S. F. Little Saigon Seeks Money for New Gates

S.F. Little Saigon Seeks Money for New Gates
By: AsianWeek Staff Report, Aug 14, 2008

SAN FRANCSICO - The Vietnamese American community is trying to raise money to cover the costs of two pillars that went up last month at the intersection of Eddy and Larkin, marking the gateway to Little Saigon.

The total construction cost of the two pillars was $108,000. The city released $76,000 in funds, and the $32,000 balance will be shouldered by the Vietnamese American community, according to Philip Nguyen, executive director of the Southeast Asian Community Center. The center is one of the San Francisco Vietnamese American groups comprising the committee to construct the gate.

A fundraising dinner will take place on August 17 at the Far East Cafe Restaurant in Chinatown.

Nguyen said that hearing a few weeks ago that the project was short of money to pay the contractor upon completion of construction, members of the community advanced the group the money.

“We were so moved and so grateful to them,” Nguyen said. “The best way to show our gratitude towards and our appreciation for their help is to pay them back the sooner the better.”

Nguyen said the project took almost 5 years to complete because of many construction and financial challenges. But that is a comparatively short time considering the long journey Vietnamese residents have taken to establish themselves here.

Many Vietnamese who came to San Francisco after the Vietnam War resided in the Tenderloin because of the low housing cost, but most of the housing was single room occupancy units unsuitable for large families. Large families eventually moved outside of the Tenderloin, with new members moving in, and the Tenderloin was seen by Vietnamese Americans in those early years as a transitional place, according to Nguyen.

In recent years, as new schools and playgrounds were added and businesses created, more Vietnamese moved in and stayed. Today an estimated half of the total Vietnamese population in the city live in the Tenderloin - 8,000 out of 15,000. Most businesses along the Larkin street corridor from Turk to O’Farrell and along the Ellis Street corridor from Hyde to Polk have Vietnamese owners, Nguyen said.

But the community has struggled to gain recognition from the city. They lobbied to be officially designated as Little Saigon as far back as when Art Agnos was mayor in the late 1980s and early 1990s, according to Nguyen. In 2003 Supervisor Chris Daly sponsored a resolution to designate the area along the Larkin street corridor from McAllister to Geary as Little Saigon, and the Board of Supervisors approved it.

“To us, Little Saigon is not only a cultural and commercial center of the city’s Vietnamese American community but, more important, it serves as a reminder of our roots and why we are here,” Nguyen said.

The fundraising event includes a 10-course dinner, entertainment and ballroom style dancing. Tables run from $500 to $2000, while individual tickets are priced from $50 to $200.

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For reservations: Mr. Phu Nguyen at 415-990-9728 or Ms. Hang To at 415-298-3705