A lot of knowledge cannot beat a practiced hand

Trăm hay chẳng bằng tay quen

Translation:

proverb

There are nearly 1000 Viet-namese students (under-graduate and graduate) enrolled at UC Berkeley.

Did you know?

Tục NgữPHOTO BY ANDRE NGUYEN

Vietnamese Student Association NewsletterUniversity of California, Berkeley

Spring 2008Vol. III Issue 2

March 2008www.calvsa.com

the goldenxoài vàng Mango

Serviing others,

By Chuong QuachVSA Member

At the young age of 17, I wanted to experience what the world had to offer

– exotic places, beautiful women and the high life – none of which, later I found out, was offered in the U.S. Army.

What the army did do was expose me to a life outside the confines of my small town of Alhambra, California. As a Vietnamese American who grew up in a predominantly Asian and Hispanic community, the military showed me that there’s a much larger world that you can’t experience in a classroom.

My parents were initially hesitant to let me join the military, especially since they experienced the harshness of the Vietnam War. My mother was in an internment camp during most of the war and my father was an infantry soldier with the United States-supported Republic of Vietnam (South

Vietnam). However my recruiter and I convinced my parents that today’s modern warfare is much more technological as opposed to the old school trench warfare my parents experienced.

Basic Training (or “Boot Camp”), Airborne School and various d e p l o y m e n t s ( A f g h a n i s t a n and Iraq) all enriched me with a multitude of experiences

Pushing new boundaries

serving oneself

Inside this Issue:

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

Guardian Angels with Red Berrets

Vietnamese Folklore

p. 2

p. 4

p. 6

cont. on page 3

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHUONG QUACH

2 Vietnamese Student Association University of California, Berkeley

Peacemaking in society, for oneself

Christine LePublications ChairSpring 2008

“The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to

walk on the green earth in the present moment, to appreci-ate the peace and beauty that

are available now.”

Thích Nhất Hạnh- Zen Master

Born in 1926 in central Vietnam, Thich Nhat Hanh joined the monkshood at

age 16. In advocating nonviolent civil disobedience and engaged Buddhism, Nhat Hanh’s ideas often clashed with many of those in Vietnam. After visiting the US and Europe in 1966 to push for an end to the Vietnam War, actively reaching out to Martin Luther King Jr. to oppose the war publicly, Nhat Hanh was exiled from Vietnam by both non-communists and communists for “undermining the violence he saw affecting his people.”

He had been to the US prior to this visit as a student at Princeton and a professor at Columbia but this visit, particularly at such a time of political controversy, pushed against the values of many people back home in Vietnam. However he was greatly respected for his actions and ideologies worldwide, and in 1967 Martin Luther King Jr. nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize.

After his exile Nhat Hanh went to France and has since dedicated his life to “the work of inner transformation for the benefit of individuals and society.” He is currently living in southwestern France at a retreat center called Plum Village, which he founded in 1982 as a place for

individuals to rest, meditate and practice engaged Buddhism.

Even with such a strong religious base, many of his ideas and teachings have touched wide audiences. A great number of people from different religious backgrounds take part in his retreats year-

round, which usually take place in the US, France and Vietnam. His books are also very popular and looked to for guidance in practicing Buddhism, teaching and living life.

------------------------------

I was first truly exposed to Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings in my Education 190 class last semester when his name appeared in one of our readings, along with his ideas on engaged pedagogy and the importance of nourishing oneself before being able to help others. In Nhat Hanh’s words, “The practice of a healer, therapist, teacher or any helping professional should be directed toward his or herself first, because if the healer is unhappy, he or she cannot help many people.”

I feel that service is often associated with service to one’s community and helping others, but I’ve come to realize how important it is to serve myself as

well. In the larger picture, doing service for myself can have more resounding and positive effects on people as a whole. Helping others often helps me grow and learn, but sometimes, I just need to do things for myself. I think it’s important to take a step back and ask myself, “Is this really what I want to be doing?”

Of course I don’t want to be completely selfish and think of no one else but myself, but it’s important to take that step back and reflect a little. Especially in a place like Berkeley where there are countless things to get caught up in (midterms, protests, grades, meetings…), I sometimes find myself wanting some time to just CHILL, and think (or not think for that matter).

