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American Civic Association: Immigrant Help Center Massacre Target
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by Tina Kells | April 3, 2009 at 11:47 am
610 views | 0 Recommendations | 5 comments
The shooting and hostage crisis at the American Civic Association in Binghamton, NY has shocked the community. How could an agency designed to help people become the target of such a horrific mass murder? How did people in pursuit of the American dream become targets of one man's nightmare?
The American Civic Association (ACA) is a community based program designed to help refugees and immigrants adjust to a new life in the United States. What could have prompted Jiverly Voong (also known as Linh Phat Voong) to kill people at an agency designed to help people just like him?
The mission statement of the American Civic Association is simple:
Assists immigrants and refugees with immigration and personal counseling, resettlement, citizenship, family reunification, interpreters, and translators. Fosters cross cultural understanding for the entire community.
The American Civic Association is affiliated with the United Way of Broome County, a 29 member civic alliance of agencies that help people from all walks of life.
Founded in 1939 by 11 immigrants, the American Civic Association has helped families in the Broome County region adjust to US culture for 70 years. At the core of its mandate is a desire to help make the transition easier on families and individuals.
The ACA offers 5 areas of core services: In 2007 the American Civic Association made local headlines when it helped reunite the Viall family of Apalachin, NY. An American citizen, Viall had married a Chinese national, Zhaoxing Luo, while in China. Viall wanted to bring his bride and new stepson, Wen Zhao, back to the US but faced red tape and hurdles. The American Civic Association helped Viall with the paperwork and made it possible for his family to be together in America. ACA assisted Mr. Viall with paperwork from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to petition to permit his wife and stepson to immigrate to the US. With the help of the ACA, Mr. Viall completed forms required by the National Visa Center (NVC) in New Hampshire. Finally, he and his wife and stepson completed paperwork for the US Consulate in Guangzhou, China. See NowPublic coverage of the Shooting Spree-Hostage Taking at the American Civic Association The community of Binghamton is shocked by the killings. The American Civic Association was an important part of the neighborhood and nobody can imagine why it would be attacked. “When the hostages came out, I recognized some of them,” he said. “It’s a humungous tragedy and hard to believe it happened in our own backyard. I stood in front of the building I ran eight years, thinking, ‘This can’t be happening.”In a place as small as Binghamton, almost everyone has some tie, however tenuous, with the American Civic Association. Either they’ve enjoyed folk dances or other festivals there, or they know immigrants who used ACA services, or they work nearby.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (5)
at 12:07 on April 3rd, 2009
It's pure speculation at this point about why the shooter became so enraged at this centre, however it must have something to do with the immigration process.
at 13:05 on April 3rd, 2009
Previous shooters had created the circumstances for Subliminal Distraction exposure. They would have had the mental break SD is known to cause.
Preexisting issues are raised to psychotic levels to trigger the shooting,
Voong may have been exposed while using a computer at home since he had been laid off he would have spent more time doing that.
at 05:50 on April 4th, 2009
Don't know why someone whom could take advantage of this center would do something so horrific but since we seem to be a country where everyone seems to expect what they want NOW it appears that this person wasn't very happy in what this centered offered refugees and immigrants
at 13:20 on April 4th, 2009
1. Here is my case for your review and cosideration I need to get e
mail address of civil liberties unions
in the u.s.a so I can get monetery donations to hire a civil trial
attorney to work on my case
please let me know if you at texas attorney general can re opened
my case, because I have never have a fair trial on my case, and I
deserve to have a fair trial on my case I never plea guilty because
I was fighting my case, and at hidalgo county court house they close
my case and make me responsible of the crime I will really
appreciated very much, also to mexican and americans television
stations please review, also you can brodcast my case on immigration
cases along the u.s mexico border
my case on immigration issues.
my phone 011-52-899-185-2104
in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />mexico 899-185-2104.
