Orange County’s Little Saigon neighborhoods, including parts of Westminster, Santa Ana, Garden Grove, and Fountain Valley, consistently show a high density of political yard signs, with many prominently displayed on Buddhist temple properties. This practice raises concerns as religious institutions are legally required to be nonpartisan and refrain from endorsing candidates in elections.
Evidence of this practice spans years. A 2008 post highlighted campaign signs for candidates like John Nguyen, Trung Nguyen, “Vincent” Sarmiento, Claudia Alvarez, and Miguel Pulido on Chua Bao Quang temple property. More recently, a January 2024 Google Maps Street View image showed Van Tran for Supervisor signs at Tinh Xa Giac Ly temple. Chua Bao Quang temple also displayed large banners for candidates such as Kimberly Ho and Michael Vo for Supervisor in January 2024, and Janet Nguyen for Senate in April 2018.
In September 2022, the Westminster Buddhist Temple was seen with signs for Tai Do for Westminster City Council, Janet Nguyen for State Senate, and Tri Ta for Assembly. Earlier this year, Hue Quang temple in Santa Ana reportedly featured signs for several Republican Vietnamese candidates for various offices, including congressional candidates and Tri Ta for Assembly, with no apparent signs from Democratic campaigns.
While some signs might be attributed to individual supporters, their widespread presence directly on temple properties suggests at least implicit support. The perception is that these temples primarily back right-wing Vietnamese candidates, despite occasional displays for multiple candidates in the same race.
Beyond signage, more direct actions have been observed. In early August, Thomas Quoc Thai Nguyen’s campaign for Garden Grove City Council District 3 included posts about his visit to Chua Dia Tang in Santa Ana. During this visit, a monk appeared to urge support for Quoc Thai Nguyen’s campaign, stating, “we wish him success” and asking residents of Garden Grove to “please try to support our Vietnamese people.” This interaction, with the monk’s hand on the candidate, implied a direct endorsement.
Questions persist about whether temple leaders are willing to risk their tax-exempt status and ethical standing to accommodate politicians. Attempts to inform temples about the risks to their non-profit status have reportedly met with difficulty. Observers suggest that changes to these practices may not occur without intervention from federal authorities.
