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

Conference: Applied Research

AAPIPRC Organizes National Conference on Applied Research

Stakeholders from the non-profit sector, government, and higher education are coming together in the first national conference to focus on collaborative policy research for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). The conference is sponsored by the Asian American and Pacific Islander Policy Research Consortium (AAPIPRC) and will take place on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 from 1-6pm at the National Education Association in Washington, D.C.

“This conference is a first step towards a powerful collaboration that will help ensure that future national policies actually take our communities into consideration in a meaningful way,” says Lisa Hasegawa, Executive Director of the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development.

Public policy impacts our daily lives, from immigration and health coverage, to neighborhood infrastructure and media institutions. Yet, there is currently no think tank focused specifically on how policy impacts AAPI communities. This conference fills that gap by promoting research that complements the existing work of advocacy, service and policy groups, while creating a pipeline for scholars interested in applied research.

“There is great need to elevate the local concerns of our growing and diverse AAPI populations to the national level,” says Tarry Hum, Associate Professor at City University of New York. “This is an opportunity to explore research collaborations that will address national policy issues from the perspectives of AAPI communities.”

There will be a special pre-conference at 10:30am for students and youth. “I’m hoping to connect my past work experience and current schooling to community-based policy and advocacy,” says Ami Patel, an Asian American Studies graduate student at UCLA, who previously organized and advocated for green jobs and tuition relief.

Co-sponsors include the National CAPACD, the White House Initiative on AAPIs, the National Education Association, and the Association for Asian American Studies.

Free registration is available at: http://www.aapiprc.com/

Founded in 2010, the Asian American and Pacific Islander Policy Research Consortium is dedicated to producing knowledge that advances the field of Policy and Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies in the United States. The consortium’s members are the CUNY Asian American / Asian Research Institute, UMass Boston Institute for Asian American Studies, UC AAPI Policy Multi-campus Research Program, and UCLA Asian American Studies Center.

Online Survey: Social Experiences of Asian American Women

Call for Asian American women (ages 18 or older) to participate in a survey and a chance to win an Amazon.com gift certificate

My name is Pauline Chan, a graduate student in the Counseling Psychology doctoral program. I am a second generation Chinese American and am working on my dissertation under the direction of Dr. Belle Liang. The study focuses on the social experiences of Asian American women. The study has been approved by the Boston College Office for Research Protections Institutional Review Board (Protocol #12.172.01A).

I am writing to ask Asian American women to participate in my online dissertation research survey and to offer an opportunity to be entered in a random drawing for an Amazon.com gift certificate for participation in the survey (5 $20 gift certificates and 2 $50 gift certificates available).

To participate in the study, participants must:

• Be 18 years or older, and
• Self-identify as a woman who is Asian American or a member of an Asian American subgroup

In this survey participants will be asked questions about social experiences in different contexts, social attitudes, culture and well-being. The survey will take approximately 35-45 minutes to complete and may be found at the following link:
https://bclynch.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5ovPhtb1hD7Ra0A

In exchange for their time, participants will be given an opportunity to enter a random drawing for an Amazon.com gift certificate when they have completed the survey. Participants who complete the survey will also be offered access to the results of the study once it is completed.

The survey responses are completely anonymous. Any name or email information given will not be linked in any way to the responses and will only be used for the purposes of distributing the gift certificates. Any individual demographic information will also remain confidential and will not be linked to any names or email addresses. Participation is completely voluntary and participants may withdraw from the study at any time.

As there are limited studies about the Asian American experience, all participant responses will be helpful in contributing to our knowledge about Asian Americans. It is my hope that the results of the study will provide insights that will help to improve the life experiences of Asian American women.

If you have any questions, please contact me at chanpa@bc.edu or 617-966-4001. You can also reach my dissertation advisor, Belle Liang, at liangbe@bc.edu or 617-552-4079. Thank you in advance for your help and your time.

Conference: South Asian Youth Leaders

Apply Now for Rise Up!
SAALT Young Leaders Institute
May 5-8, 2012 | Washington, DC
Application deadline: March 23, 2012

Are you a South Asian American college student who wants to change your campus and community? Apply to participate in Rise Up! today!

What is Rise Up! and why should I apply?
Rise Up! is a great way to build your leadership skills, meet fellow students looking to positively impact their communities, and learn how to be an effective advocate and communicator on and off campus. There is no fee to participate and travel and lodging expenses are covered by SAALT!

Rise Up! is an opportunity for 15 South Asian American college students from around the country to come together for a four day convening in Washington, DC on May 5-8, 2012.