Ricardo Garza gutierrez god bless america let freedom ring
Subject: RE: case garza versus richards, morales filed vernon, tx
at mhmr hospital 11-20-92
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2006 17:19:54 -0600
this is my case filed matrerial 11-20-92 at vernon state hospital
vernon, texas u.s.a
It is a federal and state civil lawsuit against the state of texas,
county of hidalgo, mc allen city of
for false arrest, discrimination, false phsychiatric diagnosis and
36 more civil allegations
I am asking for monetary donations because I need to hire an
attorney for civil rights in the state of texas you can sen check
or post money order
payable to address Ricardo Garza Gutierrez
Uruguay 700
Colonia Anzalduaz
Reynosa, Tamaulipas 88630
MEXICO
monetary donations will be sent via post money orders I will really
appreciated very much
my cellular phone 044-899-185-2104
bye now.god bless america let freedom ring
greetings from the us mexico border
Reynosa, MC Allen, Texas u.s.a
here is my case for your review and consideration
that case took place in texas u.s.a in 1992 I am asking for
monetary donations to hire an attorney
my address is the e mail for now, then I sent you the mailing
address of my home in mexico
From: “ricardo garza gutierrez”
Subject: RE: case garza versus richards, morales filed vernon, tx
at mhmr hospital 11-20-92
Date: Sat, 09 Dec 2006 13:05:36 -0600
to whom it may concern;
I am reporting my case to you because on
11-20-92 I had this case in the state of texas rio grande valley
area, and I never had a trial on my case in fact at hidalgo
county level
they close my case and make me responsible of the crime I was
fighting my case for 15 months
I am still very upset about this case because I never have a
trial on my case, and I have lived
in the u.s.a since 1975 then in the summer of 1986 I also
participated in the u.s i.n.s federal
ammesty law in harlingen, texas u.s.a, and all my u.s immigration
documents were lost, and I
need to get them back or get a duplicate of the original
documents, my medical records are
at vernon state hospital, vernon texas filed material 10-22-92
Can you imagine I was admited
at that hospital on that date and according to the state district
judge I have to stay there for
two years in other words it was supposted to be until 10-22-94
the psychologist, and psychiatric
disagreed with the psychiatric evaluation at hidalgo county
level, and I was release in a month
and at the original hospital records reads he is not mentally ill
richard is ready to have a trial
and that is why at the hidalgo county court house close my case
and they not even give me
the opportunity to have a fair trial on my case which is a
federal constitutional right we all have
under federal law in other words I spent 15 months behind bar,
and I just was another victum
of the texas judicial system please let me know what I can do
about it because I need to clear
my name in the system. even the doctors there at the hospital
said this case is unconstitutional,
also they told me your human, and civil rights has been violated
that is why I need to have an
answer on my case, and would like to re opened my case too.
thanks a lot
god bless america let
freedom ring
sincerelly yours
Ricardo Garza
Gutierrez
for me it was very hard to be in a mental health hospital because
in this hospital you see a lot of sad cases, and I was a normal
male not mentally ill, in fact the short time I was there they
never give
any medication for mental illnes, and the doctors staff they made
a lot of questions why I was sent
there they told me you pass all the mentally competente exams
with good grades.
former texas attorney general dan morales fail to work in my case
also at hidalgo county level too.
From: “ricardo garza gutierrez”
ricardousmexicoborder@hotmail.com>
CC: ricardousmexicoborder@hotmail.com
Subject: case garza versus richards, morales filed vernon, tx at
mhmr hospital 11-20-92
Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2006 15:03:58 -0600
to whom it may concern,
my name is Ricardo Garza Gutiierrez I am
sending this e mail to you because
on november 20, 1992 I had this case due to a false arrest, and
at county level false phsychiatry
diagnosis and 36 more allegations in this case now I need the e
mail address of the supreme
court of texas, texas civil court division in austin, texas, and
vernon state hospital or in austin texas texas mental health and
mental retardation main office there because I never have a
trial on my case, and
I lost 15 months in the texas judicial system the case is a
federal and state civil lawsuit against
the state of texas, county of hidalgo, and mc allen city of, I
got an e mail from the u.s department
of justice from washington, d.c and they told me that the case
can be reopened eventhough
the statue of time and limitations expires 11-20-94 I deserve to
have justice in my case
also I need to clear my name.
thank you for
your time and understanding in this matter
god bless america let freedom ring
sincerelly yours
Ricardo Garza
Gutierrez
Comment by ricardo garza gutierrez — June 21, 2007 @ 1:28 pm
at 01:57 on June 26th, 2009
sir
i am algerian who live in algeria and i want to immigated in america is it possible.
salutations