Here is the letter in English that was sent to people with Latino surnames in the central Orange County congressional district represented by Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove), who is opposed in the November election by Republican Tan Nguyen. The California Attorney General's office reportedly suspects Nguyen's campaign was behind the letter, which has been chastised by leaders of both parties.
Greetings [NAME WITHHELD],
You are being sent this letter because you were recently registered to vote. If you are a citizen of the United States, we ask that you participate in the democratic process of voting.
You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time, and you will be deported for voting without having a right to do so.
At the same time, you are advised that the government of the United States is installing a new computer system to verify the names of all new registered voters that vote in the October and November elections. Anti-immigration organizations can ask for information from this new computer system.
Unlike Mexico, here there is no incentive to vote. There is not a voter registration card in the United States. Therefore, it is useless and dangerous to vote in any election if you are not a citizen of the United States.
Do not listen to any politician that tells you the opposite. They are only looking out for their own interests. They only want to win elections without any regard to what happens to you.
Sincerely,
Sergio Ramirez
October 19, 2006 20:10
Norberto Santana is on Keith Olbermann right now discussing Tan Nguyen's involvement, as well as the danger that some immigrant voters might be scared to vote now.
They're flashing up pictures of two Latino gentlemen holding up examples of the letter; one is holding a copy of the OC Post. Shameless.
October 20, 2006 06:10
The girls at Swing Shift have a new Tan's Shenanigans page on Cafe Press. Check us out...
http://www.cafepress.com/swingshift/1994921
October 20, 2006 09:10
[...] Told you it wasn't the CCIR who sent out the letter telling Latinos immigrants can't vote. Turns out the California Attorney General's office fingered Tan Nguyen, who seems like the ideal Republican congressional candidate-minority, immigrant-hating, and carpet-bagging. Jail time is rumored for the man, who was running against Loretta Sanchez but is now being urged by GOP head Scott Baugh to step down. [...]
October 21, 2006 00:10
Does this idiot think he is still in Viet Nam? I say send him to North Korea so he can help their immigration problems!
But let's thank him for electing sweet Loretta!
Wil - Costa Mesa
October 21, 2006 09:10
Um, guys, you (redacted) the recipient's name in the translation, but the scanned image has full contact info. Consistency!! Maybe a v2 that blurs the scanned address?
Now, on to my main points
1) the OC GOP is making much grumbling noises about the sanctity of voting and how shocked - SHOCKED - and disappointed - DISAPPOINTED - they are about this. I remember the GOP posted guards at polling places in Latino areas several years ago. I tried finding out who specifically was involved, suspecting that those involved before are the ones sanctimoneously heaping scorn now. The potential whiff of hypocracy and expediency seems fragrant to me. Can you guys connect the dots? I tried Googling this but couldn't track down whose fingers were involved in voter suppression several years back.
2) This must be catnip for you guys. Have fun with it (evil stuff, not making light of it), but DAYUM have fisticuffs erupted yet over who gets to cover it yet? Bribes? Pleading? Seizure of each other's kids as bargaining chips? SPILL!!
3) I hope you cover Tan the candidate as well. His interactions with the local pols, endorsements, etc. It's always fun seeing backtracking sleazy politicians. Especially ones that create an environment toxic enough that this seems only one small step further.
4) Supposedly, flyers with a similar message were posted in parks warning dire consequences for Latino immigrant voters. Just a head's up.
Disgusted by this. But have fun covering this. Can't wait to see the next issue!
October 21, 2006 19:10
How ironic that Tan Nguyen and his backers (legitimate and otherwise) will do anything to keep the Republican political meatgrinder rolling along. Ironic mainly because it was the Carter Administration that paved the immigration express lane for the Vietnamese refugees in the mid-70's. Along with the generosity of ordinary Americans from both political parties, they were given the opportunity to realize the American Dream with low-interest loans and a free public education, both of which they took full advantage and flourished. I am proud of their achievements and their determination as a community to make the best of a tragic situation.
Yet, I wonder what a Bush-Chaney, neo-conservative administration would have done with them. Speculation on my part, I know, but would they have been offered the same "bootstraps" to pull themselves up by? Would they have needed to wait for a Democratic administration to be elected for an offer that a Democratic president and congress helped to provide over 30 years ago?
