Client Story
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After meeting with a PACE business counselor and enrolling in PACE's ORR IDA program, and with guidance on business fundamentals, Mr Cui's dreams of owning his own business finally materialized.
Working Out Differences Through Cultural Values ***** Making a Positive Impact on Our Youth The Man Behind "The Park's Finest BBQ": Rated #1 on Yelp in Los Angeles Paving a Way to a College Education OCA-Greater Los Angeles' (OCA-GLA) internships provided Jessamyn and Eric with the opportunity to conduct community service that directly addressed a problem for many Asian Pacific Americans. Once homeless living on the street in a cardboard box, Ms. Rhodora A. was able reunite with her family and find home with help from the Asian American Drug Abuse Program (AADAP) and their Therapeutic Community Residential Facility.
With help from the Asian Pacific Healthcare Venture (APHCV) and their health education and self management programs, Mr. Wattana gained the knowledge to control his diabetes and look forward to a healthier life. Empowering Domestic Violence Survivors Ms. Garcia was able to create a better future for herself and her children after she found long-term transitional housing at the Asian Pacific Women's Center (APWC) geared toward assisting and empowering domestic violence survivors. By being involved at the local youth center at the Chinatown Service Center (CSC) as both a student and volunteer, William Choy developed critical academic, social, and leadership skills to help him successfully graduate from high school and prepare for college. Despite intimidation and fear caused by an abusive partner, Jung Hee Park* was able to overcome immigration difficulties as well as personal challenges using the resources of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC). To seniors like Robert Beruman living at Palm Village Senior Apartments through the Thai Community Development Center (Thai CDC) and Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC), affordable senior housing communities do not just mean a roof over their head, but the ability to maintain healthy independence, self-reliance, and a better quality of life.  Peace Makers and Mediators Program students listen to a speaker during
their field trip to Pepperdine University’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution
Mr. and Mrs. Chen* came to the Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center through their daughter-in-law who was inquiring about help for the relatives she deemed “too nice to say no.” These relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Chen, were landlords to the Wu* family for over 10 years. During that time, the Chen family and the Wu family established a relationship that bordered on contentiousness and charitable forgiveness. Mr. and Mrs. Wu, apparently, often reneged from their contractual obligation to pay the rent on time and in full. Several times during their tenancy, Mr. Wu would either pay a partial amount of the rent and/or pay late, if at all. During those 10 years, the Wu’s had accumulated a sizeable amount of monetary debt to Mr. and Mrs. Chen, which now became the core of the dispute between the two parties. Mr. Chen, tired from the years of having to deal with Mr. Wu’s lack of responsibility, resolved to not only get the back rent owed to them, but also to evict the Wu family as soon as possible. Both parties agreed to come in for mediation with the issue of the rent money as the focus of their dispute --receiving a faster, cheaper alternative to court, as well as culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate mediation services. Mr. Wu readily accepted his role in the problem. He acknowledged that there was a failure on his part to pay the rent on time or in the full amount. However, he also brought up an understanding between himself and Mr. Chen’s wife regarding his financial situation. During all those times when he was having difficulty paying the rent, Mr. Wu would approach Mrs. Chen and ask for leniency. He described her as being very understanding and as allowing him the flexibility to pay the rent whenever his finances were more stable. This interchange between the Chen’s and Wu’s went on for years, and this was a critical point that needed to be addressed in the mediation to reestablish the trust between the two parties. Mr. Chen needed to acknowledge his part in enabling the behavior that allowed the Wu’s to abuse so much of his generosity, and Mr. Wu needed to understand how disrespect and wider cultural values came into play in the dispute. It was after this discussion of their relationship, with the help of mediation, that the parties began to actively seek a compromise that both would be able to fulfill.
Toward the end, both the Chen family and Wu family agreed to the amount owed by Mr. Wu as well as the payment plan that he would abide by in good faith. Mr. Wu has so far been diligent with his payments, the first of which he made with the precise amount and on the correct date. Mr. Chen, on the other hand, extended the Wu’s stay on his property until they are able to find new accommodations for their family. It remains to be seen how their relationship will fare in the future. However, both parties expressed their gratitude for mediation from the Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center that allowed them to work through their differences and appreciated the compromise made by either side.
*The names of the clients have been changed to protect their identity.
For more information, visit www.apadrc.org. |
