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Lam (Tony) papers
MS.SEA.058
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine
Libraries
Title: Tony Lam papers
Creator:
Lam, Tony C. M.
Identifier/Call Number: MS.SEA.058
Physical Description:
2 Linear Feet
(2 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1965-2008
Language of Material: English and
Vietnamese.
Abstract: This collection is
comprised of the personal and political papers of Tony Lam, a refugee from Southern Vietnam
who influenced Orange County, California for several decades. The collection documents Lam’s
life at Camp Asan refugee camp, his campaigns for Westminster City Council, and his
influence on Orange County’s Vietnamese American community. Materials include pamphlets,
stickers, and other campaign objects, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and photographs.
Physical Description: Materials relating
to Camp Asan are brittle and discolored. Newspaper clippings are brittle throughout box
2.
The collection is open for research.
Property rights reside with the University of California. It is the responsibility of the
researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her
heir for permission to publish where the UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Tony Lam Papers. MS-SEA-058. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries,
Irvine, California. Date accessed.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information
about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder
descriptions, and box/folder locations
Processed by Samantha Noelle Hilton in 2016.
Tony Lam was the first Vietnamese American to be elected to public office in the United
States. In addition to serving as a politician, Lam was a refugee from Vietnam and an
activist who assisted Vietnamese refugees with their settlement in the United States and
helped create an inclusive community for the Vietnamese American community in Orange County,
California.
Before the 1975 fall of Saigon, Tony Lam worked for the U.S. government in Vietnam as both
the assistant director of counterinsurgency at Vietnam’s embassy to the U.S. and as the U.S.
government contractor in Vietnam. Because of his ties to the United States, Lam became a
political target when Communism began to take over Vietnam; Lam, his wife, and six children
fled in 1975. The family lived for a few months in Guam at refugee camp Asan. Lam utilized
his leadership skills by serving as the director of Asan where he oversaw the activities of
60,000 refugees. From Asan, Lam was relocated to Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California
where he assisted over 120,000 refugees transition to life in the United States.
The Lam family settled in the City of Westminster in California. Tony and his brother
established an insurance agency and an immigration consulting firm that assisted fellow
Vietnam refugees by connecting them with local language classes, ensuring that their homes
and businesses were following legal codes, and helping to enroll their children in schools.
Additionally, Lam was a leading force behind the establishment of Westminster’s Little
Saigon district and he further fostered a sense of community by organizing the country’s
first Tet festival in Westminster in 1980.
In 1992, Tony Lam ran for a seat on Westminster City Council; he wanted to make sure the
populous Vietnamese American community was represented in local politics. His campaign was
successful with the backing of the police and housing community and he became the first
Vietnamese American elected to public office. Lam’s early political career was successful
and he was well-received. That changed in 1999 with the Hi-Tek protests. Lam was accused of
being a communist sympathizer and the Vietnamese American community was harshly divided over
the unrest. In 2002, after serving 10 years on City Council, Lam chose not to run for
re-election. Despite the tumultuous end to his career, Lam was recognized in 2005 for his
many contributions to Orange County.
This collection is comprised of the personal and political papers of Tony Lam, a refugee
from Southern Vietnam who influenced Orange County, California for several decades. The
collection documents Lam’s life at Camp Asan refugee camp, his campaigns for Westminster
City Council, and his influence on Orange County’s Vietnamese American community. Materials
include pamphlets, stickers, and other campaign objects, correspondence, newspaper
clippings, and photographs.
The collection is arranged into four series: Political papers, Personal papers, Clippings,
and Visual media
DACS minimum finding aid requirements met.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Orange County (Calif.) -- Politics and government -- 20th century --
Sources
Lam, Tony C. M.