Here are some more announcements, links, and job postings about academic-related jobs, fellowships, and other related opportunities for those interested in racial/ethnic/diversity issues. As always, the announcements and links are provided for informational purposes and do not necessarily imply an endorsement of the organization or college involved.

Screening: “Valor With Honor”

In World War II, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was composed entirely of Japanese Americans, most of whom were initially imprisoned by the U.S. government after the Pearl Harbor attacks. Despite this racist and xenophobic treatment, these brave Americans volunteered to fight for their country and eventually became the most highly-decorated fighting unit of their size during WWIII.

Burt Takeuchi has devoted most of his life to honoring the bravery and sacrifices of the 442nd and has created “Valor With Honor,” an independent documentary film based on over 35 interviews of Japanese American veterans who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during WW2. The 85 minute feature film describes the harrowing stories of 442nd’s battles in Italy, the Lost Battalion Rescue in France, the assault up Mount Folgorito, and witness to the holocaust at Dachau, Germany at the close of WW2. The film concludes with the vets bittersweet return home to America. The entire film is woven through stories told by the veterans themselves.

Valor with Honor will be shown August 13th and 14th, 2011 at the New Viz Theater in San Francisco’s Japantown (2-4pm). A 30-minute Q&A will follow the screening. DVDs will be sold after the show 25$ per copy. Free autographs. The Nihonmachi Street Fair is also that weekend, so you can enjoy the festival and attend one of screenings. Tickets for the August 13th and 14th (2-4pm) SF Japantown screenings at the New Viz can be purchased online.

Aloha,
Burt Takeuchi
Torasan Films
www.valorwithhonor.com

Lotus Blossoming Telesummit

Hello,

I wanted to give you advance notice of an international event to inspire and empower Asian women around the globe. The Lotus Blossoming Telesummit would be of interest to your readers visiting the Women & Gender Issues section of your website. This free online event represents the new wave of female empowerment in the Asian community. It begins on August 8, 2011 (6pm PST) and runs for three weeks.

Asia Rising–And She Wears a Skirt

While the spotlight shines on Tiger Mom, an unreported uprising of Asian women is quietly taking place around the globe. There’s a new girl in town and she’s not the demure geisha or cantankerous dragon lady of past. She is the modern empowered Asian woman. While she comes from all walks of life, what she has in common with her yellow sisters is that she embraces her identity–both the good and the bad–and makes choices on her own terms regardless of cultural expectations.

Beginning August 8th, the world will hear her roar. This auspicious day marks the beginning of the first ever Lotus Blossoming Telesummit, a free online event featuring an international line-up of speakers who are on a mission to inspire and empower women around the world.

Each night of the event features a different amazing Asian woman sharing how she reached beyond what she was taught and became who she was destined to be. The Lotus Blossoming Telesummit is free to attend. People can listen in to the event broadcasts by phone or online.

Speakers and topics include:

• LA-based solo performer, Kristina Wong, gives a behind-the-curtain peek on what it’s like to live a creative life and eschew a traditional career
• Speaker and trainer, Murshidah Said, teaches the importance of self-love and self-respect for women
• Award-winning blogger, Stacie Tamaki, shares how she embraces what makes her different to make a difference in the world
• Holistic energetic healer, Kim Le, conducts an online healing mediation to cultivate inner and world peace
• Relationship expert, Annie Lin, gives the scoop on how to find one’s soulmate by embracing one’s imperfections
• Love advocator, Dr. Rose G.S., gives a Malaysian perspective on the Law of Attraction for Asian and Muslim communities–and beyond
• Spiritual teacher, Marja West, activates the Divine Feminine Wisdom in listeners–both men and women
• Generation Y tech evangelist, Sacha Chua, demystifies how to use social networking as a tool for self-discovery
• Soul coach and fourth generation Chinese Canadian, Marielle Smith, kick-starts the creative rebel inside everyone
• Ellen Shing, founder of specialty lingerie store, Lula Lu, speaks of finding the perfect fit in both a career and bra size
• Holly Tse, creator and host of the Lotus Blossoming Telesummit, lets listeners in on how to use effortless action to make their dreams a reality

The Lotus Blossoming Telesummit runs for three weeks beginning Monday, August 8, 2011, 6pm PST. The event is free and open to everyone. To get the full event details, register at www.lotusblossoming.com.

