NEWS CONFERENCE TODAY – Tour the Nation’s First Vietnamese American Service Center (VASC) in San Jose

WHAT: Members of the news media will be given a tour of the first Vietnamese American Service Center (VASC) in the nation that will serve as a model for other major cities with large Vietnamese-American populations. There will be a community unveiling the following week.  

  • The completion of the VASC is a significant moment for Santa Clara County and its residents since the first wave of Vietnamese arrived more than 40 years ago. County studies have revealed significant health disparities and cultural/language barriers that prevent many Vietnamese residents from accessing vital services. 
  • The VASC will be a 37,000 square foot, one-stop hub for the County’s health and human services staff to serve Vietnamese residents in a culturally competent and language-accessible manner. These County services and resources include senior wellness programs, health screenings, mental health services, dental services, vaccinations, and pharmacy.

WHO: California State Senator Dave Cortese and Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez

WHEN: Monday, Oct.18 at 5 p.m. 

WHERE: 2410 Senter Road, San Jose 

  • Media Parking on site
  • Santa Clara County is home to more than 140,000 persons of Vietnamese ancestry, making it the second largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam. This is a dynamic community that has contributed to the growth and economic development of the county. However, the community still faces issues of unmet needs and accessibility of County services due to cultural and language barriers.
  • Despite the success of Vietnamese-Americans at the helm of politics, business, and education, approximately 13 percent of families currently live below the poverty line and a substantial segment live on the fringes of poverty.
  • Vietnamese-Americans have a one in four chance of achieving a college education and less than 0.5 percent of the population ever attains a graduate level degree.
  • Vietnamese-American women have the highest rate of cervical cancer in the United States. They are five times more likely than any other ethnic and racial group to be diagnosed.
  • One in eight carry the Hepatitis B virus, compared to one in 1,000 of the general population.
  • Vietnamese adults are diagnosed with liver cancer at four times the rate of adults in the county as a whole.
  • More Vietnamese-American adults have been diagnosed with diabetes than all Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Caucasians in the county as a whole.