What happened to Tan Nguyen and other members of the Vietnamese community that made them think they would get a better deal from the Republicans? When did they become like the Cuban refugee community in South Florida? What would Pete Fundy have done? Why am I asking so many freakin' questions?
October 22, 2006 20:10
[...] Much more tomorrow on today's insane press conference held by Tan Nguyen, the man who proclaimed this afternoon he would defeat Loretta Sanchez and blasted the Republican leadership for abandoning him (Tan Nguyen is the new Bob Dornan-we said it first until someone proves otherwise!). Nguyen and a campaign spokesperson claimed their infamous letter to Latinos in the 47th District warning that illegals and immigrants can't vote was wrongly interpreted-the Mexican Spanish word the world took for "immigrant" in the line, emigrante, actually refers to an immigrant who hasn't become a citizen but is in the country legally. We dismissed the semantics as laughable, but a call to mami y papi proved Nguyen right. [...]
October 22, 2006 22:10
[...] But their coverage of the Tan Nguyen scandal (read previous Blotter posts below) is inconsistent when considering the infamous letter's most infamous passage-that illegal immigrants and resident aliens can't vote. The Spanish-language letter states, "Se le avisa que si su residencia en este pais es ilegal o si es emigrado, votar en una elecion federal es un delito que podra resultar en encarcelamiento, y si sera deportado por votar sin tener derecho a ello ("You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are a non-citizen immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time, and you will be deported for voting without having a right to do so.") [...]
October 23, 2006 05:10
[...] Rebel Girl over at the always awesome Dissent the Blog weighs in on OC's Keyser Soze, the man who signed the infamous Tan Nguyen "immigrants can't vote" letter. Turns out it might be a Sandinista! [...]
October 23, 2006 11:10
It's pretty pathetic that the letter that is technically correct would caouse such a stur in the media. It is permanently labeled "false" now. However there is nothing wrong with it.
After reading
"If you are a CITIZEN of the United States, we ask that you participate in the democratic process of voting."
it should be clear even to the most slow processing amongst us that, CITIZEN in this case effectively covers both natural born and naturalized citizens.
The legal immigrants referred to, later in the body of the letter are all the rest (including permanent residents) who still CAN NOT vote!
Hence the letter is legit, and the whole "scandal" is nothing more then a political "mud throwing"
October 24, 2006 07:10
[...] Many of you, including KFI-AM 640's garrulous JohnKen and idiot John Ziegler (we'll never forgive your for your unceremonious swipe at us Coast to Coast listeneners) keep insisting Tan "Hate The Republicans, Love their Candidacy" Nguyen had a legitimate reason to send out his infamous letter to Latino voters because everyone knows 47th Congressional District incumbent Loretta Sanchez stole the 1996 election from Bob Dornan with the help of illegals. [...]
October 24, 2006 11:10
[...] Nguyen began by correcting McIntyre about his Vietnamese surname's proper pronounciation-"win" as opposed to "Nu-win," which ticked McIntyre off. Nguyen then went to claim recent polls show him beating 47th Congressional District incumbent Loretta Sanchez, polls that the boyos at OC Blog dismissed in a post I can't find (help, Jubal!). "I don't care about that," McIntyre told Nguyen. McIntyre then asked Nguyen if he was behind the infamous "immigrants can't vote" letter, to which Tan replied with his stock statement that he neither "authorized" nor "approved" the letter. McIntyre asked the same question again, to which Nguyen said no one connected to his campaign was behind the letter-this despite Nguyen admitting earlier that his office was behind the letter and him holding a press conference defending the letter. [...]
October 24, 2006 17:10
What is wrong with the letter? Does the letter tell a lie? I don't think so. It's merely a warning, something people surpass over. People aren't taking voting seriously, and this letter is just a reminder to all that consequences will happen should illegal voting be caught.
October 24, 2006 17:10
> It's pretty pathetic that the letter that is
> technically correct
Your grasp of logic falls short. The first paragraph
is true but the second one is false:
"You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime..."
A naturalized immigrant is a citizen and can vote.
Therefore, the entire letter is false.
Republicans need lessons in expository logic.
