A fierce political dispute erupted in San Jose, California’s Vietnamese American community over control of a flag raising ceremony at a local park.

The ceremony has been held monthly at the Viet Heritage Garden, a significant cultural site in Little Saigon.

The East Bay Times reports the conflict began when District 7 Councilmember Bien Doan’s office changed the rules for entering and leaving the garden and replaced the door lock. Ha Trieu, head of the United Vietnamese American Association of Northern California (UVACNC), severely criticized this action, claiming that it undermined the long-standing tradition established by his group in 2021.

Trieu believes that his group was promised indefinite use of the garden for flag-raising ceremonies in 2021. As a Vietnam War veteran who fought for the former Republic of South Vietnam, Trieu says that flag-raising ceremonies, which reflect the values of the United States and the former Republic of Vietnam, have become part of the tradition of the Vietnamese American community.

The recent decision by Doan’s office to reserve the garden for use by other groups on the first Saturday of every month was seen by Trieu as an attempt by Doan to undermine UVACNC’s established rights. Trieu has filed an application with the San Jose City Council to reinstate the previous arrangements, which he believes are essential to maintaining the tradition.

City officials, including Parks Director Jon Cicirelli, responded to the San Jose Spotlight that there was no formal contract guaranteeing exclusive use of the garden and that the changes were made to ensure equitable access for all community groups. They maintained that the garden’s new reservation system was standard procedure and that the changes were necessary due to misuse of the key.

The dispute was exacerbated when Doan’s office accused Trieu of manipulating community influence and preventing other groups from participating in ceremonies. Trieu denied the allegations, calling them baseless and damaging to his reputation.

Amid rising tensions, the San Jose City Council is faced with the task of resolving the issue while
balancing the needs of various community groups. How they resolve this issue will not only
determine the future use of the Vietnamese Heritage Garden but also set a significant
precedent for managing public spaces throughout the city.

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