Vietnamese American Roundtable

The Vietnamese American Roundtable (VAR) is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving the San Jose, CA community through strategic advocacy, community organizing, and educational programming. VAR mobilizes Vietnamese American residents around critical issues impacting their lives through three core strategic pillars: community building, civic engagement, and cultural learning. The organization accomplishes its mission by building coalitions, conducting strategic advocacy initiatives, and organizing meaningful community events that bring residents together across generations. VAR's comprehensive program offerings include the SEEDS Youth Summer Program, which develops emerging leaders through workshops and mentorship focused on community engagement and advocacy skills. The organization facilitates civic participation through voter education initiatives and encourages community members to engage with local leaders and policy advocacy. Cultural learning programs span immigration forums, public health resource fairs, and interactive cooking classes that connect participants to Vietnamese culinary traditions and heritage. VAR also partners with local organizations like the Open Space Authority and hosts special cultural events such as film screenings and escape room experiences that blend entertainment with social justice education. The organization's COVID-19 response demonstrated its commitment to vulnerable populations through food distributions, health information dissemination, and vaccination promotion. Composed of young professionals and representatives from various Vietnamese American community groups, VAR bridges Vietnamese and American cultural perspectives to deliver inclusive, culturally competent programming that strengthens the San Jose community.