BILOXI, MS May 8, 2008 — Mississippi’s Vietnamese Americans have a great need for linguistically and culturally competent legal services, according to a panelist from Boat People SOS (BPSOS) who spoke Friday at a public hearing organized by the Mississippi Access to Justice Commission.

“Vietnamese Americans in the Gulf Coast region have traditionally been underserved,” said panelist BPSOS-Biloxi branch manager Thao Vu, in her comments at the hearing. “We have clients coming to us for help with legal issues ranging from domestic violence to landlord/tenant disputes, as well as immigration and naturalization matters.”

Speaking at the hearing, which focused on increased availability of legal services for low-income Mississippians with civil cases, Vu also focused on the need for accessible counsel on issues of child custody and disability waivers. She also drew attention to the need for legal services for Vietnamese Americans, especially those of middle and moderate income, who face insurance settlement issues connected to homes damage or destroyed by Katrina.

Hurricane Katrina dealt a stunning blow to the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2005, leaving approximately 60,000 homes ruined or damaged, devastating the economically vital fleet of shrimp boats, and shattering the livelihoods of many residents. After the disaster, BPSOS forged alliances with partners to meet needs in the Vietnamese-American community and beyond.

“The Biloxi office of BPSOS has partnered with the Mississippi Center for
Justice on two earlier occasions to hold legal-aid clinics where local attorneys and their Vietnamese-American colleagues from out-of-state volunteered to help our clients with difficult FEMA, Small Business Administration, and housing issues,” said Vu. “We’re very grateful to have had their help and partnership.”

The Mississippi Access to Justice Commission, which was created by the Mississippi Supreme Court in 2006 to develop a unified strategy to improve poor people’s access to the civil courts. The commission includes members of the judiciary, a representative of the governor, legislators, business and community leaders, and members of the clergy.

BPSOS became a member of Katrina Aid Today in 2005, joining a consortium of 10 social service and voluntary organizations funded by FEMA using international donations, and led by the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). The Biloxi KAT program, which officially closed its doors with the conclusion of its funding on March 31, 2008, helped clients with FEMA registration, healthcare, translation, advice on insurance claims, and financial assistance for home and shrimp-boat repair via the Long-Term Recovery Coalition (LTRC).

BPSOS is a community-based organization with 15 branches across the US and a mission “to assist Vietnamese refugees and immigrants in their search for a life in liberty and dignity.” Since 1980, one in 10 Vietnamese Americans has received assistance from BPSOS while still in Vietnam, on the high seas, in a refugee camp, or after arriving in the United States. BPSOS provides a web of services to support individuals, families, and communities.