What can you expect?

• Learn how federal policy is made and how you can impact it
• Explore important issues such as civil rights, immigration, and political participation
• Develop skills around documentation of community stories and advocacy
• Gain insight from experienced community-based leaders who will offer their advice and guidance
• Go back to your campus with an action plan to document community narratives and create policy change

Application deadline is March 23rd. Email info@saalt.org for more information.

Positions: Korean American Immigrant Rights

About NAKASEC
The National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC) is a dynamic grassroots-based organization empowering the Korean American community through education, advocacy and community organizing. We seek to project a national progressive voice and build the movement for social change. Our current program areas include Immigrant Rights, Economic Security, Youth Organizing & Leadership Development, and Civic Engagement & Voter Empowerment.

NAKASEC Seeking a Qualified Applicants for Two Positions

Postion #1: Program Associate (Immigrant Rights, Civic Engagement)
Priority Deadline: March 23, 2012

Position Description
NAKASEC is looking for a hard-working individual to become part of its team as a Program Associate supporting its Immigrant Rights Project and 2012 Civic Engagement & Voter Empowerment program. This is a Full-Time Position based in Washington, DC. Major Responsibilities Include:

• Be part of a team to develop and implement national grassroots mobilizing campaigns that includes community education, organizing, and media & online communications
• Build and maintain relationships with organizations and community members in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast region
• Assist in the coordination of a national, non-partisan voter education and mobilization campaign including educational materials development and voter research as well as supporting local field efforts for the 2012 Elections
• Research, analyze, and produce materials on relevant policy issues
• Represent NAKASEC at constituent and coalition partner meetings, events and conferences
• Support the executive director in administrative activities as necessary including producing and maintaining relevant grant reports and other documentation

Required Qualifications

• Commitment to immigrant rights, civil rights, and social justice issues
• Experience working on community issues and/or civic participation initiatives
• Results-oriented, organized and strong attention to detail
• Works well in teams but can also take initiative and work independently
• Strong written and verbal communications and interpersonal skills
• Proficiency in Korean language strongly preferred

An ideal candidate will possess previous experience in community organizing, issue-based campaign development and/or a willingness to learn; be creative; demonstrated flexibility; and willing to work some evenings and weekends. Ability to drive is a plus. Reports to: Deputy Director

To Apply:
Please send a cover letter, resume, writing sample and salary history and requirement to Morna Ha, Executive Director, mha@nakasec.org. Please write “Program Associate Search” in the subject line. Please note that due to the volume of applications we receive, we are able to only respond to those applicants whom we are interested in interviewing. No phone calls please.

NAKASEC offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience and full health & dental benefits. We are an equal opportunity employer. NAKASEC has offices in Washington DC and Los Angeles and local affiliates in Los Angeles (the Korean Resource Center) and Chicago (the Korean American Resource and Cultural Center) and works in partnership with community based organizations across the nation. Visit www.nakasec.org and/or our Facebook page for more information.

Priority deadline by March 23, 2012. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

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Position #2: Communications Intern – Spring and Summer 2012

Position Description
NAKASEC is looking for a Communications Intern for Spring and Summer 2012. He/She will assist the Deputy Director in communications and media activities and will play a critical role in the communications team implementing traditional and social media strategies. This is a full-time position, unpaid based in Washington, DC. College credit can be made available.

Major Responsibilities Include:

• Monitoring national and regional news on issues that NAKASEC and affiliates work on, compiling daily news clips for internal staff distribution and bookmarking articles online
• Updating and maintaining a database of mainstream, regional, ethnic and online journalists, producers and bloggers
• Tracking press work, creating paste-ups of placements and updating monthly media reports
• Creating and maintaining an editorial calendar for media strategies
• Assisting with drafting materials such as press releases, media advisories, biographies, pitch letters and or other correspondence
• Uploading relevant media articles and placements to Facebook, Twitter and website
• Support Deputy Director and project teams to ensure timely progress of work
• Providing general office support

Qualifications

• Commitment to immigrant rights, civil rights, and social justice issues
• Results-oriented, organized and has strong attention to detail
• Willingness to learn, ability to follow instructions, take initiative, multi-task, work quickly and be flexible
• Be a team player
• Excellent written, oral and interpersonal skills
• Ability to speak, write and understand intermediate Korean
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (primarily Word and Excel) and Web 2.0 experience
• Bachelor’s degree or current enrollment in an undergraduate or graduate program, preferably in communications

Reports to: Deputy Director

To apply:
Please send a cover letter, resume and two writing samples to Jane Yoo, Deputy Director, jyoo@nakasec.org. Write “Communications Intern Search” in the subject line. College credit can be made available – check with your school administration for details.

