Lan Quoc Nguyen, the Vice-President of Board of the Garden Grove Unified School District, in an interview published on a Vietnamese newspaper proclaimed that other ethnicities are wary of classes with a lot of Asian students in it because they can’t compete.
Nguyen, on the School Board since 2002 (pictured), was escorting Trisha Tran, the newly installed principal of Murdy Elementary on a tour of Vietnamese-language newspapers last week. Tran is not the first Viet school principal in the country, but she is the first Viet school principal in Bolsavikland.
At Nguoi Viet Daily News, where the Bolsavik works, they sat down with one of the paper’s top reporters and had a Q&A, which was then printed verbatim on the paper.
Halfway through talking with Principal Tran, the reporter turned to Nguyen and asked (see online text here):
Q: Some people think that children going to schools with a lot of Vietnamese-American students will not be as good as going to schools of mostly native white students. Is that a misplaced prejudice?
Lan Quoc Nguyen: My experience shows that that thought is not correct. The proof is, students from other ethnicities really [fear and respect] / [revere and respect] Asian students, including Vietnamese students; and they think that in a class with too many Asian students they won’t be able to compete….
Now, this is not the first time the Bolsavik has heard this kind of talk. Mostly from Asian parents, though - the Bolsavik hasn’t heard this from a non-Asian, or from an Asian student. Just the Asian parents.
But this must be the first time a School Board official openly says this.
Wonder if this is true, or to what extent….
@ Country First:
We both share the same thoughts but addressing different points of a person’s life. What I wrote had to do with reaching the destination, whereas your perspective is along the line of what to do when you get there.
This is where a successful engineer could participate and provide pointers of being ahead of the curve, not behind it. I am no expert in professional career development nor an engineer.
If Viets want to succeed in today’s tight market, we need to integrate ourselve and absorb the American culture from an enlightened manner, not fall the usual BS logic that if I am not white; therefore I am not American. That’s a perspective of an ignorant fool.
It is also important that Viets understand American history, so when we speak we have a point of reference, so the rest of society can follow. Going back to the VN War and culture to drive home any point is downright foolish because they are not VNmese.
Lastly, if Viets want to succeed, then we need to move to where the job market is. If there is a glut of engineers in the Bay Area, then try looking in a geographic area with a high demand for engineers. Also, join professional organizations to further one’s opportunities. Most importantly, exposure to opportunities enlarges one’s future prospect.
Let me recount an excellent story…there was this one individual who was more stupid than a doorknob. However, he had the guts to rub elbows with senior managers. These executives were as clueless as wallpaper.
This individual would include himself in all high power meetings and would do two things 1) state his name loudly and clearly and 2) say something that sounded intelligent. Since the senior managers were inept and apathetic about their company, they would hire people whom they could hide behind. They could not hire top-flight individuals because these people would pose a threat, so numbskulls and brainless ass-kissers were the usual hires.
Fortunately for the lot is that the company was in a growing field, so revenues kept pouring in. All the senior executives care for was 1) could I find a better job at the moment and 2) if the economic tide washes this company away, how the hell could the get the f out with a good compensation package. Oh yeah, all red-blooded white Americans so can’t blame the hispanics, blacks, or foreigners on this.
This individual kept playing this game until he got to the very apex of power and guess what? Once in power, he hired the very best technically who lacked the business acumen to remove him but carry out his job effectively, so he could move up even higher.
So, to your observation, what you are talking about is politicking, and this is another animal all together. People should look around and learn how the game is played and play accordingly. For all we know shifting jobs to another land is a fad until some one with half a brain realizes that it is all a game, and the people on the bottom are all pawns.
If I were successful at it, I would be writing a book and living large…
“Note; Tien Huynh is not a viet
I know this dude.”
Jung Kim,
Please provide proof to support your claim.
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Although Lan Quoc Nguyen seems cranky at times, he is literate in both Vietnamese and English – a rarity among “the gang of seven”. Unlike the perpetual-running-and-losing Trung Nguyen, he has his ass glued to the school board and recently a recipient of “Song Vang” award in recognition of his contribution to the Viet community.
But on this subject, he is a fraud because he can’t speak for all Viet students. It is a gross simplification that is not accurate. Not all of Viet students are school Valedictorians, end up in Ivy-League colleges, or even graduate (who cares about the percentage).
