Letters To Editor
1- Stand with Our Community: Volunteer and Vote
As a member 
of the Vietnamese American community, I am both excited and optimistic about the growing political voice we have here in Washington. As you may know, Washington was one of the first States to welcome Vietnam War refugees more than four decades ago. In coming to America, we hoped that we would forever escape injustice, discrimination and oppressive acts. But more recently, we have learned that we must continue to work toward standing up against inequalities in our community. Because of these reasons I have been volunteering with political campaigns; to better educate myself and to help make a difference we all want to see in our communities and I would encourage you to do the same. To make a difference we must understand the issues and the people leading the fight.
of the Vietnamese American community, I am both excited and optimistic about the growing political voice we have here in Washington. As you may know, Washington was one of the first States to welcome Vietnam War refugees more than four decades ago. In coming to America, we hoped that we would forever escape injustice, discrimination and oppressive acts. But more recently, we have learned that we must continue to work toward standing up against inequalities in our community. Because of these reasons I have been volunteering with political campaigns; to better educate myself and to help make a difference we all want to see in our communities and I would encourage you to do the same. To make a difference we must understand the issues and the people leading the fight.I recently attended a community event at Quan Dalat restaurant in White Center that was hosted by senior members of the Seattle Vietnamese-American refugee community and young Vietnamese attorneys representing the family of Tommy Le. Tommy Le was a 20-year old Burien resident fatally shot by King County Sheriff Deputies in June of 2017, on the day he was set to graduate high school. The young Vietnamese attorneys provided updates about the case and gathered support for Joe Nguyen, guest speaker and 34thDistrict candidate for State Senate. Mr. Nguyen helped organize the Seattle Asian-American community to bring attention to Tommy Le’s case, when mainstream media stopped doing so. For Joe Nguyen, Tommy Le’s death showed him that the members of marginalized communities will not be treated equally by other communities unless policies are changed that address historical oppression, discrimination and violence.
This and other events I’ve attended recently have left me inspired. I am inspired by these members and community leaders that have taken the opportunity to stand up for what’s right and make a voice for themselves and the communities they represent. I am impressed by their ability to connect and engage across different generations within the Vietnamese-American community.
Community leaders like Hoang Tran, Councilmember for the City of Federal Way, who is one of Washington’s first Vietnamese-American elected officials, are trailblazers in politics that we can look up to for motivation and support to make our issues heard. People like Uyen Nguyen of Seattle are creating opportunities for community members to become engaged and involved in politics. Uyen was one of the founding members of The Progressive Vietnamese-American Organization Policy Platform (PIVOT) and Emerge Washington, a campaign training program for Democratic women in Washington State. My-Linh Thai is another voice for our community who is actively pushing toward making our voices heard on a larger platform.
We must stand together as a community to make government listen to our voice. We can only do this by participating in politics and engaging ourselves in voting, campaigning and supporting our local leaders. I encourage you to step outside your comfort and learn something new about your community and help build a stronger voice for ourselves. Volunteer and vote for a candidate who will work for our community.
Best Regards,
Ami Nguyen
2-
Tommy Le’s wrongful death receives renewed
mainstream media attention
Sunday, October 14, 2018 is a beautiful, sunny Autumn day. A day you find yourself outside soaking up the sun, taking in deep breaths of fresh and crisp Seattle air after
the rain, watching emerald green leaves turning into an array of mesmerizing gold, orange and red shades. It is one of those days that makes you thankful to be alive: simple pleasures that are no longer afforded to a 20 year-old Vietnamese American named Tommy Le. He was allegedly shot in the back several times to his death by a King County Sheriff officer.
In an ethnic shopping center in South Seattle, crowds gather in front of restaurant Dalat Quán. Mainstream news media reporters, including those from Q13 News, KOMO TV, the Stranger, Seattle Weekly…etc, joined ethnic media reporters, showing a strong interest in the circumstances of Tommy Le’s death and the recent Use of Force finding release by the King County Sheriff’s Office on August 22, 2018.
In attendance at this event, sponsored by DaLat Quán, included a number of mainstream and Vietnamese community politicians and activists, including Washington State Senator Bob Hasegawa, Michael Charles (Tim Burgess and Lorena Gonzalez’s former campaign manager and Dow Constantine’s former External Relations Specialist), attorney Ami Nguyen from Public Defenders Office, Federal Way City Councilman Hoàng Trần, and veteran community activists Sony Lam Sơn Nguyễn, owner Sony Sewing, including Dr. Dat Giap, Kim-Long Nguyen and Phi Quang Quý … etc.
Tommy Le’s family members were emotional as their attorneys address the crowd.
Linda Tran and Jeff Campiche, legal representatives for Le’s family, informed attendees that misinformation had been willfully disseminated by King County Sheriff’s Office throughout Seattle media from the inaccurate Sheriff report of Le’s death. Particularly of interest are two details. First, Tommy was shot in the back, which indicates that he was not “confronting the police” and, second, Tommy was not holding anything (knife or pen) when he was shot. These 2 details suggest the Sheriff’s report was not objective when they said after an “internal review” that Deputy Cesar Molina was justified in using unnecessary deadly force.
