County leaders in the South Bay announced brand new state-of-the-art Vietnamese American Service Center (VASC), KTVU FOX 2 reports. Santa Clara County is home to the second largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam.
The idea for the center began in 2011. A county health assessment of the Vietnamese American community found alarming stats. Vietnamese American women were five times more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer and Vietnamese people had high rates of asthma. However, because of cultural and language barriers, they struggled to get healthcare.
On Monday, county leaders showed off Santa Clara County’s new Vietnamese American Service Center in East San Jose ahead of Saturday’s big grand opening.
“This gleaming building behind me is almost ready to open its doors and this is a culmination of years and years of work,” Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez told KTVU FOX 2. “What we started to glean was we needed a very specific approach to keep the Vietnamese American community healthy.”
Hoodline reports some 3,000 member of the Vietnamese American community are expected to use the center each year for health screenings, mental health services and childcare.
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“To have an institutional space with the county is pretty monumental. I think it will open up a lot of doors for us to re-engage with the community, especially after a year and a half of isolation,” said Philip Nguyen with the Vietnamese American Roundtable, speaking to San José Spotlight.
According to the County of Santa Clara’s official website, the VASC will offer access to behavioral health services, primary care, dental care, social services, a senior nutrition program, on-site child supervision, a suite of community programming to promote wellness, and more. Language capacity at the center will include, at minimum, English, Vietnamese, and Spanish, to reflect the communities and populations that will be served at the Center. Limited services will begin in November, with plans for full operation by Feb. 2022.
The public is invited to a celebration at the VASC. If you are interested in registering for the event, please click here.
Saturday, Oct. 23, at 12 p.m.
2410 Senter Rd
San José, CA 95112
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