Duong elected to lead Asian-American group

College sophomore Hoa Duong will lead the Asian Pacific Student Coalition's 1999-2000 executive board. Versatility is one of College sophomore Hoa Duong's strongest abilities and most prized traits. She will be able to put those characteristics to the test throughout the next year, as she assumes a new role as the president of the Asian Pacific Student Coalition. In elections held last Tuesday, Duong was elected as the new president of the fifth board of the APSC -- the political umbrella organization for 14 Asian Pacific American student groups on campus. The APSC focuses on issues concerning the Asian Pacific American community on and off campus. Each year it coordinates events such as the Asian Pacific American Heritage Week held in November and the Asian Pacific American Student Organization Community Fair. Duong's top priority for this year, she said, is communication and consultation among the APA student groups. Originally from China, Duong's parents moved to Vietnam until the Vietnam War, when they were forced to flee. After a quick stay in Malaysia, where Duong was born, her family left for the United States when she was around a year old, eventually settling in Antietam, Pa. Duong became involved with the APSC last year when she was elected as the group's vice chairperson of community affairs. "I realized the impact I could make, and I couldn't walk away from that," she said. A double major in Urban Studies and Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Duong -- who is also seeking an Asian-American Studies minor -- said that her interest in how public policies affect individual families is her "driving force" to give back to the community and to work with minorities. And her versatility is apparent in her plans and goals for the next year. She said that what she hopes to accomplish can be broken down into four categories: presence, awareness, education and open dialogue. In an effort to boost the APA groups' presence on campus, Duong wants to continue to work with other minority groups to improve the levels of minority recruitment and retention. Asian Americans as a whole are not considered campus minorities because they comprise a quarter of the student population, Duong said. When individual Asian nationalities are looked at, however, she noted that many countries -- such as Cambodia, the Philippines and Vietnam -- are underrepresented at the University. She also pointed out that Asian-American faculty and resources at the University are not proportionally equivalent to the number of Asian-American students here. "It's really difficult for students to find these mentors and faculty for help," Duong explained. Through education, Duong said she wants to continue to focus on strengthening the Asian-American Studies program at Penn. Currently, only a minor is offered in the program and there are no tenured faculty members in the department. "I think it's key," Duong said. "It's just helping students find more of a sense of identity, a place of belonging, to understand their historical background in America." With awareness and open dialogue, Duong hopes to offer "more forums for discussion" so that students have more of an opportunity to "voice their concerns and opinions." Her other goals include closer work with the United Minorities Council, and forming a "more cohesive bond" with the Latino groups on campus as well as UMOJA -- the umbrella group for Penn's African-American organizations. She also plans to reach out to underclassmen and to improve relations between Asian-American and Asian student groups on campus. "I want to improve lines of communication between the [foreign] groups and APSC so as to better represent their interests," Duong said. Long-term goals for Duong include bridging out into the community and making this year a "learning experience" for the newly-elected board. Although the new 1999-2000 board is a "relatively young board," consisting of three freshmen and three sophomores, Duong said that she is "really optimistic and really excited about them." "They all expressed a true desire to learn, a real willingness," Duong continued. "I know that they're very capable." The other APSC officers include: Vice Chairperson Jennifer Wound, a College sophomore; Vice Chairperson of Political Affairs John Lin, a College sophomore; Vice Chairperson of Cultural Affairs Julia Jo, a College sophomore; Vice Chairperson of Community Affairs Jeff Lin, a College freshman; and Secretary/Treasurer Yuihua Pow, a College freshman.