Writing samples should be no longer than three pages. An article, press release or similar type of communications writing sample is preferred. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please note that due to the volume of applications we receive, we are able to only respond to those applicants whom we are interested in interviewing. No phone calls please. We are an equal opportunity employer.

NAKASEC has offices in Washington DC and Los Angeles and local affiliates in Los Angeles (the Korean Resource Center) and Chicago (the Korean American Resource and Cultural Center) and works in partnership with community based organizations across the nation. Visit www.nakasec.org and/or our Facebook page for more information. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

Scholarships: Asian American Government Network

Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN)
Scholarship Program 2012

The mission of AAGEN is to promote, expand and support Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leadership in Government. In accordance with AAGEN’s mission, the scholarship program has been designed for students in their continuing education to better prepare themselves for positions of leadership and trust in the Federal, State and Local governments.

Two (2) scholarships for $1,500.00 and two (2) scholarships for $1,000 will be awarded in 2012. The AAGEN scholarship is a one-time award; former AAGEN scholarship winners are not eligible.

POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND RULES
The Scholarship Program is administered under the general direction of the Board of Directors (BoD), but its day-to-day management is the responsibility of AAGEN’s Chairperson or the latter’s designee.

The applications for the scholarship will be accepted until April 1, 2012. The application form can be found at the AAGEN website www.aagen.org. Notification of the awardees will be made prior to each year’s annual AAGEN Leadership Conference. Announcement and presentation of the awards will be made by the Scholarship Awards Committee at the annual AAGEN Leadership Conference.

Scholarship checks will be made out to the college or university the recipient will be attending. These checks will be directly deposited into the student’s account.

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS COMMITTEE
The AAGEN Scholarship Awards Committee has the responsibility for receiving, reviewing and judging the applications. The Committee, comprised of three members, will have a period of four (4) weeks for its deliberations. It shall prepare and submit a written recommendation of its choices for scholarship awards to the Chair of AAGEN by May 1st of each year. It shall be the latter’s responsibility to relay promptly the recommendations to the Board of Directors. The BoD’s concurrence of the Awards Committee’s recommendations shall be binding. If there is a protest from any BoD member on a particular proposed ‘awardee’, the full BoD and the Scholarship Awards Committee must come to a resolution within 2 weeks, or the award will not be made.

ELIGIBILITY FOR AWARDS
All persons submitting applications in the AAGEN Scholarship Program should be aware that the program is governed by the following requirements:

1. The application, supported by documentation (transcripts from an accredited post-secondary school for current students or from high school for students starting at a college or university), must show a record of academic excellence, service at the local, state and/or federal government, and a seriousness of purpose in pursuing post-secondary education/training goals
2. The applicant must provide information about courses which will be taken and how they will improve the applicant’s ability to serve at the local, state, and/or federal level
3. The applicant must support the principles advanced by AAGEN
4. The applicant must be a U.S. citizen or legal U.S. permanent resident

SCORING CRITERIA
Applications will be evaluated based on five (5) criteria listed below.

1. Relationship of courses to be taken (or field of study) with service at the local/state and/or federal government levels
2. Demonstration of academic achievement and excellence with a copy of either standardized test scores (SAT, ACT, GRE) and/or a 3.3 or better grade point average
3. School, employment or extra-employment activities that demonstrate a seriousness of purpose in serving at leadership positions in the local/state and/or federal government levels
4. Letters of nomination and recommendation from a school counselor, teacher, public official or an AAGEN member, who knows the applicant well and is qualified to recommend the applicant. The letters should convey information about the applicant and his/her ability to serve in leadership positions at the local, state or federal government. These letters should not be written by a family member of the applicant
5. Each applicant is required to respond to at least three of five questions listed below. Each essay must be typed or submitted on a disk or a flash drive or by e-mail; double-spaced, and contain no more than 500 words

FIVE ESSAY TOPICS
Please respond to any three of the five questions listed here. Each essay should contain no more than 500 words. Please submit these with your application.

1. What does public service mean to you and how does it relate to your future goal of serving in leadership positions at the local, state and/or federal level?
2. What experience from your own life has influenced your development into ethical leadership?
3. What are the challenges to increasing APA/minority representation and diversity in public service leadership? What solutions would you propose?
4. What are the two special attributes or capabilities that set you apart from other applicants in leadership situations?
5. What leader at the local, state or federal level has inspired you to public service?

