In recent weeks there has been uproar over the naming of a stretch of road in San Jose. Many people, especially those who have not followed the issue closely, judged the Vietnamese Community as childish. Some even call radio programs and claimed that the name "Little Saigon" is a slap in the face the Viet Veterans. While I don't get to involve in events within the Vietnamese community, I do keep abreast of the happening within this community and after seeing so much misinformation, ignorance and disdain from people outside of the Vietnamese community I feel that I need to clarify the situation for my Americans friends about the Little Saigon fiasco.
The names Saigon of course refers to the over 300 year old and former capital city of the Republic of Viet Nam. Researchers such as Jacqueline Desbarats, Nguyen Van Canh and various human rights group such as the Aurora Foundation, after their victory in 1975, the North Vietnamese changed the name Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City, the North Vietnamese herd over 2,000,000 Vietnamese government workers, teachers, poets, writers and soldiers of the former South Vietnamese Army to the slave labored camps without trial disguised as Corrective Labor Re-education camps. Properties of these Re-education camp slaves were confiscated by the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam government, families of Re-education camp slaves were forced to move to the New Economic Zones, which is yet another form of forced labored camps.
The Socialist Republic of Viet Nam government not only institutionalized slave labor, they also institutionalized racism, Vietnamese of Chinese descend were forcibly evicted from their businesses and homes and sent to the New Economic Zones and after China invaded Viet Nam in 1979, even people who have lived in Viet Nam for seven generations was considered "china men" and forbidden to work in 18 major professions. These atrocities resulted in massive escapes from Viet Nam and bring about the phenomenon of the "boat People".
Research by R. J Rummel, revealed that at least 1,040,000 South Vietnamese died from 1975 – 1987. 100,000 South Vietnamese died of executions, 95,000 died in the re-education camps, 48,000 died because of forced labor in the so-called New Economic Zone, from 500,000 to 700,000 boat people died of drowning, pirates, starvation etc …
For the Vietnamese-Americans, the name Little Saigon evokes fond memory of the time before the Vietnamese holocaust. Therefore, when the city of San Jose commission the San Jose Redevelopment Agency to conduct its survey of residents and business owners around that business strip on Story' road area. As a result, the name "Little Saigon" received the most votes from the Vietnamese-American residents and business owners. A survey conducted by the San Jose Mercury News also showed that 91% participants favorably choose "Little Saigon". However, The San Jose City Council except for a few members like Kansen Chu decided to pick the name "Saigon Business District" which rated last in the San Jose Redevelopment Agency survey with only 4% votes. The vote angers the Vietnamese American within this area because it shows them that their vote means absolutely nothing to the politicians.
Madison Nguyen's action could have violated the California's Brown Act authored by Ralph M. Brown. The Brown Act was enacted to prevent undisclosed meetings held by local elected officials, which were not in compliance with requirements for advance public notice and used primarily to circumvent laws by holding secret 'workshops' and 'study sessions'. The close and shadowy relationship between Madison Nguyen and Tang Lap the developer of several businesses in the disputed area and his demand for the area to be named Vietnam Town Business only server to make Madison Nguyen actions seem even more ominous.
After strong protests by the Vietnamese-American community in San Jose, on March 4, 2008, the San Jose City Council held another meeting but again, the name Little Saigon was shot down. In a well orchestrated series of motions, Council members Nguyen, Liccardo and Mayor Reed outmaneuvered Council member attempt to force the council to an up or down vote of Little Saigon. All motions to force an up or down vote was declined due to procedural technicality.
During the March 4, 2008, Council member Liccardo claimed that he had received and reviewed the petition of 92 business owners on Story Road. Liccardo claimed that the petition asked the city council not to name the area along Story Road, since they want to determine for themselves on what the area would be called. The petition was given to the council by Huong Le, a man claimed to be the co-founder and co-owner of the Lee’s Sandwich franchise. At the urging of Liccardo, Huong Le took to the speaker’s stand and speaks on behalf of the businesses named in the petition. Huong Le told Liccardo it was Le and his friends who gathered the signatures and the people there want to name the area themselves. However, according to the San Jose Mercury News on 03/11/2008 and kliv.com, this "petition" that Liccardo touted was found to be completely fraudulent. Sam Liccardo now admitted that the petition that he had introduced in the last meeting might be a forgery, the signatures in Liccardo's petition were actually signatures from businesses who favored the name of "Little Saigon" yet the supporters of Madison Nguyen and the name Vietnam Town had deliberately changed the content, wording and signature of the petition for Little Saigon to server their own devious purposes. According to the San Jose Mercury News article on March 11, 2008, the business owners who signatures were forged on Liccardo's "petition" is talking to their attorney regarding a civil lawsuit against Huong Le, the co-owner of Lee's Sandwiches (who is a big Madison Nguyen's supporter and a supporter of the name Vietnam Town and who gave Liccardo the forged petition) for forging their signatures for Huong Le's own nefarious purposes.
What is so troubling about the San Jose City Council vote on March 4, 2008 is that Council member Liccardo either knowingly or did not do due diligent when he introduced forged documents that he claimed was a petition of "92 businesses along Story Road" to support Madison Nguyen. Liccardo may have violated the Sunshine Reform Task Force recommendations when he used this bogus petition as the only supporting document for his motion, the fact is that the forged document was not made available to the public for inspection 10 calendar days before the meeting as dictated by the law. Furthermore, it was intentionally introduced only during the council discussion, and the public was not given any chances to review nor verify the authenticity of the document, again in direct violation the law.
So why should all of this concern anyone except the Vietnamese-American in San Jose? Because the protests by the Vietnamese-Americans and the hunger strike by Ly Tong in front of the San Jose City Hall is not simply about selecting a name. Imagine if during the Democrat Convention after Obama had won most caucuses and delegates and the Democrat National Committee decided that they will nominate Clinton to be their nomination, even though Clinton had not won any caucuses or delegates. How do you think the Democrats in this country would react? Yet, this is exactly how the Vietnamese-American feel after the various votes by the San Jose City Council.
The issues that the Vietnamese-Americans of San Jose was fighting for was not the issue of a small isolated community, replaced the names and the community group and the issue of corruption, back room dealing, frauds, forge documents can easily be understood by all voters of any race or creeds. See the issue for what it is and maybe those of you who snicker and sneer at the Vietnamese-Americans, who is fighting against the San Jose City Council will understand that in fighting against the corruption and wrong doing of the San Jose City Council, the Vietnamese American is also fighting for your votes and your rights as an American. I'm glad that this little debacle has finally been resolved.
