Lan Nguyen
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Lan Nguyen was born in South Vietnam. He is the first Vietnamese American trustee of Eastside Union High School District, which is one of the largest school districts in Santa Clara County, California.
[edit] Biography
During the Fall of Saigon, his father, a devout anti-communist, was an officer in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), and chose to remain, and defend his nation South Vietnam against the North Vietnamese Army and their Viet Cong agents.
Nguyen's father found out that the communist government of Vietnam wanted to assign him to a reeducation camp. His father made the decision that Nguyen, the oldest son of the family, would escape with him out of Vietnam to the United States for a better future under a democracy. He decided that his wife would remain in Vietnam to care for their three remaining children and he would send for them.
They attempted to escape six times, but their plans failed because the money they paid accomplices to take them out of the country never showed up, and the communist Vietnamese became aware of their plans.
On their seventh attempt, his aunt introduced them to a special contact, saying that were Vietnamese fishermen, and they agreed to hide them in their ship. They arrived in the Philippines and Nguyen and his father made their way to the U.S. Naval Base near Manila. His father petitioned the United States government for political asylum.
In 1984, Nguyen and his father resettled in San Jose, California, and Nguyen attended high school, while his dad worked at a local restaurant.
In 1986, he attended Andrew Hill High School, in San Jose, California.
He attended Evergreen Valley College and graduated with an A.A. degree from Business Administration.
He attended San Jose State University and graduated with a B.A. degree in Business Administration and a minor in Psychology.
He attended John F Kennedy University and earned a M.A. degree program in Clinical Psychology.
Since 1987, he has been a teacher at Queen the Martyr of Vietnamese Mission in San Jose, teaching Vietnamese language and culture.
In 1992, Nguyen's mother, sisters and brother, were sponsored by Nguyen's father to come to the United States.
In 1992, he joined the Board of the Vietnamese American Forum and worked for the Asian American for Community Involvement, Bill Wilson Center, Gardner Family Care Corporation, and VIVO.
In 2000, he founded the Vietnamese American Voter Education Committee.
In 2002, Nguyen was appointed by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisor to the County Mental Health Board.
He is married to Polly Tran, and they have one child named Viet who was born in October 2002.
[edit] Quotes
- "I want my children to be able to grow up later and inherit something that's good in the district"
