President, NghiaSinh of Illinois
In June 1963, NghiaSinh was founded in Saigon as a humanitarian organization to provide emergency assistance to the elderly and the poor who arrived in Saigon as refugees from the countryside of Vietnam. NghiaSinh has also provided food, clothes, shelter, and medicine to war victims since 1966. Between 1968 and 1975, NghiaSinh established the Nghia-Viet High School for the poor; Hung-Vuong Social Service Center for homeless children; Tran-Binh-Trong Shelter for displaced persons; and Chanh-Hung Human Care Program for juvenile delinquents. NghiaSinh served thousands of people for 12 years in Vietnam. As a result of its dedicated service to humanity, the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Minister of Education, Minister of Labor, and Minister of Social Services presented NghiaSinh four National Medals of Honor.
After the fall of Saigon in 1975, NghiaSinh began a new life in Chicago as a sponsor and reception agency (VOLAG) for Vietnamese and other Indochinese refugees. From 1975 to 1987, NghiaSinh resettled over 1,000 such refugees in Illinois. On some occasions this resettlement work was carried out solely by unpaid volunteers. At other times NghiaSinh had subcontracts from the U.S. State Department/AFCR. These funds were used partly for providing direct financial assistance to newly arrived refugees and partly for paying part-time staff. This resettlement work involved airport pickups; food and housing for the first 30 days; escort; link-up with social security; access to health clinics, schools, and public aid; access and linkage to previously resettled Indochinese refugees. Each refugee received $250 in cash upon arrival. In addition, each refugee and every refugee sponsored by NghiaSinh received $50 as a wedding gift and $50 for family funeral assistance. Over 70 percent of the refugees are now working. More than 20 percent are attending colleges while another 10 percent are taking retirement.
On Thanksgiving each year, refugees sponsored by NghiaSinh get together to thank God for His blessing, to share life experience with one another, and to enjoy an Asian American dinner.
Beginning in 1987, NghiaSinh started to address the issue of youth orphan problems such as school dropouts, drugs, gangs, and crimes through its prevention programs. NghiaSinh also offered cross-cultural workshops, individual counseling sessions, after-school programs, and martial arts classes, among other programs.
At the White House in April, 1983, President Ronald Reagan personally honored NghiaSinh and its founder with the Presidential Medal of Volunteerism for its volunteer human care services.
Over 5,000 Vietnamese young men and women joined NghiaSinh in Saigon and in eleven (11) provinces of Vietnam.
II. SERVICES:
- 1. Provided food, clothe and shelters to over 10,000 war victims.
- 2. Assisted over 5,000 refugees to obtain suitable jobs in Saigon and in other cities of Vietnam.
- 3. Enrolled over 3,000 students in academic and vocational/technical schools.
I. MEMBERSHIP:
- 1. Nghia-Viet High School (providing free public education to hundreds of disadvantaged teenagers).
- 2. Bac-Hai Vocational School (providing vocational training programs to unskilled refugees).
- 3. NghiaSinh Dormitory (providing room and board free-of-charge to hundreds of low-income students who attended the University of Saigon).
- 4. Hung-Vuong Human Service Center (providing room and board, as well as guidance/counseling and education programs to hundreds of homeless children on daily basis).
- 5. Tran-Binh-Trong Women Center (providing temporary shelters to hundreds of abandoned women of war-torn Vietnam).
- 6. Huong-Thien Chanh-Hung Retention Center (providing cultural, educational, and social services to over 500 juvenile delinquents every day for ten years).
I. FORMATION:
Chicago's NghiaSinh Chapter was formed in early 1974. NghiaSinh has continued to grow and develop ever since. Its achievements are as follows:
II. HUMAN SERVICES:
- 1. NghiaSinh has sponsored over 1,000 refugees from Southeast Asia to Illinois and other states since April, 1975.
- 2. NghiaSinh has conducted cultural orientation sessions for hundreds of newly arrived refugees in Chicago.
