Little Saigon
Tet Parade Marches On Despite the Rain
By RICHARD CHANG
February 11, 2019
Photo by Scott Smeltzer, Times OC/TCN
Young performers drum during the 20th
Annual Little Saigon Tết Parade in Westminster on Saturday, February 9, 2019.
Rain almost ruined the biggest
Tet parade in the country Feb. 9 in Little Saigon.
But by 9:30 a.m., the
precipitation stopped, the sun came out, floats and convertibles rolled down
Bolsa Avenue, and the marching bands played on.
The seventh annual Little
Saigon Tet Parade, organized by the Vietnamese American Federation of Southern
California, celebrated the lunar new year, which was technically Feb. 5, and
the Year of the Pig. Millions of Asians around the world recognize the lunar
new year, including Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean American communities in
Southern California.
The Asian World Media float is decorated
for the Year of the Pig during the 20th Annual Little Saigon Tet Parade in
Westminster on Saturday, February 9. (Photo by Scott Smeltzer, Times OC/TCN)
For much of the day, Bolsa
Avenue in Westminster was shut down between Magnolia and Bushard streets, as
men and women dressed in ao dai — or traditional, colorful Vietnamese garments
— strolled down the street, waved and greeted each other with “happy new year!”
in English and Vietnamese.
Veterans from the United States
and South Vietnam wore their military uniforms, high schoolers donned their
marching band or color guard outfits, and young people in lion or dragon costumes
snaked and danced down the street.
“Back in Vietnam, it’s a big
holiday,” said Phat Bui, chairman of this year’s Little Saigon Tet Parade. “We
do this to welcome the new year. When we first arrived here, we were humble and
just surviving. We now have settled down. It’s time for us to remember our past
and celebrate the new year.
The 20th Annual Little Saigon Tet Parade takes part in Westminster on Saturday, February 9. (Photo by Scott Smeltzer, Times OC/TCN)
“We celebrate the human rights
we enjoy in the United States,” he continued. “After 43 years of escaping from
atrocities by the Communist government, we now enjoy freedom and human rights
and the opportunity to bring our communities together. We want to show our
heritage, and our success in this community.”
About 98 different
organizations participated in the parade, Bui said. Only a couple of groups
dropped out because of the rain, which poured quite heavily between 7:30 a.m.
and 9 a.m., when the groups were supposed to line up.
Organizers estimated about
13,000 to 15,000 spectators lined the street. That’s less than the 20,000
attendees that typically attend this parade year after year.
People line up along Bolsa Ave. during the
20th Annual Little Saigon Tet Parade in Westminster on Saturday, February
9.(Photo by Scott Smeltzer, Times OC/TCN)
Nonetheless, organizers said
the event was broadcast by more than 20 local TV stations, most of them ethnic
media. Websites such as YouTube and social media sites such as Instagram,
Facebook and Twitter shared the event with tens of millions of viewers in
Vietnam and 3 million Vietnamese worldwide. In 2016, the firm Harsh Tracking
reported 12.8 million impressions related to the Tet Parade.
For Sydney Ly, the first-runner
up princess for the Miss Westminster pageant, Tet and the parade have always
been a family affair.
“For me, Tet has always been a
really happy time in my family,” said Ly, 17, who was born and raised in
Westminster. “The Tet Parade is a really happy way to bring the whole community
together, which I think is super special. You get to see small businesses, big
businesses. It’s a way to really advertise for the city, help the smaller
businesses grow, while also seeing fresh faces and everything Westminster has
to give.”
Ly and the other princesses,
including Miss Westminster Malia Merrill, rode on a float near the end of the
parade and waved to cheering spectators. They threw rolled up, blue tote bags
at eager viewers along the street.
Each Tet Parade has a theme,
and this year the parade celebrated Quang Trung (also known as Nguyen Hue or
Nguyen Quang Binh), the Vietnamese warrior who united his people and defeated
Chinese invaders. This year people in Vietnam and the U.S. are recognizing the
230th anniversary of the Ngoc Hoi-Dong Da victory over Chinese Qing invaders.
A parade participant wears an elaborate
costume during the 20th Annual Little Saigon Tet Parade in Westminster on
Saturday, February 9.(Photo by Scott Smeltzer, Times OC/TCN)
At the same time, organizers
aim to make the Little Saigon Tet Parade a celebration for all area communities
to enjoy and participate in.
“We invited the local Filipino
and Indian communities, and people from Laos, Cambodia and the Latino
community,” said Alan Vo Ford, an organizer and member of the parade’s finance
and float judge committees.
Indeed, Alex Gonzalez, 34,
brought his wife and four kids to watch the event. He and his wife are
originally from Mexico.
“We’re here to celebrate the
new year,” Gonzalez said in Spanish. He works in a local restaurant and lives
in Garden Grove. “It’s entertaining, the kids enjoy it, and it’s beautiful.”
A parade participant holds on to a pig
balloon during the 20th Annual Little Saigon Tet Parade in Westminster on
Saturday, February 9. (Photo by Scott Smeltzer, Times OC/TCN)
Each year, the parade’s
committees raise about $150,000 to support the event. The money comes from
businesses that wish to sponsor the parade and get some exposure in the
process, as well as private donors. Raffle tickets at $15 apiece also help pay
for costs. About $60,000 goes to the city of Westminster’s public works
department, which assists with the logistics of the parade.
This year, the group known as
Viet Rainbow of Orange County, or VROC, which consists primarily of LGBTQ
members, participated in the parade with a solid turnout and a warm reception.
It hasn’t always been that way.
In the second year of the Tet Parade, VROC was not allowed to participate
because of too much “public display of affection,” according to Bui.
“We want this to be a family
friendly event,” the parade chairman said. “We had a discussion, and during the
third year, they were able to come back.” They’ve been back every year since.
Ngoc Anh Ha, 27, a member of
VROC, said “it’s very significant” that the organization is represented every
year. “We’re part of Vietnamese America too,” she said.
For several groups of American
veterans of the Vietnam War, participating in the parade is an important
reminder of sacrifices made decades ago.
War veterans walk in the 20th Annual Little
Saigon Tet Parade in Westminster on Saturday, February 9.(Photo by Scott
Smeltzer, Times OC/TCN)
“When the American Vietnam
veterans came home, they were spit on, they weren’t appreciated,” said Robert
Harrison, 72, a former Marine who fought in the Vietnam War. He’s a member of
the nonprofit service organization, Vietnam Veterans of America. “We find that
the Vietnamese community is embracing us, and it’s nice to be thanked. The
basic Vietnamese people (here) appreciate the Vietnam vet.
“We’re trying to bring together
South Vietnamese and Americans, and different people have opened up to us.”
#phatbuiofficial
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