# Tony Lam

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tony_Lam
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tony_Lam.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Lam
> Source revision: 1356471626
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|American politician (born 1936)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2026}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2026}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix          =
| name                      = Tony Lam
| honorific_suffix          =
| native_name               =
| native_name_lang          =
| image                     =
| image_upright             =
| landscape                 =
| alt                       =
| caption                   =
| pronunciation             =
| birth_name                =
| birth_date                = {{Birth date and age|1936|10|04}}
| birth_place               = [Haiphong](/source/Haiphong), French Indochina
| occupation                = Politician
| party                     = [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States))
| spouse                    = Hop Lam
| children                  = 6
| office                    = Member of the [Westminster](/source/Westminster%2C_California) City Council
| term_start                = 1992
| term_end                  = 2002
}}

'''Tony Lam''' (born October 4, 1936) is a Vietnamese American politician. He served three terms as a member of the [Westminster, California](/source/Westminster%2C_California) City Council from 1992 to 2002. Lam was the first Vietnamese American to be elected to political office in the United States.<ref name="Mydans 1992"/><ref name="Do 2025"/><ref name="Galicza 2025"/>

Born and raised in [Northern Vietnam](/source/Northern_Vietnam), he later moved to [South Vietnam](/source/South_Vietnam) after 1954 before ultimately settling in [Little Saigon, Orange County](/source/Little_Saigon%2C_Orange_County) after the [fall of Saigon](/source/fall_of_Saigon). An owner of three restaurants, including Viễn Đông, Lam served as a local community leader before later being elected to city council.

==Biography==
===Early life===
Lam was born on October 4, 1936 in [Haiphong](/source/Haiphong), [Northern Vietnam](/source/Northern_Vietnam).<ref name="Nakanishi 2002">{{cite book |last1=Nakanishi |first1=Don T. |author-link1=Don Nakanishi |title=Distinguished Asian American Political and Governmental Leaders |last2=Wu |first2=Ellen D. |date=November 30, 2002 |publisher=[Greenwood Press](/source/Greenwood_Press) |isbn=1573563250 |location=Westport, Connecticut |pages=92–95 |lccn=2002016957 |ol=5955735W}}</ref> After [Vietnam was partitioned in 1954](/source/1954_Geneva_Conference), Lam moved to [South Vietnam](/source/South_Vietnam).<ref name="Mydans 1992">{{cite news |last=Mydans |first=Seth |date=November 16, 1992 |title=A Vietnamese-American Becomes a Political First |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/16/us/a-vietnamese-american-becomes-a-political-first.html |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |page=11}}</ref><ref name="Do 2025">{{cite web |last=Do |first=Anh |date=April 29, 2025 |title=Tony Lam was an original influencer in Little Saigon |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-04-29/tony-lam-was-an-original-influener-in-little-saigon-and-he-still-is-test |access-date=January 7, 2026 |website=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)}}</ref> He learned English while serving in the [Vietnamese navy](/source/Republic_of_Vietnam_Navy).<ref name="Do 2025"/><ref name="Nakanishi 2002"/> Lam worked for the [USAID](/source/USAID), and later worked as an industrialist, owning construction and processing plants.<ref name="Tran 2002">{{cite web |last=Tran |first=Mai |date=2002-08-09 |title=Westminster's Lam to Retire From Politics |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-aug-09-me-lam9-story.html |access-date=2026-01-07 |website=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)}}</ref> At the age of 28, with his older sibling, Dean, Lam managed Lam Brothers Corp, an independent contractor for the military at [Cam Ranh Bay](/source/Cam_Ranh_Bay).<ref name="Do 2025"/>

===Emigration to the United States===
Shortly before the [fall of Saigon](/source/fall_of_Saigon), Lam spent three months in [Guam](/source/Guam) with his wife and six children, before later being transferred to [Camp Pendleton](/source/Camp_Pendleton).<ref name="Mydans 1992"/><ref name="Do 2025"/> After initially being resettled in Florida, Lam later moved to [Huntington Beach, California](/source/Huntington_Beach%2C_California).<ref name="Do 2025"/><ref name="Nakanishi 2002"/> In the US, Lam initially worked as a service station attendant for ten days, before becoming a supervisor for a shipping company, insurance salesman, immigration consultant, and an advertising executive.<ref name="Mydans 1992"/> Lam and his family purchased their first home in [Westminster](/source/Westminster%2C_California) in 1978. In 1982, Lam became a US citizen.<ref name="Nakanishi 2002"/>

