Bush Is Expected to Visit County on June 16

Although White House officials are not confirming it yet, leaders of the county’s Asian-American community say they are preparing for a visit from President Bush when he comes to Southern California in two weeks.

The leaders said Friday that they received a letter from Sichan A. Siv, an aide to the President, confirming that Bush would visit with the “Asian/Pacific-American Community” on June 16.

Siv was in Southern California on Friday making arrangements for Bush’s visit, said Elizabeth Szu of Rancho Palos Verdes, an event organizer, who said she spent the day with him. Szu, founder of the Chinese-American Assn. of Southern California, said no final decision on a location for the visit will be made until Sunday, when local organizers meet with an advance team from the White House. But, she said, organizers and Siv are talking about having a rally at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley.

Robert L. Richardson, an aide to Supervisor Roger R. Stanton, said, “If the White House advance team doesn’t show, then I guess we’ll know it’s off. But right now we’re counting on the President coming.”

Stanton’s aides met Thursday with officials of Mile Square Park to coordinate arrangements and have asked for security help from the Sheriff’s Department, Richardson said.

Ronald Reagan held a rally at Mile Square Park when he first ran for President, and then-President Gerald R. Ford spoke there once.

“It’s an ideal location, with plenty of room,” said Henry Yee of Huntington Beach, one of the rally organizers.

The White House has so far announced only that Bush will spend three days in Southern California.

Local Asian-American leaders say that while they have invited Bush in the past, this visit is the White House’s idea.

“The White House called last month and wanted to organize a visit in May, to go along with the President naming May as Asian/Pacific-American Heritage Month,” said Ky Ngo, chairman of the Vietnamese-American Political Action Committee for Orange County.

“But the President had to change his plans,” he said, “so the White House asked us to do it in June.”

Yee and Ngo said they expect at least 40,000 people from the Asian community to show up “to honor our President.”