About Holly Tse:
Holly Tse is the embodiment of the new empowered Asian woman. She left a conventional career in the Internet industry to pursue her passions, which included being a dating coach, reflexologist, Certified Massage Practitioner, cook show host and pitchwoman, published writer and author, cat toy expert, environmental blogger, and full-time mom. She also rode a bicycle across Canada without knowing how to ride a bike. She is an Empress of Effortless Action and teaches people how to make their passions a reality.

Contact Info:
Holly Tse, Creator and Host
Lotus Blossoming Telesummit
650-862-2387
http://www.lotusblossoming.com
holly@lotusblossoming.com

Call for Participants: Biracial Americans

I am a doctoral student at Azusa Pacific University in Southern California and am looking for help recruiting biracial individuals for my dissertation research. Specifically, I am looking for individuals who meet the following criteria:

• Biracial of non-European heritage (e.g. biracial Black and Hispanic, biracial Asian and Native American, etc.)
• Between the ages of 18-33
• Born in the United States
• Speak English fluently
• Have grown up in a home with both parents

I’ll be conducting in-person or phone interviews lasting 1 – 1.5 hours and participants will receive a small token of appreciation. If you know anyone who might meet the criteria, I would appreciate it if you could pass on my email to them or send me their contact information.

Thanks!
Stephanie
schin@apu.edu

Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Assn. & AmeriCorps Members

Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Association (MVMA) seeks a member of AmeriCorps for the New Americans Citizenship Project of Maryland. Applications are due August 15th by 5pm!

MVMA is currently offering an AmeriCorps State position through the New Americans Citizenship Project of Maryland (NACPM). The program, which will be starting its third year this September, focuses on providing Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) the necessary services to move forward through the citizenship/naturalization process. As an AmeriCorps member with MVMA your responsibilities will include (but not limited to):

Direct Services:

• Coordinate workshops and intake clinics focused on naturalization, financial literacy and economic development, and access to public benefits
• Assist LPRs in filling out the citizenship application
• Teach and/or coordinate English and citizenship preparation courses
• Work one on one with clients for tutoring purposes, when necessary
• Client referrals to other agencies or individuals

Information Gathering/Education and Outreach:

• Strengthen and develop organizational partnerships with existing community and faith-based organizations that serve immigrant communities in Maryland
• Conduct needs assessments, community education within immigrant community
• Inform LPRs about the naturalization process and benefits of citizenship
• Write press releases for MVMA website and radio announcements
• Assist with the publicity of the organization and services through community events and outreach

Community involvement/Volunteer Management:

• Organize legal panels
• Assist in the planning and hosting of MVMA events
• Develop volunteer opportunities, as well as train and coordinate volunteers

Candidates would be required to meet the following qualifications:

• Ability to perform all of the duties outlined above
• U.S. Citizen or U.S. Legal Permanent Resident (recent naturalized citizens encourage to apply)
• At least 17 years old
• A high school diploma or GED or agree to obtain one during the service year
• Excellent English writing and language skills (bilingual in Vietnamese preferred, but not required)
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Highly organized and efficient, able to manage multiple ongoing projects, “can-do” attitude, flexibility, teamwork, attention to detail; high degree of initiative
• Must be able to commit to 1700 hours of service between September 12th, 2011 and August 2012 (about 40 hours/week)
• Excellent administrative, customer service and program management skills
• Strong interest in working with adults from various cultural, educational, and ethnic backgrounds
• Evening and weekend hours required
• Access to personal transportation preferred

Benefits: Living stipend of $12,100, paid out bi-monthly for the duration of service term; health care coverage, childcare assistance, student loan forbearance, a $5,550 education award upon successful completion of program, and professional development training. Applications will be accepted from now through August 15th. The selected candidate will start September 12th.

To Apply:

1. Complete an application (attached or available at mdvietmutual.org)
2. Make sure to include Personal Statement and two references
3. Attach cover letter and resume
4. Email to info@mdvietmutual.org with “AMERICORPS APPLICATION” in the subject line

Incomplete applications will not be considered for review. Questions?
Contact: Diane Vu, Executive Director
301.588.6862 or info@mdvietmutual.org

Call for Contributions: Asian American Literature and the Legacy of Maxine Hong Kingston

With the aim of enlarging the proceedings of the first international author conference dedicated to Maxine Hong Kingston (successfully held in March 2011 at the Université de Haute Alsace Mulhouse, France), we are inviting further contributions to our essay collection. We aim to publish the volume in 2012 with an American publishing house (negotiations with presses are under way).