Lam established a life insurance agency and an business importing and exporting goods.<ref name="Do 2025"/> In 1984, he opened Viễn Đông, a Vietnamese restaurant in [Garden Grove](/source/Garden_Grove%2C_California),<ref name="Do 2025"/> which was later sold and closed in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kelsen |first=David |date=July 19, 2016 |title=Vien Dong, Historic Little Saigon Restaurant, Closes |url=https://www.ocweekly.com/vien-dong-historic-little-saigon-restaurant-closes-7351334/ |access-date=2026-01-07 |website=[OC Weekly](/source/OC_Weekly)}}</ref> By 1992, he owned three Vietnamese restaurants in [Little Saigon, Orange County](/source/Little_Saigon%2C_Orange_County).<ref name="Mydans 1992"/><ref name="Tran 2002"/>

==Politics==
In 1982, Lam helped start the Tet Festival in Westminster, California.<ref name="Galicza 2025"/> In 1985, Lam organized a fundraiser for the [1985 Mexico City earthquake](/source/1985_Mexico_City_earthquake). A community leader, he was one of the founders of the Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce (VACOC) and the Vietnamese American [Lions Club](/source/Lions_Clubs_International) in Westminster. As a [law and order](/source/Law_and_order_(politics)) conservative, Lam later joined the Republican Party.<ref name="Do 2025"/> As of 2002, he served as a trustee of the Orange County Community Council and Humana Hospital and was the president of the Orange County VACOC.<ref name="Tran 2002"/>

In 1989, Lam was appointed to serve on the city of Westminster's traffic commission.<ref name="Do 2025"/>

===Westminster City Council===
In 1989, Lam worked with others to host a parade dedicated to honoring the [South Vietnamese Armed Forces](/source/Republic_of_Vietnam_Military_Forces). Westminster City Council member Frank Fry responded, "If you want to be South Vietnamese, go back to South Vietnam." Insulted, Lam ran for city council in response.<ref>{{cite web |last=Mouchard |first=Andre |date=2025-04-28 |title=Little Saigon stands on shoulders of early leaders |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2025/04/28/little-saigon-stands-on-shoulders-of-early-leaders/ |access-date=January 7, 2026 |website=[The Orange County Register](/source/The_Orange_County_Register)}}</ref><ref name="Galicza 2025">{{cite web |last=Galicza |first=Natalia |date=2025-03-14 |title=Saigon has not fallen |url=https://www.deseret.com/the-west/2025/03/13/little-saigon-california-history-and-future/ |access-date=2026-01-07 |website=[Deseret News](/source/Deseret_News)}}</ref>

In 1992, Lam was elected to Westminster City Council with the motto "Tax Fighter, Crime Fighter", becoming the first Vietnamese American to be elected to political office.<ref name="Do 2025"/><ref name="Mydans 1992"/><ref name="Galicza 2025"/> He has been praised for uniting Westminster's Vietnamese population with its other groups.<ref name="Tran 2002"/> He has also been credited with assisting in persuading the state of California in placing Little Saigon freeway signs.<ref name="Tran 2002"/> Lam helped Vietnamese Americans become registered voters and for their children to be registered for schools.<ref name="Galicza 2025"/> He also found black antique French streetlights to line the streets of [Little Saigon, Orange County](/source/Little_Saigon%2C_Orange_County), similar to [South Vietnam](/source/South_Vietnam).<ref name="Galicza 2025"/>

Lam ran for office again in 1994 and 1998, ultimately serving a total of three terms over the span of ten years.<ref name="Galicza 2025"/>

In January 1999, the [Hi-Tek incident](/source/Hi-Tek_incident) occurred; Truong Van Tran placed the communist flag and a photo of [Ho Chi Minh](/source/Ho_Chi_Minh) in his video store, leading to community protests. Westminster officials and the city attorney told him to avoid participating in the protests since neutrality was required to avoid legal action.<ref name="Do 2025"/><ref name="y296">{{cite web |last=Sanchez |first=Rene |title=Days of Rage in Little Saigon |website=The Washington Post |date=1999-03-05 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1999/03/05/days-of-rage-in-little-saigon/873ae936-4132-496d-857b-3cff1a094e16/ |access-date=2026-01-10}}</ref> As a result, his restaurant was picketed for 73 days.<ref name="Do 2025"/><ref name="Galicza 2025"/>

