WESTMINSTER – The Asian Garden Mall and the Cultural Court shopping center that flank Bolsa Avenue have long represented the heart of Orange County’s Vietnamese community.
Soon, motorists turning into either will end up in Saigon.
At least according to the lighted, overhead street signs.
Westminster is changing the green street signs that now say “Asian Garden” and “Cultural Court” to “Saigon.”
The two monument signs in the district – at Bolsa Avenue and Magnolia Street on the west end and at Bolsa Avenue and Ward Street on the east end – will still say, “Little Saigon.”
The switch is to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and celebrate the Vietnamese community’s success since then.
“We want to honor the sacrifices of the millions of South Vietnamese and 58,000 Americans who lost their lives defending freedom,” said Mayor Tri Ta, who along with Councilman Tyler Diep sought the changes.
The mayor added that the signs will better alert people visiting from outside the community that they are in Little Saigon: “People who drive by will instantly recognize Little Saigon, so it promotes tourism.”
Saigon was the capital of the Republic of South Vietnam during the civil war, which pitted the south and American forces against the communist north, until the end of the war in 1975. Saigon is now Ho Chi Minh City.
Replacing the two signs will cost $2,400. Ta and Diep have led a fundraising campaign so there is no cost to taxpayers. The signs are expected to be installed within a month.
Last week, when the new signs were approved, many Vietnamese Americans told the City Council about the symbolic power of swapping out the old signs with the new ones boasting the name of their fallen capital.
“Saigon is always on our hearts and minds,” said Leslie Le, former president of the Vietnamese Community of Southern California. “So this initiative is welcomed by all of us.”
Contact the writer: 714-704-3707 or chaire@ocregister.com
