Los Angeles County recently declared the anniversary of the Fall of Saigon “Jane Fonda Day,” outraging California’s Vietnamese-American lawmakers. They’re glad the county is reconsidering the controversial decision.
Assemblymember Tri Ta was one of several California lawmakers of Vietnamese descent who protested Los Angeles County 's designation of Jane Fonda Day.In these challenging times, the need for reliable local reporting has never been greater.
Put a value on the impact of our year-round coverage. Help us continue to highlight LA stories, hold the powerful accountable, and amplify community voices. Your support keeps our reporting free for all to use. Stand with us today.If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily morning newsletter, How To LA. Every weekday, you'll get fresh, community-driven stories that catch you up with our independent local news.’s uncle – an officer in the South Vietnamese Army – was taken before his village and executed. After the city fell on April 30, 1975, the communists put Nguyen’s father and mother in jail. Their “crime?” They got caught trying to escape the country.Both Nguyen and Ta eventually made it to California with their families. She became a California state senator and he became a member of the Assembly. The Republicans represent Orange County districts home to the Forty-nine years after the Fall of Saigon, April 30 remains a solemn day for Nguyen and Ta as it is for many of 2.3 million Vietnamese-Americans in the U.S. They call it Black April.To many Vietnam veterans and refugees, Fonda more than earned her pejorative nickname “Hanoi Jane” when she traveled to North Vietnam during the war, was interviewed for communist radio broadcasts and had photos taken with North Vietnamese Army soldiers and their anti-aircraft guns. On Thursday, the Los Angeles County Supervisors announced they would change the date to another in April during Earth Month “out of respect for the community voices who have spoken up.” The decision to honor Fonda on such a solemn day for Vietnamese Americans wasn’t intentional, said Constance Farrell, a spokesperson for Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who chairs the Los Angeles County board. Rather, Farrell said that date was chosen because it fell on a scheduled meeting where board members routinely issue proclamations honoring people and organizations.of Elk Grove, wrote a letter last week signed by nearly every Republican Assemblymember urging the L.A. County supervisors to rescind the proclamation. “This honor for Ms. Fonda is an affront to the service and sacrifice of American and South Vietnamese soldiers who gave everything in the cause of freedom,” their letter said. Stephanie Nguyen, a daughter of Vietnamese refugees who grew up in Sacramento’s Little Saigon neighborhood, didn’t respond to CalMatters’ interview requests.with the anti-aircraft guns that may have been used to shoot down American pilots, saying she never intended to appear to be against American troops, merely against the war. Ta and Janet Nguyen said they were relieved the board chose to change the date honoring Fonda, but they said it was nonetheless frustrating how easily the leaders of the state’s most populated county forgot the shared experience of Vietnamese-Americans families that escaped an oppressive communist regime. There are “I was really, really upset because is a really sad day for almost every Vietnamese American here,” said Ta,Janet Nguyen was dressed in black when she attended Black April services in her district. When she learned of the Los Angeles County supervisors’ decision, she said she quickly began calling and urging them to reconsider. “I pleaded to them that, you know, if you’re not going to rescind that, you at least change the date,” Nguyen said. “April 30 is not the day.” She said she’d prefer the supervisors pick a day that wasn’t in April.It’s not the first time California’s Vietnamese-American community has pressured politicians to rescind measures that Vietnamese Americans found offensive. In 2017, then-Assemblymember Rob Bonta authored legislation that would have repealed a 1953 law that allows California governments to fire communists. State Sen. Janet Nguyen, a Huntington Beach Republican, votes during session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Aug. 30, 2022.“Through my conversations with veterans and members of the Vietnamese American community, I heard compelling stories of how AB 22 caused real distress and hurt for proud and honorable people,” Bonta. But before she leaves the Senate at the end of the year, she’s made it a point to introduce anti-communism measures in a state known for its leftist politics. She introduced a resolution declaring Nov. 7 “Victims of Communism Day, in memory of the 100 million people who have fallen victim to communist regimes across the world.”that would allow a nonprofit organization to construct a memorial to the victims of communism on the state Capitol grounds. It passed the Senate in April. Neither measure had any opposition. “Vietnamese refugees coming here, we treasure democracy and freedom,” she told CalMatters. “And we treasure our voice. And so we don’t want anybody to have to live through what we’ve lived through.”After San Gabriel's city council rejected the proposal as"too narrow", one city councilmember argued the entire DEI commission, created in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, had"run its course."Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian has yet to schedule a meeting to discuss ethics reforms — more than a year-and-a-half after they were first proposed.LA's Progressive DA Is In A Fight To Keep His Job — Why That May Turn Into A National Throwdown Incumbent George Gascón faces a more conservative challenger, Nathan Hochman, on the November ballot. The race could drive passions and fundraising on the part of advocates for more reforms and backers of law and order policies.Deadline Is Blown To Account For Millions OC Supervisor Sent To His Daughter’s Group. What Happens Next? Supervisor Andrew Do directed millions to the group, which was supposed to go toward feeding needy residents. “If they can’t prove then they should pay the money back,” Supervisor Katrina Foley told LAist.Under Pressure To Account For Millions From Taxpayers, OC Nonprofit Announced It Was Shutting Down Orange County officials say they are scrambling to understand what’s happening at a county-funded nonprofit led by O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do’s 22 year-old daughter. The county says the group has failed to account for millions in taxpayer dollars.As the March 5 primary draws closer, many of us have yet to vote and are looking for some help. We hope you start with our Voter Game Plan. Since we don't do recommendations, we've also put together a list of other popular voting guides.OC Officials Say Millions Meant To Feed Vulnerable Residents Are Unaccounted ForHow One Man In A Canoe Found Beauty In The Troubled Salton Sea OC Supervisor Testified Without Disclosing His Wife Is The Assistant Presiding Judge. It Led To A Mistrial
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