On the morning of Friday, January 21, 2021 (December 19, New Year of the Ox), Mr. Jay Chen – the candidate for the 45th Federal Assembly – went to congratulate a number of Vietnamese media outlets in Little Saigon. At Viet Bao’s office, in the traditional Vietnamese ao dai, he said the New Year greeting in fluent Vietnamese, with the correct sound sign “Happy New Year”.
Mr. Jay Chen comes from a family of Taiwanese immigrants. He served in the United States Navy, and is still a Major in reserve. He is currently a trustee of the Mt. San Antonio, and owns a small business. The newly re-divided 45th District is a district that includes cities with large Vietnamese residents: Fountain Valley, Westminster, Garden Grove, Cerritos, Cypress… Vietnamese voters make up about 16% of this district.
When sharing his story with Viet Bao’s representative, Ms. Nina Hoa Binh Le – CEO, journalist Phan Tan Hai, journalist Thanh Huy… Mr. Jay Chen said that a Taiwanese immigrant like him has many points. similarities, so it is easy to sympathize with the Vietnamese community. Both Taiwan and Vietnam are victims of communist dictatorships, so Taiwanese and Vietnamese immigrants came to the US with the desire for freedom and democracy. Both ethnicities have experienced discrimination against Asian residents in the United States. He understands the difficulties that immigrants have to go through when starting to build a new life in the US.
Jay said that starting January 22, he will participate in a two-week training course in the naval reserve, and will exercise with the Japanese navy on the situation against Chinese aggression. He confided that as a soldier, he always put serving the country first, above the interests of the party. In the military, he must work in harmony with other comrades regardless of Republican or Democratic, in the common purpose of defending the United States.
As the owner of a small business, he understands the difficulties that many Vietnamese businesses in the Little Saigon area have to go through, especially during the covid pandemic that has been raging for more than a year. He asked Viet Bao about the government’s support for businesses during the covid season.
Mr. Jay Chen himself graduated from Harvard University, and is still on the interview panel for acceptance into Harvard University. He believes that studiousness and academic excellence are another common characteristic of Taiwanese and Vietnamese people. As a community college trustee, he understands the challenges students face in completing their college degrees.
Through Viet Bao, Mr. Jay Chen also sent New Year wishes to the Vietnamese community for a happy, united and strong New Year. He hopes to have the support of the community so that he can become a representative in the US Congress. He believes that with his experience as an immigrant, a military man, an education commissioner, and a businessman, he will be a worthy Federal Representative for Vietnamese voters in the 45th District.
On behalf of Viet Bao, Ms. Hoa Binh thanked his New Year wishes for the editorial office and the Vietnamese community. She wished him luck in the 2022 election season to represent 45th District voters.
