Garden Grove Official’s Apology Satisfies Crowd

Two busloads of Vietnamese Americans crowded into the Garden Grove City Council chambers Tuesday to hear Councilman Harry Krebs make a televised apology for what some had called a bigoted remark.

“Two weeks ago I made a comment that was not becoming of a ... councilman,” Krebs, 78, told the overflow crowd of about 250. “I would like to apologize to the residents, the TV audience and the council. I’ve worked very hard to avoid racial strife, I’ve always been very supportive of the Vietnamese community, [and] I hope people will try not to take advantage of this slip-up.”

Krebs’ offending remark came at a Sept. 13 meeting of the city’s redevelopment agency where, responding to repeated questioning by Councilwoman Janet Nguyen, he said, “I already expressed it very simply -- I can’t do it in Vietnamese.”

The comment drew immediate reaction from Vietnamese American residents, many of whom saw the exchange on cable television. Garden Grove includes part of Little Saigon.

The councilman’s apology on Tuesday, however, was met by immediate applause.

“I’m content,” said Kim Vo, 30. “The comment was really shocking to Asian Americans. It was uncalled for, and it made a lot of people upset.”

Phu Nguyen, president of the Vietnamese American Community of Southern California, later said in an interview that he had opposed a call by some members of his group for Krebs’ resignation. “I felt it wasn’t the way to go,” said Nguyen, who is not related to Janet.

“I don’t feel Harry Krebs is a racist. It was a slip-up, and let’s move on from here.”

Janet Nguyen seemed to agree as she shook her beleaguered colleague’s hand. “I appreciate the comments by Mr. Krebs,” she told the crowd. “It takes a lot of courage to publicly apologize, and I thank him for that. Let’s move on. It was an unfortunate remark -- something we’ve all learned from.”

On the night Krebs made the remark, he tried to apologize twice to Nguyen, a 28-year-old Vietnamese American, but was rebuffed. The councilwoman, who has been in the United States since age 3, is the first woman to serve on the Garden Grove Council in 35 years.

“It was insulting,” she later said of Krebs’ insinuation that she couldn’t understand the language. “I didn’t know I had an English problem. I even speak Vietnamese with an English accent. I’ve received some 40 phone calls and e-mails from Vietnamese residents [as well as] Caucasians and Hispanics. It’s not about me -- it’s about the comment made in public and how he represents the community.”

Krebs, appointed in 2004 to fill the seat vacated when William Dalton was elected mayor, later apologized to her by e-mail.

Nguyen was one of three council members who voted to confirm Krebs’ appointment.