BILL ANALYSIS
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Date of Hearing: June 14, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
SCR 89 (Correa) - As Amended: April 7, 2010
SENATE VOTE : 32-0
SUBJECT : State Route 22
SUMMARY : Designates the Beach Boulevard Interchange in State
Route (SR) 22, in the County of Orange, as the Nguyen Ngoc Phu
Human Rights Memorial Interchange. Specifically, this bill :
1)Recounts the life and career of Nguyen Ngoc Phu, a community
activist who has committed himself to helping the Vietnamese
American community by becoming involved in and leading student
organizations to honor the Vietnamese culture and to
celebrate, defend, and press for freedom both here and in
Vietnam.
2)Designates the Beach Boulevard (SR 39) interchange on SR 22 as
the Nguyen Ngoc Phu Human Rights Memorial Interchange.
3)Requests the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to
determine the cost of appropriate signs, consistent with the
signing requirements for the state highway system, showing
this special designation and, upon receiving donations from
nonstate sources sufficient to cover the cost, to erect those
signs.
EXISTING LAW : Assigns Caltrans the responsibility to operate
and maintain state highways. This includes the installation and
maintenance of highway signs.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This bill was withdrawn from the
Senate Appropriations Committee pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
COMMENTS : Phu Ngoc Nguyen was born into challenging
circumstances in Vietnam on November 27, 1983. His father
served as a South Vietnamese military police officer and
suffered as a prisoner in a concentration camp for seven years.
His mother struggled every day to support her family in Vietnam.
In 1991, his family seized the opportunity to make a new life
for itself when the United States welcomed Vietnamese veterans
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who fought alongside American forces in South Vietnam through
the Orderly Departure Program. The family settled in Santa Ana,
California and became part of the growing Vietnamese American
community in Orange County.
In 2001, Phu Ngoc Nguyen returned to visit Vietnam and witnessed
the abject poverty challenging the daily lives of the Vietnamese
people. Drawing strength from that experience, Phu Ngoc Nguyen
committed himself to helping the Vietnamese American community
by becoming involved in and leading student organizations to
honor Vietnamese culture and to celebrate, defend, and press for
freedom in both the United States and Vietnam.
His work within the community was extraordinary, the examples of
his service numerous. In 2002, Phu Ngoc Nguyen organized a
two-day hunger strike to protest human rights and religious
freedom violations in Vietnam. Phu Ngoc Nguyen served in 2003
as a lead organizer of the International Vietnamese Youth
Conference, an event that highlighted human rights, social
justice, and community service.
Phu Ngoc Nguyen served as chair of the Orange County Human
Rights Night on International Human Rights Day in 2004 and, as
chair of the Tet Festival in Garden Grove, California in 2005,
he mobilized over 700 students and 50 organizations to
participate in an event that drew tens of thousands of people.
He reached out to young Vietnamese Americans by hosting a weekly
radio program entitled "Tieng Noi Sing Vien" (Student Voice) on
Sai Gon Radio Hai Ngoai (Saigon Radio Overseas).
Phu Ngoc Nguyen died unexpectedly from heart failure on June 7,
2005. He was just 21 years old. His life serves as an example
of how one young person can have a positive impact on those
around him and his community. This resolution seeks to
recognize his service, accomplishments, and spirit.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Acacia Adult Day Services
Association of Vietnamese Language and Culture Schools of
Southern CA
Coalition of the Republic of Vietnam Veteran Assoc. in Southern
California
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Joint Action Committee for Fatherland's Integrity
Tri Ta, Councilman, City of Westminster
Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California
Viet Bao Daily News
Vietnamese American Community of Southern California
Vietnamese Buddhist Youth Assoc. in the United States at Dieu
Ngu Temple
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Howard Posner / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093