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Westminster, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2025 - For a community marking the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, there are countless milestones to speak of. Among them is the election of the first Vietnamese American to political office. Tony Lam, outspoken legend, is still thriving at 88. In 1992, he won a seat on the Westminster City Council, serving 10 tumultuous years and becoming a tour guide for the immigrant generations that followed him into "the arena," seeking his blessings and guidance. Along the way, many of the citizens he represented struggled and learned to assimilate into the mainstream. We profile the pioneer against the backdrop of a cultural voting bloc that faced success and scandals, growing into its own power. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Tony Lam was an original influencer in Little Saigon — and he’s still got it

The story of Tony Lam, the first Vietnamese American elected to public office in the U.S., is also the story of Little Saigon.

SAN JACINTO, CA - MARCH 13, 2025: Scott Reierson, an operations and maintenance supervisor for the Metropolitan Water District, leads a group on a tour of the west side of the San Jacinto Tunnel on March 13, 2025 in San Jacinto, California. Southern California depends on a 242-mile water lifeline that runs across the Mojave Desert and includes 92 miles of tunnels through mountain ranges. A major feature of this engineering marvel, the Colorado River Aqueduct, is a 13-mile tunnel that runs beneath the San Jacinto Mountains.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

A rare glimpse inside the mountain tunnel that carries water to Southern California

Students in costume as Princess Fiona, Shrek and Donkey perform in "Shrek the Musical Jr." at the Ahmanson Theatre.

Their homes and school burned in the Eaton fire. But these theater kids rise from the ashes

Photo illustration for Todd Martens article about art project "The Goodbye Line".
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