Giving myself that space helps me to reevaluate my goals and better understand myself, thus creating more positive energy for myself and the people around me.

“...inner transformation for the benefit of individuals and society.”

parallax.org/images

3www.calvsa.com March 2008

What does service mean to you?VSA Voices

“Helping out the community and feeling good about it; giving up time to help others and learning a lot in the process.”Norris Tran Duc

“To offer help to someone; being able to lend a hand when someone

needs it.”

Lana Nguyen

“Helping others around you; helping the community to build a better community.”

Anh Thu Nguyen

“It means taking time out of your busy schedule to give to those who don’t

have the privilege we’re given. By offering our service we create an equal

opportunity for them.”

Roky Truong

GRAPHIC BY LONG NGUYEN

pushing new boundaries

61 studenst in Vietnamese language courses were polled.

that can’t be learned from a textbook. However one of the most important lessons I learned was how to work with people of different cultures and backgrounds, especially as a Vietnamese American who was used to how certain things were done at home

Throughout my time in Basic Training, I was exposed to the social stratification and segregation of not only the armed forces, but the country as a whole. This was my first time working and living with blacks, whites and other ethnicities. As one of the few Asian Americans in our unit, I was constantly picked on and usually left out of certain “groups.” However I used these drawbacks to motivate myself to work harder. I was physically smaller than most of my counterparts, which forced me to work twice as hard in order to gain the respect of my peers. My acceptance to Airborne School, which are generally reserved for soldiers with high aptitude and physical fitness scores, was proof of my ability to not only run alongside my peers, but to rise above them.

My deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq was a completely different atmosphere and experience than my days in training. Race and ethnicity seemed not to matter anymore. We were all

seen as brothers (and sisters) at arms constantly watching each other’s backs. People did not see me as a Vietnamese American, but as their Squad Leader (and later Platoon Sergeant). Actually, instead of segregation there was integration. Living, working and spending leisurely time with the same 20 plus soldiers for an entire year forced us to learn each

other’s cultures. I guess what I really took from my service in the military

was adapting to new environments and being able to work with different types of people. This allowed me to transition to Berkeley, a city that is rich with culture and diversity, and thus helped me be more accepting of different ideas.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHUONG QUACH

(cont. from front)

4 Vietnamese Student Association University of California, Berkeley

By Speaker for the RepublicVSA Member

I’ve recently discovered a very old pre-1975 song called Thiên Thần Mũ Đỏ (Guardian Angels with Red Berets). The title and song were a tribute to the airborne division of

the Army Republic of Vietnam. These servicemen were one of the many that protected the last redoubt of the Free World (South Vietnam) in Southeast Asia by dropping behind hostile enemy lines. They brought fear into the enemies like open-winged guardian angels delivering judgment on the unworthy. Former Brigadier General Lam Quang Thi commented in his book The Twenty-Five Year Century that the airborne was one of the most battle-hardened, most dependable and successful divisions in the entire Army Republic of Vietnam (ARVN).

However this article is not only about the airborne unit of the past, but also about all South Vietnamese men in uniform currently fighting for our freedom and the freedom of others in Iraq. One of them is Captain James Van Thach.

Prior to joining the military, Captain James Van Thach was a typical hardworking college student who had dreams of a career in law. He was about to graduate from Touro Law School with a J.D. when an event led him to a different journey. That event was 9/11 when unknown aircrafts struck the twin towers, signifying that the Free World was no longer at war with communism but with radical Islam.

Captain Thach found higher callings and left law school to join the U.S infantry, eventually becoming part of the Judge Advocate General Corps as an attorney for the U.S Military. He is also the first Vietnamese-American to become a military adviser in Iraq. His patriotism was mainly inspired by his Vietnamese mother who was once a member of the Olympic team for the Republic of Vietnam and the national record holder for the high jump in 1966-

1968. His father Lieutenant Colonel John Peterkin was an American adviser to the ARVN.

Captain Thach is not just following his family’s footsteps, but like most of our military men in Iraq today, he believes in something higher than himself. He is willing to sacrifice his “own life for Iraq to support an Iraqi government and military that represents the people of this nation […] and for the

future generations for the people of the Republic of Iraq.” Captain James Van Thach and the many other South Vietnamese men in Iraq are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for freedom like their fathers before them.

