Saturday, March 17, 2012

Tôi Rất Tự Hào Là người Việt Nam



By: Thảo Đỗ
Sinh viên Đại Học Northern Michigan University,  hiện là President of Relay For Life, một tổ chức  gây quỹ giúp các bệnh nhân mắc bệnh ung thư.



Tôi rất tự hào là người Việt Nam
 

By: Thảo Đỗ

Thực lòng mà nói tôi không biết nhiều về những gì sẽ xảy ra ở Washington DC, nhưng tôi biết rằng sự việc này cần thiết cho dân Việt đoàn kết với nhau để cùng bênh vực cho nhân quyền tại Việt Nam. Tôi đến để hỗ trợ với cộng đồng Việt Nam của Chicago, Illinois. Nhóm của tôi có 10 người tham dự, hầu hết trong số đó là thanh thiếu niên. Khỏi cần phải nói, nhóm Illinois của chúng tôi có rất nhiều sự chú ý vì phần lớn nhóm của chúng tôi là thế hệ trẻ.



Sáng thứ Hai, chúng tôi gặp nhau tại  Eden Garden Plaza, tôi rất ngạc nhiên vì có rất nhiều người tham dự. Cộng đồng người Việt trên toàn Hoa Kỳ, và ngay cả người Việt Nam từ các nước khác xa xôi như Sydney, Australia, Paris, France… Tôi biết cuộc tụ họp này là một sự kiện trọng đại, nhưng tôi không thể hình dung nó quá lớn. Mọi người yêu cầu được chụp ảnh nhóm chúng tôi, vỗ nhẹ trên lưng của chúng tôi, khuyến khích. Họ rất vui khi thấy thế hệ trẻ tham dự để giúp họ về những vấn đề nhân quyền.

Khi chúng tôi đến bên ngoài Toà Bạch Ốc, tất cả những gì tôi thấy là một biển cờ miền Nam Việt Nam. Màu vàng và đỏ ở khắp mọi nơi, tất cả mọi người đều thấy tự hào về nền văn hóa của dân tộc mình . Chúng tôi tập hợp tại đây với một lý do, thống nhất theo một chính nghiã, chúng tôi muốn nhân quyền cho nhân dân tại Việt Nam. Tôi rất lấy làm tự hào và cảm thấy rất hân hạnh được tham gia trong phong trào này. Đến lúc chào cờ, chúng tôi bắt đầu với bản The Star Spangled Banner, đây là bản quốc ca mà tôi yêu quý và trân trọng trong cuộc đời của tôi, đã nuôi dưỡng niềm tự hào của tôi, thực tế cho thấy chúng ta có tự do ở đây. Sau khi hát Star Spangled Banner, cộng đồng Việt Nam bắt đầu hát quốc ca của mình . Hát rất to, trên khuôn mặt tất cả mọi người là niềm tự hào, đó là một trang web đẹp. Đây là thời điểm yêu thích của tôi cho đến nay trên chuyến đi này DC. Cả hai nền văn hóa của tôi hợp lại với nhau, tôi là người Mỹ gốc Việt.
Thứ ba là ngày tất cả chúng tôi cùng làm việc và nỗ lực để có được những gì chúng ta cần từ chính phủ Hoa Kỳ. Cộng đồng Việt Nam được chia thành các đội, mỗi đội được giao nhiệm vụ nói chuyện với đại diện văn phòng  "một thượng nghị sĩ". Chúng tôi sẽ nói chuyện với Quốc hội? Tôi không bao giờ nghĩ trong cuộc sống của tôi, tôi sẽ có thể đi vào và nói chuyện với một thành viên của Quốc hội. Ôi, tôi rất vui mừng và hãnh diện. Nhóm của tôi đã đến thăm văn phòng của: Tom Udall, Thượng nghị sĩ bang New Mexico, Scott Brown, Thượng nghị sĩ bang Massachusetts, David Vitter, Thượng nghị sĩ bang Louisiana, Mark Rubio, Thượng nghị sĩ bang Florida. Đó là một vinh dự để có thể ngồi trong một số cuộc họp và đôi khi có thể thêm vào một số ý kiến , tuy không nhiều. Có rất nhiều điều xảy ra ngày hôm đó và đi bộ rất nhiều, nhưng nó rất là quan trọng mà chúng tôi đã có để nâng cao nhận thức về các hành vi vi phạm nhân quyền xảy ra tại Việt Nam. Nếu chúng ta không lên tiếng, thì sẽ không ai biết.
Washington D.C. là một kinh nghiệm học tập thât tuyệt vời. Tôi biết ơn và tự hào vì tôi có thể là một thành phần của ngày hôm đó với rất nhiều người Việt Nam khác từ khắp nơi trên thế giới. Nếu chúng tôi tiếp tục làm việc cùng nhau, có thể một ngày nào đó  chúng ta sẽ thấy những thay đổi mà chúng ta muốn ở Việt Nam, đó là tất cả những gì chúng ta có thể hy vọng. 




