Westminster City Council
SUBJECT
Title
Resolution Denouncing the Designation of April 30 as “Jane Fonda Day” by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and Request for Immediate Rescission.
End
publichearing
End
From: Christine Cordon, City Manager
Requested by: Vice Mayor Kimberly Ho;
Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen
Prepared by*: Christine Cordon, City Manager
*Staff reports prepared by staff on behalf of members of the City Council do not reflect the opinions of staff and are generated in collaboration with the requesting council member(s).
____________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Recommendation
Consider the request to denounce the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ designation of April 30 as “Jane Fonda Day” annually, and provide direction to adopt a Resolution entitled, “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WESTMINSTER, CALIFORNIA, DENOUNCING THE DESIGNATION OF APRIL 30 AS ‘JANE FONDA DAY’ BY THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.”
end
BACKGROUND
This item was requested by Vice Mayor Kimberly Ho (District 3) and seconded by Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen.
On April 23, 2024, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the proclaiming of April 30 annually as “Jane Fonda Day” in Los Angeles County.
April 30 is observed as “Black April” in many Vietnamese and Vietnam War veteran communities, and especially in Westminster where the largest population per capita of Vietnamese people outside of Vietnam reside. It is the anniversary day of when the South Vietnamese people fell to communist forces, thus marking the end of the Vietnam War on April 30, 1975.
The Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975 marked the beginning of a difficult period of adjustment under the new communist government. To this day, many Vietnamese people, especially among the Vietnamese diaspora, live with the emotional and physical scars of the refugee and war experience - torn apart from their families, losing their homes and loved ones. Many Vietnam War veterans live with the emotional and physical scars of the battles, harsh conditions, and traumatic experiences.
For many South Vietnamese, especially those who fled Vietnam in the years following the war, April 30 is a day of loss and mourning. It is also a day for communities to come together and honor the approximately 300,000 members of the Army Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and 58,000 members of the United States Armed Forces who lost their lives; approximately 304,000 United States Armed Forces and more than 1,000,000 members of the ARVN were wounded. Military personnel from allies such as South Korea, Australia, Thailand, and New Zealand were also killed or injured.
While another agency’s desire to honor who and what they wish is respected, the selection of April 30 to declare as “Jane Fonda Day” by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is culturally insensitive and historically tone deaf (Attachment 1). Aside from the historical significance of April 30 related to the Vietnam War, Ms. Fonda’s visit to North Vietnam in 1972 resulted in controversial propaganda photography that is still viewed negatively among the Vietnamese community and those who supported the war. Ms. Fonda’s visit to North Vietnam and her subsequent anti-war activism was unpatriotic and contradictory to the spirit of the Vietnam War, which was a fight for democracy, basic human rights, and freedom.
Proclaiming a day in honor of Ms. Fonda on the anniversary of a significant and painful event is dismissive of the experiences and losses of the Vietnamese people and Vietnam War veterans during and after the Vietnam War.
Since the news broke that “Jane Fonda Day” was declared on April 30, multiple members of the Westminster City Council and Vietnamese leaders have been contacted by Vietnamese and veteran community members who are outraged and offended by “Jane Fonda Day.” Southern California is home to the largest Vietnamese diaspora in the world, primarily in Orange County’s “Little Saigon” community in the cities of Westminster, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, and Fountain Valley, and followed by Los Angeles County, which makes the designation of “Jane Fonda Day” on a date that resonates heavily with the Vietnamese population extremely insensitive to the local Vietnamese community.
Therefore, Vice Mayor Ho and Mayor Nguyen are requesting that a resolution (Attachment 2) be adopted to denounce the actions of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in selecting April 30 as “Jane Fonda Day” and to urge them to rescind the designation of “Jane Fonda Day” annually on April 30.
FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed as to form.
CONCLUSION
If the Resolution is adopted, a copy of the Resolution and accompanying cover letter will be transmitted to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Motion from April 23, 2024 Meeting, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for “Jane Fonda Day”
2. Proposed Resolution Denouncing Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
REVIEWED BY
Erin Backs, Finance Director
Christian Bettenhausen, City Attorney
Christine Cordon, City Manager