Deportation Promised If Cooperation Not Achieved
A group of nearly 27 American expatriates from San Jose stormed the offices of the People’s Committee Chairman in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday and demanded a renaming of a concentrated strip of American businesses that has become known as “Little San Jose.”
“It conjures up memories of a vindictive regime of lobbyists and a labor council-controlled agenda lead by a mayor that nurtured pay-to-play politics,” said Del Borgsdorff, owner of Togos America and President of the People’s American Business Association which manages the small communist-American strip of businesses.
The controversy started when the Vietnam People’s Council recommended that “Little San Jose” become the adopted official name on all government records, in media and marketing materials and branded on the rear ends of those that own business in the district.
“We would prefer ‘Santa Clara Valley Business District,’” said Susan Shick owner of American Nail Salon. “It doesn’t have the negative association with the Gonzales regime.”
When reached at his palatial grounds outside of the city, the People’s Committee Chairman promised that he would take the concerns of the Americans under advisement. “But this is communist Vietnam. We will do what we please in the end and that could mean revoking visas or death. I do hope things work out because I love those Cinnabons.”
Now this one is hilarious. Bravo!
When did Madison Nguyen become the Councilmember representing only Vietnamese residents of San Jose instead of all residents of San Jose, including Vietnamese residents??? She seems to have taken the mini-mayor concept to a whole new level.
John,
You are a crack up. Very well said.
#2- Wondering- that is a very good question that deserves an answer. Why are our public officals catering to special interest groups? I think a big part of the answer lies in two reasons:
1.) The Vietnamese community is very large, they tend to be very politically active and they VOTE.
2.) The Vietnamese community raises a lot of money to donate to candidates.
Enough said.
Chairman Hopefuls Court American Voters
Ho Chi Minh City (FFN)—As rumors of a pending shake-up in government have this city’s leaders on edge, two local officials wasted no time in courting the political support of a small but powerful group of local entrepreneurs. Appearing at a festival marking the American holiday of Thanksgiving, People’s Air Traffic Minister Cahn Huu Duc and People’s Finance Minister Ngo Nhu Loan addressed the largely American crowd and while wearing their unique interpretations of historical Thanksgiving attire.
“We got idea from my cousin, who live in San Jose,” admitted Loan. “He say Mayor Reed and enemy, Mr. Cortese, wore Ao Dai while courting Vietnamese-American voters. He say they look cool. It very successful.”
“Today I Myles Standish,” boasted Minister Duc, obviously pleased with costume.
While the pair might have been playing up to an American tradition, the promises they made to the crowd were quite foreign, with a distinctly communist flavor. Duc pledged that, whatever his future post, he would give the Americans special treatment, while Loan vowed to send to reeducation camps any local businesspeople who try to compete with the Americans.
The reaction of the crowd was mixed, though most seemed pleased.
“I like what I hear,” said one American shop owner, “there’s obviously a lot of money to be made in divisiveness. Who cares what it costs the Vietnamese people? Whoever says we should work to assimilate can go to hell.”
“It was a nice gesture that they came,” added another, “but the costume thing kind of left me scratching my head. First of all, where did Minister Loan find a Pilgrim bonnet in Vietnam, why didn’t anyone tell him that it was a woman’s piece of clothing, and why was Minister Duc dressed up as Napoleon?”
If the businesses in that area, and others, want to call that stretch of Story Road “Little Saigon” then that is fine.
However, if the City Council makes it official then that is not fine. It is terrible.
If they do that are they going to change the name after the demographics change in the future?
John:
See, this is why the city government should stop trying to be all things to all people…it’s literally impossible, and you just end up ticking everyone off. Bottled water, naming business districts, subsidizing professional sports teams that leave town because they don’t draw enough, (Oh, almost forgot…building crystal rotundas with heated tile floors to keep the elitists’ feet warm when they toast each other)…these are not the traditional functions of government.
Let’s get back to basics!
Pete Campbell
VERY INTERESTING AND VERY FUNNY
It’s more than whether the businesses can call the area “Little Saigon”. The question is, once they put effort into marketing their area as “Little Saigon”, do city signs reflect the designation?
To me, it sounds reasonable. Not because an ethnic identity needs city sanction, but because it is a cheap and easy way to help local businesses. No different from signs pointing to Santana Row or San Pedro Square.
Given that, the city should have almost no role in picking the name. Let the area businesses vote on it, and put up signs for whatever they pick.
As an American expatriate living in HCMC, I thought this one was absolutely right on!
But, really, it’s not like the city came up with “Alum Rock” district or even “SOFA.” Those names just came about on their own eventually became part of the local lexicon. To those protesting: get a grip. The city should just stay out of the naming business and actually try to do something productive like…govern.
Why don’t they compromise and call it Little Ho Chi Minh City??
Silly article written by a silly old man.
It’s a Viet issue, and if the Viet community wants to call “Little Saigon” or whatever it is they want to call it, then it should be that.
Call it Little Saigon and we can all move on.
Madison needs to stop murking things up.
I used to live down in South California. There is already a Little Saigon down there. Many Vietnamese Americans (even those living in the Bay Area) often refer to that business area in Westminster as simply “Little Saigon”. Having another one is very confusing.
San Francisco and Houston also have “Little Saigons.” Because they honored what the majority in their Viet American communities want. The Smithsonian museum, a US government-funded institution, named an exhibit about Viet Americans “EXIT SAIGON, ENTER LITTLE SAIGON.” Why the great expenditure of effort by the majority of San Jose councilmembers to defeat the name that has come to symbolize the Viet émigré community?