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Derek Tran: First Vietnamese American to Represent Little Saigon in D.C.

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Congressman Derek Tran speaks with politics reporters Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer for Political Breakdown at his Washington, D.C. office on May 8, 2025.  (Izzy Bloom/KQED)

In November, Orange County Congressman Derek Tran became the first Vietnamese American to represent Little Saigon in Washington, D.C. Tran barely defeated Republican incumbent Michelle Steel, helping Democrats flip three California House seats from red to blue. We revisit a conversation from May, when Scott and Marisa talked with Tran about representing a very purple district and his father’s harrowing story as a refugee after the Vietnam War.

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