Prospective contributors are asked to submit a title and an abstract of ca 500 words by e-mail no later than September 1, 2011 to Prof. Sämi LUDWIG, UHA Mulhouse samuel.ludwig@uha.fr and Dr. Nicoleta Alexoae Zagni, Université de Paris Diderot nalexoae@yahoo.fr by September 1, 2011. Final papers are due December 31st 2011 at the latest.

Publication decided by peer reviewing.

Internships: Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center

Deadline to Apply: September 9, 2011.

The Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC) is a 501(c) (3) community-based legal organization that works with low income and limited-English proficient Asian immigrant communities across the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. The APALRC provides free legal assistance to low-income Asian immigrants who have limited English proficiency in a linguistically accessible and culturally appropriate manner. It operates a multi-lingual legal intake helpline, a legal interpreter project, and provides legal assistance in immigration, domestic violence and family law, tenants’ rights, and other areas. The APALRC works to improve Asian Americans’ access to the legal system and to address the systemic inequities faced by Asian Americans and immigrants in our region.

The APALRC seeks legal interns/externs for Fall 2011, as well as undergraduate or graduate students and recent graduates interested in working in local communities. Interns will have various responsibilities that include work on one or more of the following projects:

Asian American Multilingual Legal Helpline: (Legal)
The helpline is the first point of contact for potential clients of APALRC. It has separate lines for Mandarin/Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Hindi/Urdu/Gujarati speakers. Helpline interns will take incoming calls, conduct initial intakes, work with the legal team to identify and outline next steps, conduct legal research, and work on cases under the supervision of a staff attorney.

Crime Victims’ Assistance Project: (Legal/Non-Legal)
This project provides information and assistance to Asian victims of aggravated crimes to ensure that they can access law enforcement services and information about the D.C. Crime Assistance Fund. In addition, this project also works with immigrant victims of crime who may be eligible for T and U Visas. An intern in this project will assist with intake calls, filing applications with eligible community members, and work on the range of issues that a victim of crime may confront.

Domestic Violence Legal Assistance Project: (Legal)
This project provides legal assistance to victims of domestic violence in the areas of abuse prevention, family law and immigration law. Interns will work with staff attorneys and partnering social service organizations in conducting community outreach and education, legal research and case preparation to provide comprehensive legal assistance to assist victims of domestic violence to rebuild their lives.

Housing and Community Justice Project: (Legal/Non-Legal)
This project focuses on unlawful evictions, substandard housing conditions issues, admission to subsidized housing, tenant organizations, and other local advocacy efforts. The ideal candidate(s) has interest and/or experience in housing, poverty law, and work with local immigrant communities. Undergraduate and graduate students in urban planning and Asian American Studies also encouraged to apply.

Fundraising Internship: (Non-Legal)
The APALRC seeks an undergraduate or recent graduate intern with an interest in developing fundraising skills in a nonprofit organization committed to advancing social justice. Under the supervision and guidance of the Executive Director and development staff, the development intern will assist with fundraising tasks involving grant research, grant writing, marketing donor relations, and special event planning.

Communications Internship: (Non-Legal)
The APALRC seeks an undergraduate or recent graduate with an interest or degree in journalism, public relations or marketing to apply for an internship to assist with various communications tasks including drafting media advisories and press releases, monitoring media coverage and maintaining media files, updating and maintaining media lists, and preparing marketing materials.