October 24, 2006 18:10
Okay, c (if that's your real name), let's buy your logic that there is nothing wrong with the letter. Then why was it written on fake letterhead and signed by a nonexistent person (or real-life Sandinista)? Why was that letterhead made to look like another group's known for immigrant-bashing? If there's nothing wrong with the letter, Tan and his cronies should have put it on their own letter and signed it themselves. That they didn't shows they have no guts and are quite willing to lie to reach their ends ... hmmm, actually sounds like a Republican after all. Never mind.
October 24, 2006 18:10
Also keep in mind, c, that Tan's changed his story about the letter three times. Goddamn, this man's absolutely Nixonian!
October 24, 2006 23:10
While I think Tan is a slimeball for multiple reasons, I for one:
- Do not think the letter is illegal
- Do not think its a hate crime
While I think it was stupid to send out, the letter is correct. If you are an immigrant(with green card, VISA, or illegal) you are not allowed to vote. Period.
Fuck Tan. Fuck Lorreta. Fuck You.
October 25, 2006 07:10
Twice the letter states that a person must be a citizen of the United States to vote in the federal elections(starting with the opening paragraph). The word 'immigrant' is understood to mean resident alien especially when the letter states TWICE that if you are a citizen you should vote. If a naturalized citizen (like my mother) does not understand what that means, they did not fulfill their requiremnts of civic knowledge and reading and understanding english in order to receive their citizenship.
What is even more embarrassing is that people born, raised and educated here, don't (or won't) understand this. Fake outrage and indignation damages the basis of democracy more than any letter with a bad translation.
Jean Pierre Etchechury
An immigrants son
October 26, 2006 10:10
Jean Pierre: Why did you sign your name to this? Why are you further identifying yourself as a 1st generation American? The answer: because you believe in what you wrote, you are proud of what you wrote and you unwaveringly signed your name to it. You, my friend, would be more qualified to be a U.S. congressman than someone who creates phony letterhead, a made-up name (or, worse, see Gustavo Arellano's recent Sergio Ramirez post on The Blotter--http://blogs.ocweekly.com/blotter/exclusive-sergio-ramirez-speaks/) and then changes his story three times when the heat is on. I don't want a congressman who pussyfoots around like this. And I'd be writing this about a Democrat, an Episcopalian or the leader of Dexy's Midnight Runners. It's cheap, it's shallow and it reveals a dark character which is already more than well represented in Washington, D.C.
October 28, 2006 17:10
I have an idea on why a supporter of Tan Nguyen (who apparently sent out the mass-mailing without Tan's permission) used a fake letterhead. If they would have used an "Elect Tan" letterhead, it would have been obvious to the 14,000 Latino's what was going on, that Tan was running against their beloved Loretta. Probably most of these 14,000 illegally signed up to vote. But they would be all the more encouraged, not discouraged, to defeat the name on the top of the letterhead. The whole point of the anonymous mailing was to discourage illegal votes from being cast, in order to make the race against Sanchez more even.
October 30, 2006 12:10
Robert-
Orange County is the birthplace of the immigration reform movement. I'm sure you'd have activists lining up around Tan Nguyen's block offering to use their (legitimate) organization's name and real people to put that message out there. But, instead, the Nguyen campaign used fake letterhead to mimic that of the CCIR, and then signed it with either a fake name or the name of a real person (WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION). This is the kind of guy you want representing your interests in D.C.? As for the 14,000 illegal registered voters (which ass did you pull that number out of?), are you saying the only way to stop that crime is to counter with your own crime. No wonder our political system is out of whack; you, sir, are getting just the kind of fucked-up government you deserve.
November 4, 2006 15:11
Funniest thing, turns out it was this Bixby (or is that Sanchez) woman who did the translating from Spanish to English ~ and she got it wrong!
So much for her having any Latino credentials. Mine are much better in fact.
And I'm going to vote early and often all over the place!
November 5, 2006 02:11
People that are not citizens of The United States of America should not vote in elections held in The Unites States of America. I see nothing wrong with keeping people that have entered this country illegally from voting in elections here in The United States of America.
November 7, 2006 15:11
Billybob, I believe the name you are fishing for is Brixey and, if I am not mistaken, Mr. Brixey filed for divorce from Loretta awhile back, although I'm not sure of their status now.
November 10, 2006 11:11
Tan Nguyen's voter intimidation strategy sure worked wonders for his campaign!
December 19, 2006 23:12
subject...
Letter to Latinos in Sanchez-Nguyen Race...