We are unreliable narrators of our stories, in which our egos have the better of the facts. We extrapolate from few successful stories to a supreme truth stereotype. We sound like Asian supremacists of some sort, if we insist that it was our fish sauce that made us so good. What Viet students do is generic rather than genetic. Any student who sets his/her mind to study and finds good friends, families, teachers, and positive feedback can do what Viet students do. And so we should not settle on a slogan at a high level of generalization and a low level of meaning, bringing the risk that could make Viet students a wedge group that divides rather than unites, and Viet academic success as a race relation failure.
In Stockton, California, in 1989, Patrick Purdy took a semiautomatic rifle, went to the elementary school he had once attended, and opened fire purposefully aimed at a crowd of Vietnamese children. He had expressed his animus toward Asians and his fear (not revere) that the country would be taken over by immigrants.
And with the incidence at Yale campus, education should be a means to an end rather than an end in itself.
Jung Kim opined:
“Note; Tien Huynh is not a viet
I know this dude.”
No, he sounds like a rather intelligent AMERICAN. Are YOU an American, Jung Kim? And stop being mean to Mrs Bo May. She has the right to voice her opinion as much as any other American. People DIED so she and all of proud Americans can experience free speech.
One aim of education is to debunk the myths. Is genetic supremacy a myth? Is Aryan super race a myth? Yes, history and modern knowledge have shown they are myths. By the same token, is the Viet excellence in education a myth? Please set aside emotion and self pride, and observe and think for yourself.
@ Tien Huynh;
There was no myth and it was never about race supremacy question here. Please do not confuse the issue.
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jphmedia, what are you talking about?
Evidently you are suffering from a bad head injury.
I agree with Lan.
Go Lan!
Go hard working Viet kids!
Not all Asian kids are smart …..but we know most of them will do fine in the education institutions. And we are proud of them!
Jung Kim: Are you questioning my patriotism? I simply stated that as Americans, we cherish the right forindividuals to speak freely. Obviously you have alternative political viewpoints, which I also will defend.
I,, for one, reject political belief systems that force everyone to follow one single point ofview, often selected by a central committee, or a politburo.
Apparently, you feel differently. I can’t quite recall the NAME of the political persuasion you seem beholden to, but I believe it is still used in a few backward countries around the globe…
In the mean time, rest assured, I do not suffer from a ‘bad head injury’. Rather, I enjoy uncovering the more seditious members of our community for public ridicule. While you are an obvious target, I refuse to fight a war of wits with an unarmed person.
Good day, Miss Jung.
@ Howard Jones and all your looney name handles:
We are getting tired of your endless fairy tales and supposed fables. Your act is getting old and heavy handed. Did the administrator at Bolsavik die and handed you free reign to blog in whatever fanciful stories you can cook up?
Bolsavik should limit the number of words per entry and number of entries of repeated bloggers per day. It looks like this kook has no life, and we sure as hell don’t want to know about it. So, if you have anything to say Howard Jones that is longer than 50 words, scrawl it on the padded walls of your room!
Got it?!!!!
PS, it is about the time for a story on T & A.
XYZ,
It’s you spouting off non-sense again. You are an idiot.
Of course Lan Nguyen can speak for ALL students, of which Viet strudents are members of HIS School District. Last time I checked, Lan Nguyen was elected by the entire GG District constituency.
You are the fraud, not Lan Nguyen. But clearly, you are an idiot.
<<>>
When one ethnic group is implied as superior than other ethnic groups in terms of intelligence, education, ability, etc., there arises an issue of racism, isn’t it? Is Mr. Lan Nguyen’s so-called proof only his perception, and not fact? And is racial superiority regarding education a fact or a myth?
Tien Huynh,
Just look at the report cards and graduation rate at the school district. Family support, discipline, and respect for education are all values Vietnamese believe in for hundreds of years Blame it on Confucious, old man. That’s not racism. It’s a fact.
Tien Huynh,
If I say that African Americans are better basketball players than the Vietnamese, is that racism to you, or is it an undisputed fact? Don’t get so sensitive. Life’s not fair.
@Samba Pa Ti:
Ok, my son, another wonderful story of your wonderful white management:
This organization had recently been taken over by new owners, and the owners decided to keep the current management at corporate intact to assist in the transition and future oversight. One corporate officer recommended his protoge to serve as an officer at the local office.
The owners went along. The new officer (protoge) arrived at the local office and stated boldly that he wanted to make CEO in the shortest amount of time and he would be cleaning house and whip everyone into shape. Everyone was exuberant because the office finally gets a senior member who knows what he is doing. Hoo Hoo Hooray!
The first thing he does on his first day on the job is delegate all duties to his subordinates, everything from making key decisions to wiping his ass. Anybody who raised any issue regarding the office received verbal abuse.
