There's a good article down in the LA Times on the rise of Vietnamese Americans in politics:
The growing clout of Vietnamese American voters became clear in a 2007 special election when two little-known Vietnamese candidates eclipsed a field of far better-known politicians running for a seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Some political observers saw it as a watershed moment for Orange County, an election that forecast change in a county with a reputation for electing white, wealthy politicians.In June, three Vietnamese candidates campaigned for the same seat.Check out the full article here.
But with political success has come division.
A rift between the county's two highest-ranking Vietnamese politicians -- Assemblyman Van Tran (R-Garden Grove) and Supervisor Janet Nguyen -- has drawn Vietnamese voters into camps. Both are Republicans, mirroring the majority of Vietnamese voters.
