Tony Lam

Tony Lâm (born 1936) is a politician from California. In 1992, he became the first Vietnamese-born person to be elected into a political office in the United States, winning a seat on the Westminster City Council. Prior to his political career, Lam had been living in America for 17 years and was the owner of the Vien Dong restaurant in Garden Grove. He was also involved in various community leadership roles, serving as the secretary of the Vietnamese Lions Club in Westminster and the first vice president of the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce in Orange County. Lam's successful campaign for the city council seat was supported by the police, the Mayor, and local mobile-home owners, and he defeated another Vietnamese candidate to win the election.