NEWS FOCUS CHARITIES : His relief effort is also helping to bridge Vietnamese and Hispanic communities. By GUILLERMO X. GARCIA and VIK JOLLY
But 19 years later, the Westminster lawyer could not believe the devastation wrought on Central America by Hurricane Mitch. The death toll exceeds 12,000, say authorities, with as many as 8,000 others missing and presumed dead. Even though he knows nothing about Central America and knows no Hispanics, Nguyen decided he had to do something to help, "not because they are Latino, but because they are human beings who are badly in need of assistance. I just want to help...people who are suffering and need aid." Along with several community groups, Nguyen has begun an ambitious relief effort in what is being viewed as the first ever collaboration of Orange County's two largest and fastest-growing ethnic minorities. Next month, Vietnamese communities in Orange County, San Jose and Houston will sponsor a walkathon. Orange County organizers hope to raise a minimum of $100,000 locally, with half going to the four Central American countries all but crippled by October's killer hurricane. The other half will go to victims of typhoons and torrential storms that struck Vietnam last month. In Orange County, organizers expect 5,000 participants to show up for the walkathon Jan. 10 at Fountain Valley's Mile Square Park. Nguyen said that in addition to individuals and business owners sponsoring walkers, the organizers hope business leaders make cash contributions. The idea was born out of a meeting "that involved Buddhists, Catholics, Boy Scouts and a number of other (Vietnamese) community and youth groups," Nguyen said Wednesday. "We have had other walkathons for (Asian) boat (refugees) that have been very successful...so even though we have never done this for a group outside the (Vietnamese) community, we thought this was a unique effort to share our experience, and work together with Latinos to try and understand each other's perspective better than we have in the past." In the three weeks of planning, the Vietnamese community has overwhelmingly supported the idea, said Suzie Xuyen Dong-Matsuda, the walkathon organizing group's liaison to the Hispanic community. Organizer's hope the event will promote a deeper understanding between the two communities, like "about how they live and how they came here and how different groups work together to create a harmonious life in Orange County," said Yen Do, another walkathon organizer. "What a marvelous gesture.... It speaks loudly for their concern about people, no matter their race or (national) origin. We are deeply moved and want to collaborate, " said Amin David, a community activist coordinating Hispanic residents' response to Nguyen's effort. "This is a giant step being taken to bridge the gap that some would theorize exists between our communities. Building this bridge will go a long way toward overcoming" long simmering hostilities highlighted by gang rivalries, he said. The walkathon seeks to bring together ethnic communities that now represents four of every 10 residents in the county. The county is 28 percent Hispanic and 18 percent Asian. Vietnamese make up the largest segment of Orange County's Asian population. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that by 2020, Hispanics and Asians in the county will account for 56 percent of the population, with Hispanics making up 41 percent of the total. The Asian and Hispanic communities of Orange County have grown by almost 300,000 people this decade, according to 1997 census figures. While hurricane relief could be the biggest effort in Vietnamese-Hispanic cooperation to date, some in the communities have been interacting for years. "We are all part of the human family, and this effort seems to highlight that, said Father Ed Poettgen, pastor at St. Polycarp Catholic Church in Stanton, where four of the nine Sunday masses are conducted in Spanish or Vietnamese. Of the 3,700 families registered at the church, almost 40 percent are Hispanic or Vietnamese, mirroring the ethnic composition of the county. "This (walkathon) seems to be an example of the leadership, and the communities, coming together for a common good, and that is to be applauded and encouraged," said Poettgen. In addition to their shared traits as fast-growing populations, the Vietnamese and Hispanic communities have a lot in common, and working together would be beneficial for both, some in the communities believe. "Besides trying to help the hurricane victims, I thought that working with each other might give us a better appreciation of each other's culture. In that way, we all win," said Nguyen. The two share cultural traits such as close-knit extended families. The immigrant experience and language barriers are other factors common to both groups. The humanitarian assistance needed in Central America presented an opportunity to bridge the two cultures, said Do, founder and publisher of the largest Vietnamese language daily in Orange County. "This is the kind of opportunity we hoped to have to go into action." Nguyen's effort "is a formidable expression of solidarity, and we are surprised, humbled and grateful by this effort," said Polycarp Bonilla, a Honduran consular officer coordinating hurricane relief efforts in Southern California. Los Angeles Salvadoran Consul Gen. Oscar Benavides said that "this is a most unusual, but most welcome, effort. Usually, ethnic groups attempt to organize events to help each other, but I have never experienced something like this where people from the Asian culture are intent on helping Latinos. We should be very grateful to the Vietnamese people of Orange (County) for their heartfelt effort." Benavides, who represents more than 180,000 Salvadorans in Los Angeles and Orange counties, noted, "Perhaps that is the one silver lining we can thank this disaster of a hurricane for bringing." |
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