More than 200 Southeast Asians are expected to rally at Luther Burbank High School today to bring attention to problem gambling in their communities.
Hmong and Mien community leaders will lead the 10 a.m. forum in the school cafeteria at 3500 Florin Road. They plan to ask Sacramento County Supervisor Jimmie Yee and state gambling control officials to develop an "Asian hub" to address a problem that has damaged the lives of addicted Asian Americans.
The hub would serve as a social and wellness center for Southeast Asians, many of them elderly people who ride the casino buses several times a week. Ten passengers died in an October 2008 crash of a "gamblers special" that carried 43 Southeast Asians from the Sacramento area to a Colusa casino.
That accident and the suicide of a Mien community leader who had lost everything "have raised awareness more broadly of the need for more problem gambling support and mental health services accessible to Southeast Asians in their native languages," said Neng Vang of Sacramento Area Congregations Together, which is helping sponsor the forum.
Community leaders also will ask representatives from the California Office of Problem Gambling to make outreach and hotline services available in Hmong, Mien and Lao. Following a series of Bee reports in March, the Office of Problem Gambling said it would train gambling addiction counselors in those languages.
"When we met with state gambling officials they thought Hmong and Mien were the same – that was a shocker for us," said Vang. He lost his mother, Malor Vang, 60, in the Colusa crash.
Doua Yang, who is scheduled to testify today, said both of his parents were injured in the crash and both continue to gamble. "I don't know how to get my parents to stop," he said.
Also scheduled to testify is Mien community leader Weun Seng Fong, who said gambling seems to be out of control in many Mien families.
Community leaders propose several measures to address the problem:
• That casinos add a disclaimer to their ads. For example, it might say in several Asian languages: "If you have a problem with gambling, please use our hotline number."
• That the state hotline have Asian language counselors.
• That casino buses track customers and do not pressure them to gamble more than they can afford.
Call The Bee's Stephen Magagnini, (916) 321-1072.
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