Little Saigon Might be Over for Now, But it Stills Pulls My Family Apart
Story By Thuy Ngo // Photos by Kiza

 
San Jose, CA~ Our council woman, Madison Nguyen, has been in deep trouble because the issue of not voting for a section of Story Road and King Road in San Jose into Little Saigon, but instead suggested the change to be Saigon Business District. The issue has caused great numbers of different generations of Vietnamese coming to picket outside of the City Hall. A local resident, Ly Tong, a war legend from Vietnam, has been on a hunger strike since February. In March he stopped drinking water. He states he will not stop until the name of that section in town has been changed. He has recently stopped drinking water in addition to the hunger strike, to hasten his demise, least the hunger strike does not follow through.
 
The City Council has gotten together to re-vote, and has agreed on rejecting the wants of the protestors by not using the name Little Saigon. This has been one of the biggest reactions the Vietnamese community has taken on any given issue, especially for the older generation. The Vietnamese community is threatening to recall Madison if the section is not named Little Saigon.

Recently, the debate has ended, and private signs signifying Little Saigon has been made. It has been agreed that they will have those exact words “Little Saigon.” The community protestors are still sending in votes for Little Saigon and to recall Madison. Ly Tong was sent to the San Jose Regional MedicalCenter after a fainting spell just before 6pm on March 13th.

This issue has made my mom and I turn on each other and fight against one another for the opposite sides. My mom is for recalling Madison and the name of Little Saigon. She says, “Madison lied and broke the law. She should have voted for what the people wanted because she is supposed to be for the people.” For my mom, the name states a certain amount of commemoration to the suffering the Vietnamese people went through to get to the States. The name is also something signifying a statement against the Communists, against Ho Chi Minh, since the city that was once called Saigon is now called Ho Chi Minh City. Most of the Vietnamese diaspora still calls Ho Chi   Minh City Saigon for that reason.

As for myself, I can only go half way with my mom with the issue. I do not entirely support the recall of Madison nor do I feel passionate about the name Little Saigon, but I feel there would have been great injustice of Ly Tong was left to die. Here is someone practicing his right of free speech to fight for something that he believes in. I still do not understand the ideas behind Little Saigon on the side of the protestors, since I do not see simply changing a name of a street would make the streets any safer or the living any better. I can identify with the sense of pride of being able to make the mark of what was good in the times of my mom's life to be in San Jose today.
 
I have never seen my mom   or so much of the Vietnamese community in San Jose so passionate about any political issue, not even the murder of Tran Cau Thi Bich by a police officer, also in San Jose. My mom's friends were just as riled as she was. They were going around having each other sign post cards to recall Madison and to vote for the naming of Little Saigon. Usually, most issues in the Vietnamese community are not so fully blown as this. If only there was this much attention when it came to gang violence or fighting injustices in the community such as health care or mental health issues in the community. There are just so many issues to address and of all the issues, I cannot get over the strangeness of this sudden great enthusiasm. If only this enthusiasm was for other issues.

 
I have mixed feelings about the whole ordeal. I do not know whether to feel pride that our community is finally voicing their passion for something they believe in or disappointment because of the reasoning behind the issues. My mom is still trying to convince me to vote to recall Madison, and I still refuse. All I can see is that the differences between the name is that Little Saigon is catchier than Saigon Business District. I see no point in having a council woman resign for that being there is bigger fish to fry. I can only imagine what lays in store for our youth and what trouble we will be named for if we are penalized over a name compared to fixing our futures.
 

 

Here's another related story by the same writter:

San Jose City Council Woman vs. Little Saigon
A Young Vietnamese Woman's Take on Madison Nguyen
Story by Thuy Ngo