| Esther Wu: Season offers spirit of hope, sense of need 12/21/2000 By / The Dallas Morning News At this time of year, as families and friends gather for the holidays, thoughts naturally turn to gift-giving. While not all Asian-Americans celebrate Christmas, the spirit of the season is shared by all: It is a time of sharing and giving.
With this in mind, we asked community leaders: "What is your holiday wish list?"
• "Job stability so people can continue to be self-sufficient." – Thao Phia Xaykao, with Hmong American Planning and Development Inc. After arriving in 1975, Hmong refugees needed assistance while settling in the United States. Today, of the 2,000 Hmongs in this area, only two or three families still receive aid, said Mr. Xaykao.
• "A community center where we can meet. A place where people can get help. A place where they can feel at home." – Leck Keovilay, a spokesman for the Lao community
• "A Thai community center. We need a place where Thai people can find legal services, job training, parenting classes and even CPR classes. Because of the harsh economic situation in Thailand, many people are entering the United States illegally. We need a place where people can come and get legal advice." – Polly Flanigan, Thai community volunteer
• "Thirty tables and 300 padded folding chairs for the Vietnamese Community Center. Also for the center's $185,000 mortgage to be paid." – Jennifer Nguyen, Vietnamese community volunteer
• "To be more united in order to help solve problems in the community ... like gangs, kids leaving school. And if I had another wish, I'd wish for peace and prosperity in our homeland. Recent floods there have left many people homeless." – Chharveth Kiv, president of the Cambodian American Association of Dallas
• "Bilingual teachers to help improve the education of our children. In the Dallas Independent School District, we don't have any teachers who can speak Indonesian and English. This is a handicap for the new immigrants." – Lely White, past chairwoman of the Indonesian Association DFW
• "That people not blessed with citizenship, and who are deserving, be granted amnesty so they can apply for citizenship. And I would also like some clarity on immigration laws." – Parvez Malik, chairman of the DFW Pakistan American Chamber of Commerce.
• "To raise $5,000 by Jan. 31 to pay property taxes on our newly opened community center. We have held fund-raising projects but have come up short." – Emelita de la Rosa, president of the Philippine Community Center Inc.
• "More members." – Kimio Masegi, president of the Dallas Japanese Association
• "I want the community to become more involved with the mainstream, both politically and socially." I.K. Kim, past president of the Korean Chamber of Commerce
• "A senior citizens community center because of their growing number and the demands and needs of this segment of the population. It is time to give back to our parents." – Sudhir Parik, past president of the India Association of North Texas
• "That the Taiwan-China issue be resolved." – Dr. Charles Ku, Chinese community leader on an issue that has divided many Americans of Chinese and Taiwanese descent
"And if I had another wish," said Dr. Ku, "it would be unity. I want all of us to be one big, happy family again."
Which brings us back to the other spirit of the holiday – peace on Earth, good will toward men.
Esther Wu can be reached at P.O. 655237, Dallas, TX 75265 or at
|
