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Seattle, September 7, 2008 Hello everyone, We have been working hard to ensure news delivered to you as well as (1) advocate for a reformed and democratic participatory processes of the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) and City Councils; and (2) strongly oppose the unofficial but bonding tie between Washington Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce (formerly as the Vietnamese American Economic Development Association) and Ravenhurst Development and TRF. In a civil society as the United States, we need to exercise our citizenship power and advocate to protect our rights, not allowing any individual or group—from the mainstream or Vietnamese American community—to use their privilege in terms of knowledge, language, or monetary pressures to oppress and exploit our and other co-ethnic community at large. We would like to invite you all to attend a public meeting driven by a common interest as the below indicated:
4721 Rainier Ave. S. Seattle , WA 98118 206-386-1908 WaVA and their associates has tried to swing the public view using the media and misleading people in and beyond the Vietnamese community that “it is a done deal.” They don’t want us to know that all their meager deals made with the developers do not equate with a completion of their business transaction because of the upcoming hearing examiner on September 22, 2008. We are working to prepare relevant documents and other necessary tasks so that we could inform you about an appropriate strategy. Below our signatures is an official invitation to the media and everyone regarding the meeting purpose. In addition, right below this paragraph are two important links. In case you could not read those news directly due to technical problems, attached are the news. We are urging you to read, understand and reflect in order to work together for both clear short- and long-term strategies to rebuild and develop our Vietnamese American community. (1) Newspiece posted on”The Online Youth of Viet Nam News” at the below link regarding the Dearborn Mall project. There are many excerpts from the Seattle Times (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008152450_dearborn02m.html) and a photo of a unnamed Vietnamese restaurant in Seattle. Of course, the newspiece was approved by the Vietnamese Communist government as the rule of thumb for censorship. http://www4.thanhnien.com.vn/Kieubao/2008/9/7/260644.tno (2) The English newspiece of the PBS and the 15-minute excerpt from a documentary film about the successful case of the Vietnamese American community in the Versailles village of New Orleans. They were able to oppose New Orleans mayor’s official decision to dump the post-Katrina debris at the landfill located less than two miles from Versailles. This is a role model community and big lesson to all Vietnamese American communities in the US in general, and Seattle specifically. Rough Cut–New Orleans: A Village Called Versailles (Abroad at Home Series/PBS Frontline World) After tragedy, a community finds its political voice (by S. Leo Chiang) — August 28, 2008 We would appreciate your support and attendance of the meeting as well as passing these news to others from various sectors for a better understanding of important urban development issues of Little Saigon, and especially of Dearborn Supermall. Please contact us at … for all inquiries and comments. Best regards, Hieu & Quynh-Tram
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Enclosures Rough Cut New Orleans: A Village Called Versailles From the “Abroad at Home” Series/PBS Frontline World After tragedy, a community finds its political voice By S. Leo Chiang – August 28, 2008 |
 "Only through this struggle to rebuild their community and to make their voices heard have the Vietnamese American residents in Versailles finally learned the tools of democracy and ultimately claimed their American identity." |
 ""I feel like Little Saigon and the neighborhoods have been thrown under the bus by labor," Bradburd said." (Eskenazi, Seattle Times, 9/3/2008) |
The translated newspiece posted on ”The Online Youth of Viet Nam News” on September 6, 2008, regarding the rushed completion of the Dearborn Mall project deal. NOTE: This news piece was only half translated from the Seattle Times article published on September 3rd, 2008. It was posted immediately on the net in Viet Nam right after WaVA secretly signed the Community Benefit Agreement. The question should be about how the news was passed so fast to Viet Nam. Yet, the Vietnamese merchants in Little Saigon and the Vietnamese Community in Seattle had not been informed at all. Furthermore, why Vietnamese Communist cadres showed interests in the investment news in Little Saigon Seattle that much??? |
VietSoul:21 - Hồn Việt Thế Kỷ 21 