So, what else did he do, jacked up the numbers and embellished big time on the financial reports. The mofo straight faced lied to everyone until a hispanic guy spoke up. Unfortunately, the owners did not have a good handle on accounting and finance.
What did the white guy do next? He tried getting another white manager to ax the hispanic guy, but the second white guy knew that this was completely wrong and told the hispanic guy what went down.
The officer/CEO in training knew well enough that the owners could not fire him so quickly due to labor laws, so as long as he dances quickly and finds another job, he would prolong his employment that much longer. The funniest thing was he kept boasting how he is from Texas.
That, my Viets and non-Viets, are the aholes we depend for guidance. Unless you are into taking white d–ks up the arse, you better look over your shoulder at work and play the game, else they’ll expel you like a used t-mp-n.
Life the free world…and remember that any d–che bag who makes reference to his origin of birth or childhood, religion, education, or anything, watch your back because that mofo is about to give you the axe or screw you over.
jphmedia, you sound like a wannabe public office holder.
Yes jealousy is your prime motivating factor but remember… loser is always a loser. Go ask Arturo.
http://newsantaana.com/2009/10/02/can-latino-and-vietnamese-students-get-along/
jung kim la thang ngu
j k la thang ngu nhat trong day
Viets in Bolsaland :
“Ếch ngồi đáy giếng (dừng có) coi trời bằng vung”
I don’t know what it is with Asians and their incessant racism against other people. So many of them seem to have no concept of equality. I spent a few years in Asia. In these countries nothing works, nothing is done properly, its a constant mayhem, lack of order, unclean, unethical – sort of the same problems they give here. So clearly any form of superiority is non-existent and only exist in their own mind. But, never have I come across a people so convinced that they are the most intelligent creation on earth as asians. Indians, – who barely can manage to solve basic civic problems we have enjoyed for how many centuries now – are dead convinced of their own superiority to such degree its becoming laughable and a joke. Chinese the same. Vietnamese, Koreans, Taiwaneese – you name it – all imagine they are brighter and better than anyone else. The only people I never find carping on these contexts are the caucatian Europeans, Canadians and Australians.
Maybe true lack of progress takes place when people are too steeped in denial.
Hmm… This idea of Asian superiority is all new to me. Never heard of anyone being ‘afraid’ of Asians as competition of any sort. Sometimes there seem to be a prominent lack of ethics from this community, which concern people, but never anything else.
I guess it means Asians, in spite of assumed superiority, cannot drive a car since they are so infamous for being poor and reckless drivers. How does that all go together? Driving doesn’t exactly demand high intelligence…
There is No idea of Asian superiority per se…. but we do have a great pride in our tradition and culture which incorporates education as one of the most important core value/foundation in raising our kids.
This was in fact …. a positive statement from Lan. It’s just that Mexican Art Pedroza /Arab Tien have been too sensitive by taking it in a wrong way/context.
Again Bolsavik is doing a wonderful job with his keen penmanship in transforming this non-controversial statement into a hot topic for those with fragile nerve system.
Go Bolsavik!
I am proud of Bolsavik ……for being a smart partner in operating this Bolsavik land. Have a nice weekend buddy.
Arab Tien?…He s a towel-head?…Sure?..
Damn….We re gonna ride the racist train now?..
Sonny Tran the diaper- butt……. you know nothing.
I know that i know nothing, that s why i ask what you know that i don t know if you really know what nobody knows?..And if you don t know the you-know-what, then just don t act like you know…And let me know if you know what i dont know how to let you know what i wanna tell ya?..Easy now?.. You know?.
@Miss Garden Grove: ‘Life ain’t fair and for some stupid people you just can’t teach’… (Louis Armstrong).
@Tien Huynh: Trying to debunk a myth (viet student are smart) by citing a BAD record (40% dropout rate) is just as …..(you fill in the blank)…
@Bo May: Louis Armstrong can say anything he wants, because he’s a jazz player, not a teacher.
It is wrong for anyone in the teaching profession, let alone a School Board member, to say that some students are too stupid to be taught. It is especially wrong for a School Board member to paint all non-Asian races as stupid.
@Gary; I stand corrected.
I agreed, Mr. Lan is way over his line in saying something like that.
Having said that I agree with you that boasting the Viet academic prowess in school in an off color statement like that is just as careless and it is a total disrespect to all races, Viet included.
@Howard Jones:
How do you explain passive token hires like women and minorities? I do not see them as beacon of change. Everything being the same, why change the system? For every example you cite about white male incompetent managers, I can cite of the other case.