Please send the complete electronic application package to:
Scholarship Awards Committee
Chair: Dr. Glenda Nogami
Glenda.nogami@streufert.net

FURTHER INFORMATION
If you have any questions or for additional information, please leave a message at 717-215-9782.

Conference: Asian Americans and National Policy

Expanding the Asian American and Pacific Islander Voice in National Policy
Wed. April 11, 2012
1-6pm
Location: National Education Association
1201 16th St NW
Washington, DC 20036

Registration deadline is Monday April 2nd

Public policy impacts our everyday lives, from immigration and health coverage, to neighborhood infrastructure and media institutions. Stakeholders from the nonprofit sector, government and higher education are coming together to discuss opportunities, challenges and alternatives for collaborative applied research. Detailed schedule to come.

**Special pre-conference at 10:30AM for students and youth**
Register at: http://www.aapiprc.com/
FMI: aapipolicy@gmail.com

Sponsors:
Asian American and Pacific Islander Policy Research Consortium
CUNY Asian American / Asian Research Institute
UMass Boston Institute for Asian American Studies
UC AAPI Policy Multi-campus Research Program.
UCLA Asian American Studies Center

Co-Sponsors (as of March 2, 2012):
National CAPACD
White House Initiative on AAPIs
National Education Association
Association for Asian American Studies

Workshop: Southeast Asian Leadership & Advocacy

Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
Now Accepting Applications for SEARAC’s Leadership & Advocacy Training!

SEARAC is now accepting applications for our 14th annual Leadership & Advocacy Training. This training is open to any applicants who are Southeast Asian American or who work with Southeast Asian American communities across the country. The training will be held from July 15-17 in Washington, D.C. The application is available online. Apply today!

Why should I attend? Learn about issues in education, health care, immigration, and aging that affect Southeast Asian Americans. Learn how to develop an advocacy ask. Visit Washington, D.C. and your member of Congress. Be part of an amazing nationwide network. Make friendships for life.

Who should attend? Southeast Asian Americans who want to learn more about policy and advocacy. The training is open to people of all ages. In the past, we’ve had professionals, young professionals, elders, staff of community-based organizations, and high school, undergraduate, and graduate students attend. The training is tailored to Southeast Asian Americans, but is also open to anyone working with the Southeast Asian American community.

How much advocacy and policy experience should I have? The SEARAC training is geared toward those who are starting out in their knowledge of advocacy and policy. No prior knowledge of advocacy and policy is required. Knowledge of the issue areas we cover (education, health care, immigration, and aging) is helpful but not required.

How much does it cost? SEARAC makes the training as affordable as possible for our participants. Our stipends cover most of the costs of travel, lodging, and food, but participants may need to cover a small portion of their own travel. If you are accepted, we ask for a $75 deposit to hold your place, and it will be refunded once you complete the training.

When is the application due? SEARAC will accept applications until Sunday, April 29 at midnight PDT.

For more information visit the SEARAC Leadership & Advocacy Training page here. Questions? Contact Riamsalio (Kao) at riamsalio@searac.org or by phone at (202) 667-4690.

Call for Supporters: Mixed-Race Bone Marrow Documentary

My name is Nelson Medina and I am the Producer of Marketing and Distribution of the documentary Mixed Match, which is being produced by Meditating Bunny Studio Inc., a Vancouver-based independent production company founded by filmmaker Jeff Chiba Stearns.

Mixed Match is a feature-length documentary that explores the need to find mixed ethnicity bone marrow and cord blood donors to donate to multiethnic patients suffering from life threatening blood diseases such as leukemia. This live action and animated film focuses on the main characters’ struggles to survive against incredible odds.

We are fundraising $25,000 through IngieGoGo, to cover expenses in the production and post-production stages. We would be most appreciative of your support in spreading awareness to this fundraising campaign.

We feel that Mixed Match might capture the interest of the audience of Asian Nation, as the film highlights the stories of many part-asian multiethnic patients. This is a film that will help spread awareness of the challenges faced by mixed people with blood diseases, as well as encourage people to join the bone marrow registry and donate core blood to increase the likelihood of finding multiethnic marrow matches.

The fundraising website can be found at www.indiegogo.com/mixed-match. For more information about the film, please visit www.mixedmatchmovie.com. The trailer can be seen at http://youtu.be/bI2gMNSUqKU. Electronic press kits are available by request.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Best regards,
Nelson Medina
Producer of Marketing and Distribution for Mixed Match
Meditating Bunny Studio Inc.