Ideal Candidates will have (for appropriate positions):

• Written and oral communication skills
• Initiative, ability to multitask and meet deadlines
• Experience working with Asian or other immigrant communities
• Interest and experience in nonprofit and/or community-based work
• Fundraising or nonprofit communications experience
• Experience working with interpreters
• Oral and written proficiency in Bangla, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, Nepali, Urdu, and/or Vietnamese

To apply:
Please send a single email with the following attachments in PDF format by September 9, 2011:

1. Cover Letter (1 page): listing the specific project(s) in which you are interested and explaining your interest in working in a nonprofit organization that serves the local Asian immigrant community
2. Resume (1 page max): include relevant course/clinical work, experience, all language skills
3. Writing Sample (up to 5 pages): that shows legal writing skills and/or ability to convey legal issues in plain English (for non-legal positions, please send a writing sample that demonstrates strong writing and critical analysis skills)

For general inquiries and internship application, please send an email to:Admin@apalrc.org. Internship application should mark in the subject line “Internship Application for Fall 2011.” No Phone Calls, please. We will contact all applicants via email regarding their application status. Candidates will be interviewed and offered positions on a rolling basis, so early applications are encouraged. Not all applicants will be contacted for interviews, and incomplete applications will not be considered. The APALRC is an equal opportunity employer.

Advocates Needed: Asian Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Prevention

The Asian/Pacific-Islander Domestic Violence Project (DVRP) is in need of Vietnamese Advocates!

Are you interested in advocating on behalf of survivors of domestic violence? DVRP is currently recruiting bilingual and volunteer advocates! Bilingual advocates work with limited English proficient survivors, providing peer support, court accompaniment, interpretation/translation assistance and referral to social and legal services. Bilingual advocates must be fluent in at least one other language and are also required to be available on an on-call basis during regular business hours. Volunteer advocates also provide similar services but work mainly with English-speaking survivors and are not required to provide services during regular business hours.

All advocates must attend a 55 hour training prior to starting and be able to make a commitment of 1 year to the program. Advocates who speak at least one of the following languages are highly preferred: Urdu, Hindi, Nepali, Mandarin, Mongolian, Bahasa Indonesia, Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Sinhala.

Advocates Program Training Dates (10am-5pm): 8/27, 8/28, 9/11, 9/17, 9/18, 9/24, 9/25, 10/1, 10/2

To apply: www.dvrp.org and click on “Get Involved.”

Conference & Call for Proposals: Librarians of Color

2012 Joint Conference of Librarians of Color Conference — Call for Proposal.

The 2012 Joint Conference of Librarians of Color, JCLC 2012: Gathering at the Waters: Celebrating Stories and Embracing Communities will take place from September 19-23, 2012 in Kansas City, Missouri. The mission of JCLC is to advance the issues affecting librarians of color within the profession and to also explore how best to serve the incredibly diverse and changing communities that use our libraries.

The Joint Conference of Librarians of Color is a conference for everyone and brings together a diverse group of librarians, library staff, supporters, trustees and community participants to explore issues of diversity inclusion in libraries and how they affect the ethnic communities who use our services. JCLC deepens connections across constituencies, creates spaces for dialogue, promotes the telling and celebrating of one’s stories, and encourages the transformation of libraries into more democratic and diverse organizations.

This groundbreaking event is sponsored by the five ethnic caucuses: the American Indian Library Association (AILA), Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA), Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA), and the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking (REFORMA). JCLC 2012 follows the first gathering in 2006 in Dallas, Texas.

We are now accepting session proposals! Please visit our website to learn more and to submit your proposal.

Postdoc: Asian American Studies, Wellesley

Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship In Asian-American Studies

Wellesley College invites applications for a two-year Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Asian-American studies, to begin Fall 2012. Candidates should have received the Ph.D. within the past three years (ABD considered). Preference will be given to the fields of history, ethnic studies, American Studies, anthropology, and sociology.

The Fellow will be in residence at the Newhouse Center for the Humanities the first year and will be expected to take an active role in its intellectual community. In the first year year, the Fellow will teach one course, and in the second year one course each semester, including an introductory course in Asian American Studies. The Fellow will also be expected to advise students and participate in programming for American Studies. The fellowship includes support for research and travel.

Please submit only in electronic form the following: a letter of application, a c.v., a graduate school transcript, three letters of recommendation (the online application will request names/email address so that recommenders or dossier services may submit the letters directly), a brief statement of teaching experience and research interests, and a writing sample to https://career.wellesley.edu.

Applications must be received by October 15, 2011. If circumstances do not allow you to submit materials through our on line application system, please email us at working@wellesley.edu. Wellesley is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to increasing the diversity of the college community and the curriculum. Candidates who believe they can contribute to that goal are encouraged to apply.