[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 11, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E919]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     STUDENT'S ACTIVISM WINS PRAISE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 11, 1999

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share 
with my colleagues the accomplishments of an extraordinary young woman, 
Sipfou Saechao, a senior at Richmond High School in Richmond, 
California. Feeling frustrated by the self-imposed racial segregation 
of her fellow classmates, Sipfou took it upon herself to improve race 
relations at Richmond High, a school as culturally diverse as any in 
California. Overcoming the initial pessimism of friends, students and 
faculty, Sipfou formed ACTION--All Colors Together In One Nation--a 
student organization which now boasts over 40 active members. ACTION 
has challenged the students and faculty of Richmond High to confront 
the often volatile issue of race, and to learn and grow from the 
experience. As described in the following article, Sipfou's activism 
has earned her the respect and admiration of her peers, and she serves 
as a model for young people throughout our country. I know that my 
fellow Members of the House of Representatives join me in recognizing 
Sipfou Saechao for her tremendous contribution to the health of her 
community, and congratulating her on receiving the 1999 Take Action 
Award.

                Student's Activism Helps Heal Race Rifts

                           (By Tony Mercado)

       Richmond.--Somewhere between sips of cola and bites of a 
     crumb doughnut, Richmond High's Sipfou Saechao decided to 
     make a difference.
       It was lunch time when Saechao, then a sophomore, glanced 
     around at the clusters of students and noticed something 
     terribly wrong. For a school so rich in diversity, Asian, 
     Latino and black teens kept to their own.
       ``That was so stupid,'' said Saechao, now an 18-year-old 
     senior. ``They were excluding themselves from learning about 
     people who could possibly make them a better person.''
       Last school year, Saechao formed the student club All 
     Colors Together in One Nation--ACTION--to help improve race 
     relations at the school. Friends said it wouldn't work. But 
     Saechao's drive has helped mend a racially split student 
     body, and it has brought her acclaim as one of the country's 
     top young activists.
       React Magazine, a teen news publication, has named the UC-
     Berkeley-bound student one of five grand-prize winners at the 
     1999 Take Action Awards in New York City. The honor carries a 
     $20,000 scholarship--a prize sought by about 600 students 
     across the country.
       Saechao, who immigrated from Laos at age 2 with her parents 
     and brother, said the money brings her dream of becoming an 
     English teacher closer to reality.
       ``I'm relieved,'' said Saechao. She was a semi-finalist for 
     the same prize as a sophomore, for her work to educate 
     Laotian immigrants about the hazards of washing clothes and 
     growing vegetables in toxic soil and water.
       ``I was stressed about how I was going to be able to afford 
     college,'' she said. ``This changes everything.''
       The magazine, which reaches 3 million readers as a 
     newspaper insert and through schools, also awarded Saechao 
     $24,000 to give to the charity of her choice. Saechao, the 
     school's Associated Student Body president, chose Richmond 
     High. The school plans to buy supplies and encyclopedias.
       Dennie Hughes, React's senior editor, called Saechao a 
     tireless worker who yearns to make things happen.
       ``She's one of those people who wants to see what else can 
     become her project,'' said Hughes. ``She educated the Laotian 
     community, it worked, and then she turned her attention to 
     her school to see how she could help there.''
       Richmond High has one of Contra Costa County's most diverse 
     student bodies. Fifty percent of students are Latino and 25 
     percent are Asian. Blacks account for 20 percent. Whites and 
     other ethnic groups account for 5 percent.
       The trick to fostering unity was getting classmates to 
     focus on being proud of their school, Saechao said. Scars 
     remained from the past, when tempers between ethnic groups 
     would flare and fists would all too quickly fly.
       Some friends told her it would be a nearly impossible task.
       ``I thought she was crazy,'' said San Saephanh, an 18-year-
     old senior. ``Because of the violence we had a long time ago, 
     everyone at the time was usually separated.''
       Saechao helped create a forum where students for the first 
     time could talk about what was on their minds. She began 
     publishing a newsletter call ACTION, filled with students' 
     concerns about the school. Many classmates wrote about 
     pervasive gangs and violence, teen pregnancy and 
     discrimination against girls by boys.
       Teachers also got into the act, writing about the 
     frustration of getting students to do homework or bemoaning 
     the lack of respect and communication between teens and 
     adults. But they also wrote about encouraging students to 
     stay in school and work together.
       ``I thought teachers would be the hardest to convince we 
     could change,'' Saechao said. ``They see what we're like 
     every day, so they have certain stereotypes.''
       Club membership grew from six to 40, with students from 
     varied backgrounds. The climate is still far from perfect, 
     she said, but students and teachers said people tend to get 
     along better now. Some even share the same picnic table at 
     lunch.
       ``She gained a real reputation as someone who speaks up for 
     what she thinks is right,'' said Nancy Ivey, Saechao's 
     leadership class teacher. ``Her name comes up the most when 
     kids are asked who they admire as a leader.''
       The ACTION club is planning fund-raisers so it can provide 
     a scholarship to a graduating senior next year. So far, it 
     has raised about $1,000. Saechao said it just proves what can 
     happen when there's unity.
       ``It was actually easy for us students to change,'' she 
     said. ``Most were open-minded about the idea. Hopefully, I've 
     shown that everyone on campus can work together.''

     

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