Memorial Scholarship (Calendar Year 2008) for Vietnamese American Undergraduates in the U.S.A (Application deadline is July 1, 2008)

In mid-2007, a number of Vietnamese Americans and the non-profit organization Boat People SOS (www.bpsos.org) established this scholarship to honor the memory of General Ngo Quang Truong whose dedication and military genius helped prolong liberty in South Vietnam (the general’s condensed biography can be found after this announcement). The objective is to inculcate the following values, symbolized by the life of General Truong, among young Vietnamese Americans: Love of country, loyalty, fairness, self-sacrifice, leadership, integrity, and humility.