The United Vietnamese Student Associations of Northern California (UVSA) is a non-profit, non-partisan, community-based organization founded in 2002 as a means for youth to organize socially and civically in Northern California. Committed to cultural awareness, educating youth, and community service, UVSA is composed of volunteers—including young professionals, college students, and high school students—to help youth develop a sense of their Vietnamese heritage and identity.

Our organizational goals include (1) Uniting students from different colleges and high schools to build solidarity in Vietnamese youth culture locally, nationally, and internationally; (2) Representing the diverse and dynamic Vietnamese youth population by encouraging interaction, participation, and activism in the Vietnamese American and mainstream communities; (3) Promoting public awareness of the Vietnamese culture, language, and history to encourage the growth of individuals and to bridge communities; and (4) Encouraging the growth of leadership and teamwork with a commitment to community service.

Structure

• Structure Overview
• Constitution & Bylaws
  
• Officers & Staff
  

History

We are the fourth attempt at creating a coalition of collegiate Vietnamese student groups in Northern California. UVSA (1985–1995), MLNT (1999), and VSAL (1999–2003) are considered our predecessors. And we are definitely not the first Vietnamese youth leadership organization, as we also share a common philosophy with VAYF (1999–2001) and VAPRI (2004–2006). You should read UVSA’s history in the context of the Student Movement by reading the article about VSAs.

• Formative Years
  
• History of Vietnamese Youth Organizations in Northern California
• Vietnamese Youth Vision (2006)
  
• Timeline of UVSA divided by administration
• Evolution of the UVSA Logo
  
• State of the Union

Core Philosophy

One of the most popular myths in the Vietnamese culture is the origin story of Âu Cơ and Lạc Long Quân. Âu Cơ is considered an immortal mountain fairy, and Lạc Long Quân was a descendant of dragons. The story, as it goes, involves the union of the fairy and dragon. Instead of bearing a child, Âu Cơ conceived a membranous sac of 100 eggs. The sac grew and hatched 100 children (the original myth only mentions 100 children, not 100 boys, as some may assert). These children would grow up to become the governors of their districts, forming a country called Văn Lang.

One of the foundations for explaining the meaning behind this myth is the work done by mythologist Joseph Campbell who asserted that myths are more than just tales to tell children. The stories underline some sort of belief system, which is why it survives for so long. Of course sometimes such stories get passed on without the benefit of the explanation. The Vietnamese creation myth would have merely been regarded as an exercise in imagination if one hasn’t been challenged to explain why this story was important enough to pass down for thousands of years.

One can be pretty sure our ancestors did not really believe that humans laid eggs as a method of conceiving. Instead, if we consider this in the frame of a belief system, one could interpret that our ancestors believed in a primitive form of democracy; all 100 children were born at the same time, and are considered equal as siblings. In a monarchy, the eldest son usually inherits the throne. But with 100 equally-born children, there is no eldest child.

The story continues in which Lạc Long Quân preferred life by the ocean, since dragons prefer to be near the water. Âu Cơ was from the mountains, and she preferred to stay there. Thus they separated, and each took half of the children and moved out on their own. But their children would grow up and unite with each other again to form a country. On an organizational level, it means the 100 VSAs in California should reach out and unite. On a sociopolitical level, it means the scattered overseas Vietnamese from 100 regions, separated by the Vietnam War, will reunite once again. On a global level, the 100 countries of the world should unite and regard each other equally, precisely what the United Nations is striving to achieve.

On that the last point of countries united in equal regards, our Vietnamese elders usually told us to strive to be a good person. Therefore there are certain fundamental Human Rights that we as Vietnamese ought to advocate. For those concerned about our relations with other ethnicities, a belief in these Human Rights provides a foundation for finding common ground. We consider this endeavor as Lên Đường Nhân Bảo, or On The Road to Humanity.

History sure has a funny way of repeating itself.