The officers at the scene of the shooting were armed with body armor, guns and taser guns, yet claim they were threatened by Tommy Le’s 120 lbs, 5’4” frame. Tommy Le was weaponless and defenseless. The officers who confronted Le said they had to tase him and shot to kill him. Apparently, Le’s life was not worth the hesitation, or the use of a less lethal force.
It is important, to the family and to the greater Vietnamese community, that the true account of Tommy’s story to be told, and reports as well and further scrutiny be given to this case.
State Senator candidate Joe Nguyen, a supporter and honored guest at this event, emphasizes the importance of fair treatment and representation of the growing Vietnamese American community in Seattle and King County. Le’s death is one of the reasons Joe Nguyen is running for office. State Senator Hasegawa endorsed State Senate candidate Joe Nguyen, who finished first in the August primary election. Councilman Hoang Tran acknowledged the Vietnamese community’s support as one of the reasons he won his race in 2017.
There is a certain connectedness of mainstream media and minority Vietnamese American community, of old and young Vietnamese American generations, of civic-minded men and women – in this space, on this glorious Sunday afternoon; all came together to learn about and/or support this cause.
Monique Uyên Lê
3-
Tia sáng hy vọng cho tương lai cộng đồng Việt Nam tươi sáng hơn…
Tôi là một thành viên của Asian Pacific Director Coalition với ông Al Sugiyama. Tôi ngưỡng mộ các bạn trẻ chủ nhà hàng Dà Lạt (Jason & Thảo) đã giúp hoàn toàn sinh hoạt ủng hộ người trẻ dấn thân cộng đồng như Joe Nguyễn hơn 100%.
Kỳ bầu cử bắt đầu chọn các ứng cử viên từ cuối tuần này. Tôi biết một số ứng cử viên gốc Việt khác đã được đóng góp tài chánh rất nhiều, nhưng vẫn mượn tiền vay nợ cho kỳ bầu cử.
Cuộc bầu phiếu bước vào đoạn cuối, Joe Nguyễn cần gửi ra 20,000 thư vận động nhưng thiếu tiền. Tôi mong mỏi ban campagne của Joe Nguyễn mượn tiền chi trả nhu cầu khẩn cấp này, sau ngày bầu cử chúng ta sẽ tìm tài chánh của người đồng hương để trang trải các khỏan thiếu nợ (nếu có). Cá nhân tôi và bạn hữu sẽ liên tục kêu gọi thêm người ủng hộ Joe Nguyễn
Gia đình của Joe Nguyễn đúng là mẫu mực người tị nạn đến Mỹ làm việc chuyên cần, và nay ra làm dân cử để binh vực quyền lợi, và bảo vệ sự công bằng cho mọi người.
Giúp cho Joe Nguyễn là cần một tiếng nói cho cộng đồng không nghiêng về Cộng Hòa hoặc Dân Chủ.
Tại sao thắc mắc chúng ta không có căn nhà cộng đồng, vì chúng ta không có những người dám ra làm dân cử như Joe Nguyễn…
Chúng ta bị ảnh hưởng nhiều vì Sound Transit, chúng ta không được đền bù trong khi cộng đồng Phi (có Filippino Center) , Không có tiếng nói, thì quyền lợi cộng đồng như một chiếc bánh, cộng đồng Việt không được hưởng.
Qua các chương trình của Park Recreation, Youth Program chúng ta thường bị thua thiệt…
Các người gốc Việt bị khó khăn trong việc xin license cho Cắt Tóc, Nails người mình nhiều người có kinh nghiệm chuyên nghiệp lâu năm, bây giờ vẫn phải thực tập lên tới 2,250 giờ cho cả cắt tóc và làm nails (phải thực tập lại như người mới học vỡ lòng trong nghề… 1,500 giờ cho ngành tóc, 750 giờ cho ngành nails) để có được license phải tốn cả năm đi thực tập…
Chúng ta quên mất quyền lợi người thiểu số trong dòng chính là 10%, mà người Việt được bao nhiều phần trăm trong số đó, chúng ta cần tiếng nói dân cử như Joe Nguyễn, biết can đảm dấn thân cho cộng đồng…
Tôi đồng ý với các bạn trẻ như Chuyên Gia Cổ Phiếu Monique Lê, như Luật sư Ami Hồng Nguyễn (Public Defender). Tôi hy vọng tương lai cộng đồng, với kinh nghiệm và energy Joe Nguyễn sẽ đem những kinh nghiệm trường đời để hướng dẫn và phục vụ cộng đồng, tương lai cộng đồng sẽ tươi sáng, vấn đề Tommy Lê sẽ được giải quyết thỏa đáng./.
Kim Long Nguyen
(Nhà sinh hoạt cộng đồng từ 43 năm qua)
