VAMBA co-hosted and was a sponsor for a Symposium on January 13, 2008.  VAMBA members were in attendance and hosted the event which brought nearly 100 members of the community.  Councilwoman Dina Nguyen made the welcoming remarks and Tam Nguyen also made remarks on behalf of VAMBA. Vice President Dr. Howard Wang also was in attendance at the symposium.

U.S. Asia Center and VAMBA to Host Orange County Symposium to Address the Current State of Asian American and Pacific Islander Businesses.

Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Asia Center (USAC), in partnership with U.S. Asian Business Council (USABC) and Vietnamese American MBA Chapter(VAMBA), announces today the third symposium in a four-city tour to address the state of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) businesses in the United States. The symposium will be held on Sunday, January 13 in Orange County, California, on the campus of California State University Fullerton at the Garden Grove Center.
 
The symposium will include participation from former commissioners of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, who will discuss a report to President George W. Bush titled "Enhancing the Economic Potential of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders." The panel will include Joe Melookaran, former Commissioner and lead author of the report and William Kil, former Commissioner and private practice attorney in California. Derrick Nguyen, also a former Commissioner, will moderate the event.
 
Angela An, Executive Director of USAC, states "the main objective of this endeavor is to disseminate this important information to business owners and the public about the community's present situation as well as what is being done to improve its future. As well as educating, the panel aims to promote joint cooperation between different ethnic community groups."
 
The report to the President was created by the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, whose mandate was to review the current economic participation of AAPI-owned businesses in the United States and recommend ways and means to enhance the economic potential of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders resulting in the improvement of their quality of life. 
 
Angela An continued by stating, "We are excited about the symposium in Orange County, which will include participation from members of the local business community. This will add a unique perspective to the panel, giving it the opportunity to examine larger national and international trends and its relationship with local business practices."
 
The symposium tour will conclude on February 5 in Kansas City, Missouri. For registration details contact Tam Nguyen at tamnguyen@fullerton.edu or 714-390-9312