The “Social Glue” for the Vietnamese-American Community in the 21st Century Initiative is a collaborative project
by Tomorrow Vietnamese Forum and Nha Magazine. As the project's title indicates, all of us in one way or
another are interested in strengthening the "social glue" that binds us as a people and as a community. The
"social glue" is produced by our ability to build trust, construct bridges, create friendships, and provide a helping
hand among ourselves--regardless of sex, ethnicity, age, class, religion, political philosophy, etc. This is what
allows us to cohere and to succeed as a democratic and prosperous community. Is the "social glue" strong
enough for us to come together at the start of a new century? Or are we becoming strangers to one another
without adequate social bonds?
We are calling for essays both in English and Vietnamese that address the above issues. We desire a wide
spectrum of perspectives from those who have strong interests in our community--students of all ages, husbands
and wives, parents and grandparents, community activists of all stripes, scholars of all fields, workers of all
trades, etc.
Call for essays could address, but not limited to, the following questions: Who makes up the VAC (Vietnamese-
American Community)? Is the VAC based on tangible as well as intangible traits and/or qualities, e.g., sharing a
common country of origin, sharing a common past and future, sharing common ideas, goals and aspirations?
What have kept the VAC together since our arrival in 1975, and are they likely to keep us together in the 21st
Century? What have kept the VAC apart since our arrival in 1975, and are they likely to pull us further apart in
the 21st Century? What issues are likely to divide or pull us together in the 21st Century? What has been done
and/or what might need to be done to keep our community together and prosperous? What can you to do to
make our community a strong, enduring one in order to pass it on to future generations?
Monetary prizes will be awarded in several categories. Selected essays will be invited for presentation at a
conference. Selected essays will also be chosen for publication. We recommend that essays should be between
1,000 to 6,000 words. We also recommend e-mail submission, but regular mail submission will be accepted.
Please include a brief biography and contact information.
Deadline for submission is March 31, 2004.
Email Submission: lle@csub.edu
Regular Mail to: Long Le, Department of Political Science, California State University-Bakersfield, 9001
Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA 93111-1099.
More detailed infomation will be posted at Tomorrow Vietnamese Forum at www.csub.edu/~lle/tvf.html and Nha
Magazine at www.nhamagazine.com.
For further information contact: Long Le, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Political Science Director of Tomorrow
Vietnamese Forum, Department of Political Science California State University-Bakersfield 9001 Stockdale
Highway Bakersfield, CA 93111-109 lle@csub.edu or 661-665-6340
Nha’s contact person: Nguyen Khoa Thai-Anh 1999 Monterey Road San Jose, CA 95112, Suite 140 mailto:
editor@nhamagazine.com editor@nhamagazine.com (510) 531-6666