California state buildings and parks now have the governor's blessing to fly the former flag of South Vietnam during holidays and special occasions.
At an impromptu stop in Little Saigon on Saturday morning, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the long-awaited symbolic measure that gives the yellow flag with three red stripes the state's official recognition.
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From the Los Angeles CBS-TV website:
CBS 2 - KCAL 9 - Los Angeles
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Aug 6, 2006 4:54 pm US/Pacific
South Vietnamese Flag Can Fly On State Buildings
(AP) WESTMINSTER, Calif. State parks and buildings now have the governor's blessing to fly the former flag of South Vietnam on holidays and special occasions.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a largely symbolic measure Saturday that gives the flag the state's official recognition. About 10 states and more than a dozen California cities and counties already have done so.
Most Vietnamese immigrants who live in Orange County's Little Saigon and elsewhere fled their country after the communists' victory and don't accept the country's current red flag.
Westminster Assemblyman Van Tran says Vietnamese leaders have pushed for the traditional flag's recognition for years.
Orange County has about 133,000 of Vietnamese descent, according to 2002 Census data.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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From Louisiana's Daily Comet website:
August 06. 2006 6:15PM
Schwarzenegger: South Vietnamese flag can fly on state buildings
The Associated Press
State parks and buildings now have the governor's blessing to fly the former flag of South Vietnam on holidays and special occasions.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a largely symbolic measure Saturday that gives the flag the state's official recognition. About 10 states and more than a dozen California cities and counties already have done
so.
Most Vietnamese immigrants who live in Orange County's Little Saigon and elsewhere fled their country after the communists' victory and don't accept the country's current red flag.
Vietnamese leaders have pushed for the traditional flag's recognition for years, said Assemblyman Van Tran, R-Westminster.
The move gained momentum last month when Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher, R-Fullerton, who is running for state Senate in the district covering Little Saigon, appealed to the governor for help.
Both Schwarzenegger and Tran endorsed Daucher in her bid.
Among registered Vietnamese-born voters in Orange County, Republicans outnumber Democrats 2-to-1.
Orange County has about 133,000 people of Vietnamese descent, according to 2002 Census data.
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Information from: The Orange County Register,
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Gov. ARNOLD's excellent archived Little Saigon Photo Essay:
http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/photos/3165/
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