- 3. NghiaSinh has provided emergency food and temporary shelters for hundreds of people in need.
III. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT:
- 1. NghiaSinh has provided leadership training programs for hundreds of young men and women in many states and countries around the world.
- 2. NghiaSinh has organized seven cross-cultural workshops for hundreds of American educators who were interested in helping Asians in American classrooms.
- 3. NghiaSinh has assisted hundreds of Asian Americans in educational and vocational programs, job counseling, and placement services.
IV. NGHIASINH OF CHICAGO
- 1. Conducted after-school programs, teaching English language and American culture to over 1,500 Asian students.
- 2. Assisted in enrolling over 1,000 Asian students in American universities. Over 750 students graduated.
- 3. Helped over 50 Asians become teachers who are now teaching in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami.
Executive Director, NghiaSinh International
JANUARY 1997
- Provided transcript evaluation service, translation service, and immigration service to over 100 Asian Americans, an ongoing program for 12 months.
- Sponsored an ESL after school program for 25 Asian students on weekdays from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., an ongoing program for 10 months.
- Organized a Student Work Study Program, employing 5 students part-time for 10 months.
- Met with 40 Vietnamese community leaders at Lucky Star’s to prepare for the 1997 Asian American Conference.
- Met with 80 Asian American community leaders at Northeastern Illinois University to prepare for the 14th Asian American Coalition Lunar New Year Celebration.
FEBRUARY 1997
- Organized 14th Asian American Coalition Conference and Celebration with the participation of over 2,000 people at Hyatt Regency O’Hare.
- Participated in the 1997 Vietnamese Lunar New Year.
MARCH 1997
- Met with Illinois Department of Public Aid, Chicago Department of Human Services, and Department of Public Health to discuss matters concerning Asian American immigrants.
- Attended a national forum on education reform in Washington, D.C.
APRIL 1997
- Sponsored a workshop on refugee concerns organized by Amnesty International at DePaul University.
- Contributed $1,000 to United Way of Chicago, $1,000 to the Chicago Children’s Choir, and $2,000 to Northeastern Illinois University’s Minority Scholarship Fund on behalf of AACC.
MAY 1997
- Attended the Governor’s and the Mayor’s receptions and activities to honor Asian American Heritage Month.
- Participated in the 1997 Asian American Parade in downtown Chicago on May 31, 1997, along with other Asian American communities.
- Sponsored the 1997 Multicultural Education Conference with the participation of 200 parents and students.
JUNE 1997
- Met with NghiaSinh of Minnesota.
- Sponsored the 21st Annual Vietnamese Graduation Celebration for 200 people at Clemente Community Academy.
JULY 1997
- Met with NghiaSinh of California.
- Helped 20 students attend Northeastern Illinois University and University of Illinois.
- Sponsored a summer school program for 25 Vietnamese students on weekdays in July and August, 1997.
AUGUST 1997
- Sponsored the 1997 Mid-Autumn Festival.
- Organized a picnic for 50 Vietnamese youths at Chicago’s Foster Beach.
- Participated in the 1997 Illinois State Fair. NghiaSinh has been a member of the Illinois State Fair for 18 years.
SEPTEMBER 1997
- Sponsored a Northeastern Illinois University fund-raising event.
- Met with representatives of Vietnamese community organizations at Ha-Mien’s.
OCTOBER 1997
- Met with President Bill Clinton, U.S. Secretary of Education, and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C.
- Sponsored the 1997 Asian American Jazz Festival.
- Attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the Hillary Clinton Women’s Park in Chicago to honor the First Lady of the United States.
NOVEMBER 1997
- Organized 15th Annual Thanksgiving celebration for refugees sponsored by NghiaSinh at Clemente Community Academy auditorium.
- Planned for the 1998 Asian American Coalition Celebration.
DECEMBER 1997
- Met with NghiaSinh of California on December 24 and 25, 1997.
- Published a book entitled Asian Americans 2002: Education, Economy & Ethnicity.
