What’s in a Name? Plenty for Chamber
In a move reflecting a desire to break with the past and become more inclusive, a local chamber of commerce has changed its name.
The Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce in Orange County has become the Vietnamese-American Chamber of Commerce in Orange County. The name change represents both a coming of age for the local Vietnamese population and an attempt to broaden the organization’s appeal, said Co D.L. Pham., the chamber’s president.
“Many of us have been here since 1975 and no longer consider ourselves Vietnamese. We’re entering a new era,” he said. “We want to attract more ethnic groups to our town to buy things from our community. We want to reach out to the American people. If we just stay within ourselves, we’re limited.”
As part of its make-over, the chamber has moved its offices a few blocks to the heart of Little Saigon in Westminster. The new officers are in the Cathay Bank building at 9121 Bolsa Ave. The group plans to work with other local minority chamber groups to increase tourism to the area.
The chamber has made increasing trade with Vietnam a priority. “The majority now believe if we open up trade between the U.S. and Vietnam, that would be a very good thing for our community, because we could export to and import from Vietnam,” Pham said.
The Vietnamese-American Chamber has 300 members and holds monthly meetings. For more information, call (714) 892-6928.
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