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Let me give a slightly...I don't disagree..but let me give you an explanation that given
to me because I never really understood this fight until I talk to somebody firsthand and
it goes like this...it's a little complex, uhm, but it goes like this..
What happens during the time of the boat people that came to America were branded criminals
and traitors by the Vietnamese Communist government and they were told that they can't amount
to anything...but they did amount to something and in fact, in Westminster, California, Southern
California they started a place called LITTLE SAIGON, which was a point of pride. It was,
you know, a fist to the eye, if you will, to the Vietnamese government back home and
said: "No, we, we can succeed. We are not criminal."
OK. Fast forward now 20 , 25 years. It was not just Vietnamese in America who were doing
well. It was Vietnamese in Vietnam who are doing well. Some of whom have ties, many of
whom have ties to the Vietnamese government. Those people are looking for places to invest.
One of the places they were looking to invest was in the City of San Jose near McLaughlin
and Story. And so the question is... they wanted and they talked to Madison Nguyen,
the eye to the folks at home. And therefore they came up with SAIGON BUSINESS DISTRICT.
But people of Minh's thinking, I think would argue that this is wrong and so it become
a clash ofÖ really reflected of Ö what you thought of the old country and maybe some
of you come from those kind of schism in your own country and..andÖkind of understand this.
But I grew to at least why I necessarily agree with the Little Saigon people and within their
tactics. I understood more of a background, IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE NAME. Anyways.....
AndÖto continueÖand I think I have to correct the part that my father was a criminal when
he was, you know, on his boat to escape communism in seek of the freeÖ the free landÖ
So that myth is really inaccurate and being the son, I know that for a fact...and to continue
the storyÖ It is very true, while IÖwhile many people
may not agree with the tactics or whatever that the people who voiced their opinions
and desires in a democratic society. I, as a resident, when I saw this andÖand reallyÖa
true defenderÖfrom the fatherís generation down to the sonís generation of democracy
and freedomÖand when I see a process that was given, that was proposed and went againstÖby
a local representative hereÖand really thinkingÖand going against a democratic process, whereby
the name with the least votes actually gets to get picked versus a name with the most
votesÖand now thatís ANTI-AMERICAN in my opinion. And thatís where, thatís where
I, as a, you know, as somebody whoísÖwhoís a strong advocate of the democratic process.
Thatís where IÖI support them. But, I want to make clear of one thing. May it be the
incidence or the event of Little Saigon or lead to Recall or what not, I just want to
tell you,Ö
Iím a plain old resident who cares deeply about our communityÖand itís not about Little
Saigon or the Recall or what not in the past year, but itís about the service cuts that
are affecting our residents right now and itís about historic high budget deficit that
are affecting out residentsÖand THAT IS WHY IíM RUNNING TO CHANGEÖand I keep telling
our residentsÖand the misconception and the propaganda that was played so well and was
funded by so much by the out of state interest groups, that now people think and misunderstood
it But I say, you know, whoever itíll beÖmisunderstanding
or what notÖI just want to sayÖI AM HERE FOR THE COMMUNITY, THE COMMUNITY WHERE I LIVE
IN AND WHERE MY KIDS WILL GROW UP IN. IíM HERE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND I CARE ABOUT THE
ISSUES THAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE RESIDENTSÖAND THAT IS WHY IíM RUNNING.