I know that the war in Iraq has increasingly become very unpopular like the Vietnam War of the 1960s. If we learned anything from history it is that breaking a crucial commitment will lead to devastating consequences. Today over 2 million Vietnamese have been exiled from the place where they were born. We cannot and must not let history repeat itself. “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing,” said Edmund Burke. The only force that can beat the Free World is the Free World itself.

As I walked down Shattuck Avenue these past couple of weeks, I saw anti-war groups like “Code Pink” and “World Can’t Wait” protesting outside a nearby military recruiting center. I think that it is a slap in the face to every man and woman in uniform. The actions of these protesters are irresponsible, especially in times of national crisis. The recruiting center is not mandatory and is only an intermediary to provide directions to patriots on how to serve their country. These guardian angels are heaven-sent and are dying for our freedom every day.

Furthermore I would like to honor our men and women in uniform by ending my article with an excerpt from the song Thiên Thần Mũ Đỏ by Ý Vân: “Ai bảo em anh là thiên thần? Anh chỉ là bổn phận của người dân thôi. Lúc khi đất nghiêng nước ngã, nên không tiếc tuổi thơ, anh mới sung vào đi lính nhảy dù,” which translates to, “Who told you that I am a guardian angel? I am only a responsible citizen. When our mountains, rivers, and country are threatened, I don’t regret giving up my teenage years to volunteer for the airborne.”

Thiên Thần Mũ ĐỏA tribute to the South Vietnamese Men in Uniform

Guardian Angelswith Red Berets

...he believes in something higher than

himself.

rugbytales.com

5www.calvsa.com March 2008

Crossword Puzzle

Down1. altruistic2. ability3. sacrifice5. to give back7. to care for

Translate the English word/phrase into Vietnamese and fill in the puzzle. Make sure to get those accents! Ask for help from friends/family then visit www.calvsa.com for answers.

Practice your Vietnamese/English!

Across4. volunteer6. community 7. to guide8. active; constructive9. to helpVSA College Workshop Day

Friday, March 14 - UC Berkeley Campus

We are looking for motivated individuals willing to help out with the workshops for this event. There will be workshops ranging from Intro to College Apps to Personal Statements to Financial Aid to Resume Building. This will provide high school students in under-resourced communities with equal access to information that will prove critical to them as they head into their senior year of high school. Contact your Academic Chair Dat Phan at aznt0t0@gmail.com for more information or if you want to be involved.

Spratly and Paracel Islands Informational Forum5-7pm Saturday, March 8 - 250 Goldman School of Public Policy

WTF are the Spratly and Paracel Islands? Why is VSA hosting an informational forum on islands and not something like ao dais? To find out more… keep reading!

The purpose of this short informational session is to bring awareness and attention to the long existing conflict in the Spratly and Paracel Islands of the South China Sea. For nearly half a century, extensive fighting over territorial rights/claims to these islands has gone on behind the scenes of international politics among countries such as China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Phil-ippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

We have three guest speakers on the issue, one of which is Ailien Tran, a Public Policy Graduate Student at our very own Goldman School of Public Policy. She has contacted and raised this issue all over the community hoping to bring more atten-tion to this issue and Vietnamese interests involved.

This will be a great opportunity to question individuals with greater knowledge of the issue as well as provide a forum in which students will be able to discuss their perceptions of pol-icy involvement in Vietnam.

By Lệ Thanh An

Upcoming VSA Events

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Ngày xưa tôi chỉ là một sinh viên Học thơ và đàn với tình yêu nước vô biên Nhưng từng ngày án mây Liên Sô che Miền Bắc Làm dân lành uốn những giọt lệ nước mắt

Một ngày năm bốn, quê mẹ hấp hối trong lòng tôiVà ngàn chim tha phương báo tin chia đôiLoài quỷ đứng trước nhà Hải Phòng Ngàn người cuối đầu biệt ly hết lòng

Thế giới tự do chạy về Cộng Hoà Thề quyết chiến kẻ ác phá nhà Đất nước kêu gọi hy sinhKhông tiếc tuổi thơ tôi tư nguyện hết mình

Ôi đàn trái xuất quân ngặp trời Không sợ thiên đàn đợi mình cuối đời Và khi tôi nhắm mắt nhảy một lần Xin cho lương tâm chung thủy như thiên thần