On August 8, 2002, Lam announced his retirement from politics and that he will not seek a fourth term.<ref name="Tran 2002"/>

==Personal life==
In 1960 or 1961, Lam married his wife, Hop Lam.<ref name="Do 2025"/> As of 2002, they had six children and nine grandchildren.<ref name="Tran 2002"/>

==Legacy==
thumb|Entrance sign to Tony Lam Park
In 2022, Park West Park in Westminster was renamed to Tony Lam Park.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brazil |first=Ben |date=2022-05-10 |title=Westminster park renamed after first Vietnamese American elected to public office |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-05-09/westminster-park-renamed-after-first-vietnamese-american-elected-to-public-office |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510033455/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-05-09/westminster-park-renamed-after-first-vietnamese-american-elected-to-public-office |archive-date=2022-05-10 |access-date=2026-01-07 |website=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)}}</ref>

==Electoral history==
{{Election box begin no party no change|title=1992 [Westminster, California](/source/Westminster%2C_California) city council election<ref>{{cite news |title=Final Orange County Election Returns, Municipal Races, Westminster, 1992 |work=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times) |via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com) |date=November 5, 1992 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-final-orange-count/188571003/ |access-date=January 10, 2026}}</ref>}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change
|candidate = Tony Lam
|votes = 6,687
|percentage = 30.8
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Margie L. Rice
|votes = 6,644
|percentage = 30.6
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Loretta A. Walker
|votes = 4,602
|percentage = 21.2
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Helena Rutkowski
|votes = 1,681
|percentage = 7.7
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Jimmy Tong Nguyen
|votes = 1393
|percentage = 6.4
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Norman S. Lawson
|votes = 733
|percentage = 3.4
}}
{{Election box total no party no change
|votes = 21,740
|percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{referendum results
| caption = 1994 [Westminster, California](/source/Westminster%2C_California) city council recall election
| for = 4340
| against = 8137
| turnout        =  
| source         = ''Los Angeles Times''<ref>{{cite news |title=Final California Election Returns, Orange, Westminster |work=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times) |via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com) |date=June 9, 1994 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-final-california-e/188572640/ |access-date=January 10, 2026}}</ref>
}}

{{Election box begin no party no change|title=1994 [Westminster, California](/source/Westminster%2C_California) city council election<ref>{{cite news |title=Final Orange County Election Returns, Municipal Offices, Westminster |work=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times) |via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com) |date=November 10, 1994 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-final-orange-count/188572534/ |access-date=January 10, 2026}}</ref>}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change
|candidate = Margie L. Rice
|votes = 9,974
|percentage = 36.1
}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change
|candidate = Tony Lam
|votes = 8,984
|percentage = 32.5
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Craig Schweisinger
|votes = 8,703
|percentage = 31.4
}}
{{Election box total no party no change
|votes = 27,661
|percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no party no change|title=1998 [Westminster, California](/source/Westminster%2C_California) city council election<ref>{{cite web |title=1998 City Offices and Ballot Measures |website=[Secretary of State of California](/source/Secretary_of_State_of_California) |page=69 |url=https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/county-city-school-district-election-results/city_report_1998.pdf#page=59 <!-- From https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/county-city-school-district-ballot-measure-election-results, 1998, City (PDF) --> |access-date=January 10, 2026}}</ref>}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change
|candidate = Margie L. Rice
|votes = 6,943
|percentage = 22.0
}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change
|candidate = Tony Lam
|votes = 5,978
|percentage = 19.0
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Kermit Marsh
|votes = 5,481
|percentage = 17.4
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Helena Rutkowski
|votes = 3,608
|percentage = 11.4
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Robert Crossley
|votes = 3,518
|percentage = 11.2
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Duoc Tan Nguyen
|votes = 2,602
|percentage = 8.3
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Garth Murrin
|votes = 1,862
|percentage = 5.9
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Dancharles Maka'ena
|votes = 1,538
|percentage = 4.9
}}
{{Election box total no party no change
|votes = 31,530
|percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

==See also==
* [Joseph Cao](/source/Joseph_Cao), first Vietnamese American to serve in Congress
* [Jacqueline Nguyen](/source/Jacqueline_Nguyen), first Vietnamese American federal judge

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lam, Tony}}
Category:1937 births
Category:Vietnamese emigrants to the United States
Category:Living people
Category:People from Westminster, California
Category:California politicians of Vietnamese descent
Category:American city council members of Vietnamese descent

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tony Lam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Lam) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Lam?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.