Has affirmative action accomplished anything besides hiring incompetent people who are just as biased as the people they replace?
Hey Gary face, when did Lan said such thing as “some students are too stupid to be taught”? Stop telling lie!
Lan said instead… some students are afraid to be in a asian majority classes because asian students are perceived as too smart/too dedicated to compete against.
And I agree with his personal observation. Go ask students!
It seems as though women and minorities who have been put in mangerial positions in the early years around the time of affirmative action fit the bill of token quota hires. They hired other women and minorities and retaliated against white males…
Don’t forget that these token hires who were hired for this reason may fit the minority and female quota but lack the sophistication to improve the workplace or fear the people above them who are still white males to affect change.
So really, blaming poor white mangement skills or non-white inaction becomes an issue of poor management altogether and should be addressed universally, so we can better utilize human capital.
Mr. Lan Q. Nguyen made fun when wearing Viet traditional Ao Dai as shown – He really looks like a clown – Shame on him !
Lan Dao/USC
I like straight shooter like Mr. Lan Nguyen…… he has a good heart for all kids attending his district and I know he wants all students to be successful.
@Miss Garden Grove
“If I say that African Americans are better basketball players than the Vietnamese, is that racism to you, or is it an undisputed fact? Don’t get so sensitive. Life’s not fair. “
That is not a fact. Give me an average African American who was not train well in basketball, I bet any Vietnamese American, who has played basketball for 15 years and is in a college team, can win that African American easily in basketball.
@Jung Kim
“Lan said instead… some students are afraid to be in a asian majority classes because asian students are perceived as too smart/too dedicated to compete against.”
This is just an imagination. President Obama can challenge any Asian in a law school class or public policy class.
@ Bo May
“@Tien Huynh: Trying to debunk a myth (viet student are smart) by citing a BAD record (40% dropout rate) is just as …..(you fill in the blank)…”
Forget that 40% rate which was just for Viet students in Santa Clara County a very long time ago. Let’s go with Xu’ source. Dropout rate for Chinese is 5%, Viet 9%, White 10%, Black 18%. Of course, these are facts. Should we imply that Chinese students are more intelligent than Viet students and Viet students are more intelligent than White and Black? when people imply that Chinese or Vietnamese students are more intelligent than other ethnic students, then the implication is just a myth. Mr. Bill Gates and President Obama can challenge any average Chinese/Vietnamese student in any class.
Lan Dao,
You give all people with the name “Lan” a bad name. You are also a moron to be associated with “USC”.
@ Tien Huynh;
This debate has often been called the ‘nature-nurture’ debate.
Would any kids perform well in school if he/she surrounded with good parent and raised with strong moral. work ethic? The answer is yes.
Hence the glass ceiling for most Viet engineers in the corporation.
That would take another lengthy debate….and I like to refrain myself from getting side track.
Again speaking with reason and apply the average rule:
Any kids will lean onto an idol image that they could identify with, black kids love Micheal Jordan and want to become one and not all black kids, so …I know some Viet kids can play basket ball better than some black kids, but on the average, the better odd a black kids play better than a viet kid on the court is the fact no one can deny. And vice versa…a viet kid can do better math…Just on the average, mind you?
Whereas some viet kids would excel after school and become a president or a computer genius, that would take another nurture environment condition in which they are not primed for and their parents do not have a clue.
Tien, what is going on with your brain? The imagination you are talking about can not explain Asian’s high UC enrollment rate versus black student’s number. You should not continue to lean on Uncle Obama…he is just a one man and a poor choice in this subject.
Racism made simple:
A large portion of Asian/Viet students are doing very well in school: This is fact. Very true.
“and they think that in a class with too many Asian students they won’t be able to compete….” : This is only imaginary and racist.
Tien dude, this is just a impression that other students have without validation ………like ” white man can’t jump!”
If other kids are afraid of perceived Asian kid’s academical performances …you need to talk/persuade them otherwise.
Certainly Asian kids do not feel this way (about their perceived academical superiority) but it’s other kid……….. and this is not a racism on our part!
Be nice ! Lan Ngố –
Too bad, all my friends said as same as seeing LanQNg like a clown in his colorful ao dai with dark sunglasses – Shame on him as lawyer/educator !
Don’t you know nowaday All The Clown makes GOOD fortune – They sell funny acts/wear costumes anywhere at all occasion for Money & Power !!
but jung kim please remember you are a racist big time. i know you dont see it because you’re ignorant as all racists are but you are a racist. i have to admit that must suck!