A long time ago I was only a studentI learned poetry and music that filled my endless love of countryBut everyday dark yonder Soviet clouds covered the NorthMaking the sad innocent civilians drink every last drop of their tears

One day in 1954, my motherland slowly died in my heartAs thousands of migrating birds delivered the message of division!Demon foes were standing at the city gates of Hai PhongWhile, thousands of people said goodbye to their love ones with their heads down

To follow the Free World that retreated to South VietnamMaking the pledge to fight the enemies that dare threaten a united houseThe country calls for sacrifice!That’s why I didn’t care about giving up my teen years and volunteered for the Airborne

Oh the deployment of men as they overflowed the blue skyNot fearing the heaven/death that was waiting for themAnd every time I closed my eyes to make my jumpI prayed that my conscience be as pure and faithful as that of angels

Thiên Thần Mũ ĐỏA tribute to the South Vietnamese Men in Uniform

Guardian Angelswith Red Berets

Please recycle this newsletter.

Share your VOICE!

Have ideas, art, poems, opinions for the newsletter? Come talk to Christine Lê (she

only bites those who DON’T want to share) or email her at levichris@gmail.com.

Important VSA Dates

Chôm Chôm (rambutan)Related to longan and lychee, chôm chôm comes in bunches like grapes.

Its “hairy” shell is usually bright red and peeled before consuming, revealing its tender pale flesh. Its dark plack seed is wrapped in the flesh and usually not eaten. Chôm chôm is usually eaten raw or in chè

(Vietnamese desserts).

Spratly & Paracel Islands Informational Forum

College Workshop Day

UVSA Olympics &Culture Show Info Session

Fourth General Meeting Elections Forum

03.08

03.14

03.15

04.03

*Dates and locations are subject to change (we will inform you of any changes)

Fruit of the Month

staff box

* Labor donated by Bay Area Alternative Press

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSLe Thanh An, Andre Nguyen, Vivienne Nguyen, Speaker for the Republic, My

Pham, Chuong Quach & John Viet

DESIGN/EDITORGRAPHICSVARIOUS

Christine LeLong NguyenMaria Pham

the goldenxoài vàng Mango

By AnonymousVSA Member

Remember those stories our parents use to tell us as children? Maybe you re-

member the story about how the tiger got its stripes? Or for those who grew up with western stories, jack and the beanstalk?

All these stories are folktales which

were teaching us about our cultural val-ues and heritage. They taught us all about what our culture found important without us ever even realizing it. No topic is off limit to folklore; it deals with all aspects of life. Family, friends and community are of-ten touched upon by folklore to help shape our understanding and attitudes in life. In the story “The Wise Wife’s Advice,” folk-

lore tells us some important lessons about the value of family.

In this tale there are two brothers: one rich and one poor. The rich

elder brother, Tuan, spends money on his friends and often

helps them, but rarely helps his poor brother Vu. The rich brother’s wife, Ha, criticizes Tuan, saying he should help his brother before helping his

friends, but Tuan doesn’t listen to his wife.

One day Ha decides to teach Tuan

a lesson. She kills a dog, wraps it in

a blanket, then fools Tuan

into thinking she had accidentally

killed a beggar. Ha then asks her husband, “Who will we ask to help us bury the body secretly?” Tuan goes to his friends but none are willing to help. Finally Tuan goes to Vu, who readily agrees to help and asks for no reward.

Later, Tuan’s friends try to extort money from him, threatening to tell the magistrate about the dead beggar. As you can guess, the magistrate eventually learns of the dead ‘beggar.’ The friends are revealed as false, Ha’s plan is explained, Tuan is exonerated and he learns to be better to and help his poor brother.

While the story disparages the value of friendship, it only does so to emphasize the importance of family. When no one would help, family was there to help Tuan. Family helped willingly and without asking for a reward. Family was there to be of service in the time of need, when friends were not. When you mention service in day to day conversation, we often think of community service, but service is equally important to practice at home. One of the greatest forms of service is to serve and support your family, especially in their hour of need.

Want to read more? Check out the whole story and more in Favorite Stories From Vietnam by Cong Huyen Ton Nu Nha Trang.

folklore: Hiding Bodies, Taking Advice

ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE TRAN