welcome to little saigon?
by alice lee
If you were to walk down Story Road, a mile-long business strip located in San Jose, you would see Lee’s Sandwiches, Pho Hoa Restaurant, and about 1300 other thriving businesses, most of them run by Vietnamese business owners. Forty years ago, this same street and the surrounding areas were absent of such life. The wave of Vietnamese refugees during the 70’s and 80’s transformed a sketchy neighborhood into a flourishing commercial center with restaurants and a shopping mall. In fact, San Jose is the city with the most Vietnamese residents outside of the country of Vietnam. Considering this, it is no surprise that this district—essentially built by these refugees—has become more than just a place to live for these expatriates.
This location has become a place of refuge, hope, and recuperation from the political turbulence that plagued their first homes. For those whose family members are still in Vietnam, this community’s accomplishments have been a beacon of hope. Though Saigon, the capital of Vietnam, fell and was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in 1975 after the communist takeover, the Vietnamese Americans currently living along Story Road want to celebrate their motherland and build a spirit of hope and restoration.
In this regard, it is understandable to see why there has been a great deal of controversy over the naming of Story Road and its surrounding area. The city distributed an advisory survey to the businesses along Story Road, and of the 117 responses, 44, or 38 percent, of the responses favored “Little Saigon.” Yet Councilwoman Madison Nguyen, who shepherded the project of naming this strip, announced in last year’s November city council meeting that “Saigon Business District,” a choice that only received six votes, would be the official name.
“Saigon Business District to me symbolized neutrality. This is not just for the Vietnamese Americans. The name also has to resonate well with the entire community,” said Nguyen. Unfortunately, the Vietnamese members of the community reacted negatively to the decision. “We came here 32 years ago for political reasons, empty handed. Story Road is like our child. If we cannot name our own child, something is terribly wrong,” said Thuan Nguyen (no relation to Councilwoman Nguyen), a real estate broker and founder of the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce.
To this day, there are still protesters holding signs for a “Little Saigon” name change every Tuesday in front of San Jose City Hall before the 2 p.m. meeting. Ly Tong, a former South Vietnamese air force pilot who led anti-communist leafleting campaigns, said he would sit in front of City Hall and only drink water until the city officials “listen to the voice of the people”.
The negative sentiment felt throughout the Vietnamese community is not simply an issue of choosing one name over another. Their disappointment is on two levels. Firstly, the Vietnamese community supported Nguyen as the first Vietnamese American in California to be publicly voted into office. Of all city officials, the Vietnamese community expected Nguyen, a refugee herself, to share their sentiments regarding the historical and emotional connotations to the name “Little Saigon.” Secondly, in light of the survey’s results, Vietnamese business owners felt that the American system of democracy had failed.
“We came here [America] and learned about the beautiful democracy. Then there was the meeting. How could it be so undemocratic?” said H. G. Nguyen, founder of the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce.
Before Vietnamese business owners charge the San Jose City Council as being “undemocratic,” a clear understanding of the workings of this system must be addressed and clarified. The city’s system of government operates under representational democracy, which means that the majority does not necessarily rule. Considering these facts, the city and Councilwoman Nguyen cannot be legally charged for undemocratic political tactics.
In addition, one should try to understand the position that Councilwoman Nguyen is in. As the first Vietnamese American to be elected to office, she undoubtedly carries a lot of weight for the Vietnamese community in San Jose. But Nguyen is a councilwoman for the city, not just this ethnic community. This would explain her decision to choose the name “Saigon Business District” as a means of not leaving Story Road exclusive to the Vietnamese residents.
Yet Councilwoman Nguyen has received much criticism for her supposed disloyalty to the Vietnamese community. She has faced a certain level of shunning from the Vietnamese, who did not invite her to the annual Tet parade for the Vietnamese New Year in February. They have also made efforts to recall Nguyen, though she is protected by the Santa Clara County Democratic Party’s anti-recall resolution issued in January.
As a result of the community’s lack of support for this new name, Councilwoman Nguyen issued a statement saying that the city will reconsider the name in their March 4 meeting. Nguyen’s willingness to please the members of the community and come to a compromise should not be overlooked. Politics aside, it is interesting to note the development and progression of this naming controversy.
Though it is commendable to see the Vietnamese community uniting to fight for representation, it is also important to know how to pick one’s battles. In the end, the cause of all this controversy is the renaming of a small strip of land.
The community should pause and ask itself if it is really worth $300,000 to place this topic on the ballot to revote for a name change. How detrimental can the name “Saigon Business District” be to the strong spirited Vietnamese expatriates who have thus far worked so hard to successfully build this flourishing business center? A community should be recognized by its spirit and unity, not just by its name. This controversy has already demonstrated the unity and cohesion of the Vietnamese community. Whether they are known to the rest of the world as “Saigon Business District” or “Little Saigon,” then, should be of secondary importance.