Sunday, June 13, 2010

Unheard voices in the oil spill: the Vietnamese community

http://www.riotinthesky.com/blog/?p=2096

I approve! Sahra Nguyen's blog:

Millions of gallons of oil have been gushing out into the Gulf Coast for a few weeks now—MILLIONS! MILLIONS!—I can’t even begin to wrap my mind around the existing and everlasting potential damage this is causing. It’s forever changing the future of our natural ecosystems, killing/endangering rare (and soon to be rare) species of animals and putting many families at risk of losing their homes and businesses with the fishing/shrimping contamination. Katrina was quick and devastating. This oil spill is like a slow, painful death. Wretched heartbreak.

One would never know from the lack of representation on the news, but there is a large Vietnamese population down south heavily involved in the fishing/shrimping industry. (We boat people…what’d you expect??!) Seaside bidness runs in my family—my mom’s side is from a fishing village in South Vietnam, and I got some in-laws in Louisiana! Vietnamese people know how to fucking hustle, mang…and it’s not always funespecially not for the ones down south who have been struck by recent bad luck. First there was the Vietnam War, then there was escaping by boat, then there was rebuilding in America, then there was rebuilding after Katrina, now they must rebuild after the oil spill—all this in one lifetime. Meanwhile, their stories are never shared on the news, and their struggles go on ignored and unnoticed. What’s worse is that many Vietnamese people suffering also struggle with language barriers that make it extremely difficult to gain access to the necessary resources, contacts and help.

Below are some videos by some friends and allies of mine that share the Vietnamese American experience within this global disaster. Amidst all the BP bullshit and politics of who’s doing what to do what to do what, every moment that goes by, more oil gushes out and many people get closer and closer to going bankrupt and hungry. While trying to stop the oil, we can’t forget that people need immediate help. Please take a moment to expand your consciousness and open your hearts up by watching. Spread the message:

READ MORE: Article in the New York Times: Oil Spill Threatens Livelihood of Vietnamese Community

Thursday, June 10, 2010

What do you think of CA elections results

Uuuuh. It's aight, mostly predictable, but I hoped for Prop 15 to pass, and Prop 14 to NOT pass...

Ugh, I really dislike the wording of Prop 14, because it claims to be for "open" primaries,...where in reality it would make it more expensive to campaign, decimate the smaller parties, probably weakening parties (which isnt that great. Political parties are a reality, no matter what you think).

Overall, it makes me more disgusted at the California's propositions and initiatives. Every few months we get a new constitutional amendment, which takes tons of money to qualify (why CA Democracy Act didnt). The United States Constitution is amended 26 times, and the California's constitution? iono, but a lot!

Ask me anything