What's New at MVES

Vietnamese Elders Become Citizens
MVES Helps Individuals Attain Long-Held Dream

For the past two years, Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES) and the Malden Council on Aging have collaborated on a program to reach out to Vietnamese elders in the Tri-City area. As a direct result of this effort, 20 Vietnamese elders have become US citizens—a long-held dream for many of them.

Under a grant from MVES, the Vietnamese American Civic Association provides a bilingual outreach worker who spends every Friday in the Malden area. The Malden Council on Aging makes space available where the outreach worker can meet with the elders. Mr. An Tran helps the elders access needed services and resources like housing, health care, Medicaid, and pursuing citizenship. The elders he works with range in age from 60 – 85, and most came to this country in the early 1990s. Many spent time in refugee camps before coming to the US, and some had been interned in prison camps following the Vietnam War. Others came as immigrants under the sponsorship of their children.

Mr. Tran, who spent ten years in “the Hanoi Hilton” (an infamous North Vietnamese prison camp), says that post-traumatic stress syndrome is common among the elder refugees. The road to citizenship is also handicapped by language barriers and a fear of government officials.

With the support of Mr. Tran, these elders have successfully navigated the lengthy application process. Most qualify for an exemption from the written citizenship exam, but are required to pass an oral exam. Mr. Tran accompanies them to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) office in Boston and translates the exam questions. “The elders are sometimes so frightened of the process that they can’t stop shaking,” says Tran.

Now that they are new Americans, all that struggle is behind them. They are thrilled with their new status as citizens, and some have already had the opportunity to vote.

Mystic Valley Elder Services, Inc. (MVES) is a private, non-profit organization that provides information and access to a comprehensive range of services that address age-related needs. MVES serves over 10,000 individuals annually in the communities of Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, and Wakefield. For more information about MVES services, please call (781) 324-7705.

For more information, contact:
Sean Maney, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
(781) 324-7705, ext. 118
smaney@mves.org