I am so proud to be Vietnamese    
By: Thao Do

I always have been.  I did not really know much about what was going to happen in Washington D.C., but I knew that it was necessary for the Vietnamese people to unite together to help advocate for human rights in Vietnam.  I came to support with the Vietnamese community of Chicago, Illinois.  My group had 10 people in attendance, most of which were youth.  Needless to say, our Illinois group got a lot of attention because the majority of our group was the younger generation.
Monday morning we met up at the Eden Garden Plaza, I was amazed at how many people were in attendance.  Vietnamese communities all around the U.S. were there, not only that, but Vietnamese from other countries as well, as far as Sydney, Australia even!  I knew this was going to be a big event, but I guess I just didn’t picture it so big.  People started asking to take pictures of our group, patting us on our back, giving us such encouragement.  They were so happy to have a younger generation there to help them with these human rights issues.
When we arrived outside of the White House, all I saw was a sea of the South Vietnam flag.  Yellow and red was everywhere, everyone was showing such pride in the culture.  We were all there for one reason, united under one cause, wanting human rights for the Vietnamese people in Vietnam.  I had so much pride and felt grateful that I was able to participate in this movement.  At one point, when we were all greeting the flag, we started with the Star Spangled Banner, which is an anthem that I have grown to cherish my entire life.  That was my American upbringing pride, the fact that we have freedom here.  Following the Star Spangled Banner, the Vietnamese communities started singing their anthem.  The singing was so loud, the faces on everybody was proud, it was a beautiful site.  This was my favorite moment so far on this DC trip.  Both of my cultures together, I am Vietnamese-American.
Tuesday was the day we all had to put out work and effort to get what we need from the United States government.  Each Vietnamese community was split up into teams; each team was assigned a few Senators’ offices and House of Representatives’ offices.  We were going to speak to Congress!  I never thought in my life, I would be able to even be in the Congress building, let alone go in and speak to a member of Congress.  Oh, my goodness, I was so excited.  My group visited the offices of: Tom Udall, the State Senator from New Mexico; Scott Brown, the State Senator from Massachusetts; David Vitter, the State Senator from Louisiana; Mark Rubio, the State Senator from Florida.  It was such an honor to be able to sit in some of the meetings and sometimes being able to add in some stuff, not much, but some.  There was a lot going on that day and a lot of walking, but it was important that we did it so raise awareness about the human rights violations occurring in Vietnam.  If we didn’t speak up, nobody would know.
Washington D.C. was a great learning experience.  I am grateful and so proud to be able to be a part of it with so many other Vietnamese from around the globe.  If we continue to work together, maybe one day we will see the changes we want in Vietnam, that’s all we can hope for.

Thao Do


http://www.miningjournal.net/page/content.detail/id/573698/Relay-for-Life.ht

Relay for Life

NMU students support American Cancer Society

March 17, 2012
By RENEE PRUSI - Journal Staff Writer (rprusi@miningjournal.net) , The Mining Journal
MARQUETTE - Northern Michigan University senior Thao Do said it's a bittersweet experience knowing she's participating for a final time in the NMU Relay for Life.
"I started with Relay when I was a freshman five years ago," Do said. "I was asked by my roommate to be a team captain. I had no idea what Relay was but it sounded like a good thing.
"I showed up and fell completely in love with Relay," said Do, who's graduating in April. "It's everything I could have wanted to be part of. It's such a great cause. I don't know what I will do when I'm done this year. I will miss it."
This year's NMU Relay for Life is set from 1 p.m. Friday, March 23 to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 24 at the Vandament Arena. The annual event benefits the American Cancer Society and sees teams make their way around the arena, doing laps to raise funds.
This is the second year Do has served as the event's chairwoman, sharing the post with Karla Kopp.
"I am so grateful for the chance to be involved with this," Do said.
There is a committee of 24 students involved in the planning for this year's Relay.
"We started planning when school started," Do said. "We got together with the veterans first in August, then we brought the new people in and the veterans act as mentors toward them."
Subcommittees handle all sorts of areas like entertainment, food, speakers and the like.
"We have some survivors taking part in the Relay so we want to make them as comfortable as possible," Do said.
From the main committee, there is a decorations chair; an online chair who makes care of the event's website; a public relations chair; and a donations chair, who wrangles all the food and silent auction donations.
If the past two events are any indication, this year's Relay will be a huge success. In 2010, some 31 teams made up of 449 participants raised $17,300 for the ACS. And 367 luminaria - which are lit-up bags in tribute to those battling cancer and those who have lost the fight - were purchased and 12 survivors were honored.
Records were set in the 2011 NMU Relay for Life: 44 teams with 509 participants raised $23,777. Last year, 15 survivors were saluted and 429 luminaria were sold.
All sorts of fun plans have been made for events within the event for the 2012 Relay, including dodgeball, a backward dance lap, 3-on-3 basketball, a frozen T-shirt contest and a two-hour musical performance from the band Hozz.
Radio X, a campus station, will be on hand to provide music as well.
"We are lucky to have our Relay right on campus," Do said. She gave special praise to NMU employee Chris Busch, who helps get the building ready for the Relay invasion.
"I don't know how we got along without him," Do said. "He's just wonderful. Having him work with us has definitely been helpful."
The public can certainly help with the Relay as well.
Donations can be made through the website, relayforlife.com/nmumi. Luminaria are being sold in advance by the participants as well.
And of course, people are welcome to come to the actual event to hear a speech by a cancer survivor at 8 p.m. and by caregiver at 8:30 p.m. A special ceremony is planned at 9 p.m. to light the luminaria.
Hozz will perform starting at 10 p.m.
Concessions will be sold on site as part of the fundraising as well.
"North Star Academy is taking a field trip to the Relay with the K-6 students early in the afternoon," Do said. "The teachers and parents wanted to participate so they're bringing baked goods for the concession stand which is a big help."
Do said people are welcome to visit the Relay any time during its 24 hours.
"We're one of the only schools in Michigan to do 24 hours for their Relay," she said.
This year's Relay theme is sports, with an emphasis on NASCAR.
"The Relay is going to be a really great time. We're all excited for it," Do said. "But I still can't believe it's going to be my last one."
Renee Prusi can be contacted at 906-228-2500, ext. 253. Her email address is rprusi@miningjournal.net

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