Open Letter Condemning Rep. Michelle Steel’s Incendiary Red-Baiting
Little Saigon in California's 45th Congressional District is home to the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam. Many members of the community are refugees who fled the Communist regime in Vietnam after the fall of Saigon in 1975. For them, the fight against Communism is more than just empty rhetoric – it is a deeply personal experience. The trauma and pain that they and their families suffered firsthand is why Michelle Steel’s use of red-baiting rhetoric is so deeply offensive and out of touch with the local Vietnamese community.
What makes Michelle Steel’s rhetoric especially shameful is her repetition of this deceitful language. Despite repeated criticism from the Vietnamese community, this is the second election cycle in a row that she has resorted to inflammatory red-baiting. In 2022 she made red-baiting attacks against her Taiwanese American and U.S. Navy veteran opponent that veered into racism and gross stereotypes. Now, she is rehashing and reusing red-baiting language against Derek Tran, a U.S. Army veteran and the proud son of Vietnamese refugees. It is deeply troubling that Michelle Steel chose to use red-baiting attacks against a member of Orange County’s Vietnamese community, one whose family story is tied to fleeing the Communist regime.
The diverse experiences of our Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities are often marginalized or dismissed. This is why we must stand alongside Orange County’s Vietnamese community in calling out Michelle Steel’s harmful behavior. Community-led protests and rallies have made it clear that Steel’s rhetoric is out of step with the values, culture, and history of Little Saigon:
● TD Media: Protest against Michelle Steel Appropriating the Republic of Vietnam flag in the Election Season
● Nguoi Viet Channel: Citizens of Little Saigon protest Congresswoman Michelle Steel appropriation of the Republic of Vietnam Flag, (The) Labeling of her Opponent (As a Communist)
● Minh Giang- Truc dien TV: Little Saigon Quakes as Protestors rally against Michelle Steel: What do the protesters say?
● Pho Viet Media: Orange County citizens organize to boycott Representative Michelle Steel with what reasoning? (Protesters) Simultaneously Support Candidate Derek Tran
● Pho Viet Media: Dr. Ngo Ba Dinh analyzes why the community is rejecting Michelle Steel, supporting Derek Tran
● Nguoi Viet Daily News: Large numbers of Vietnamese Americans protest Representative Michelle Steel
● Pho Bolsa TV: Protest on Bolsa opposing Representative Michelle Steel
Orange County’s Vietnamese community has categorically denounced Michelle Steel’s red-baiting, and yet she chooses to ignore them. Time and again she has made it clear that she will prioritize her own political gain, even if it requires harming her Vietnamese constituents along the way. We stand united in supporting Derek Tran's historic bid to represent California's 45th District in Congress because he represents all communities, regardless of background. He will unite and uplift our communities, and he will not use race to divide us.
Steel’s indifference does not excuse her behavior. We, the undersigned, call on Michelle Steel to immediately cease distributing her offensive mailers and apologize to Orange County’s Vietnamese community.
Organizations:
ASPIRE PAC
Asian American Action Fund
AAPI Victory Fund
Bel Leong-Hong, DNC AAPI Caucus Chair
Chinese Americans for Harris
Deepa Sharma, CADEM AAPI Caucus Chair
Japanese Americans for Harris
Korean Americans for Harris
Korean Americans for Organizing (KAFO) Fund
PIVOT - The Progressive Vietnamese American Organization
South Asians for Harris
Taiwanese Americans for Harris
Taiwanese Americans for Progress
Vietnamese Americans for Harris