Los Angeles County voted Tuesday to move back a day honoring actress Jane Fonda after the previously proposed date of April 30 ignited backlash from Vietnamese Americans and state lawmakers.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors originally proposed April 30 for "Jane Fonda Day" because it occurred during "Earth Month" and would honor her climate activism.
Vietnamese Americans and state lawmakers objected to that day as it commemorates the Fall of Saigon, when the U.S. officially pulled out of Vietnam, and the country fell to the communist North.
Critics noted that date was inappropriate for "Jane Fonda Day," as the actress was an outspoken opponent of the war and made a controversial trip to North Vietnam in 1972 — a trip that earned her the nickname "Hanoi Jane." The actress later said she regretted the trip.
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Republican Assemblyman Tri Ta of Westminster urged the Board of Supervisors to rescind the proclamation. In a letter signed by more than a dozen other lawmakers, he said the decision to mark "Jane Fonda Day" on April 30 "is a painful reminder of Ms. Fonda’s pro-communist activism during the Vietnam War."
"The pain and hurt caused by this decision will surely cause long-term damage to the Vietnamese refugee community," he said.
California is home to the largest Vietnamese community outside Vietnam.
In a letter to Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, Sen. Janet Nguyen of Huntington Beach called the proposed date "tone deaf… for exalting pro-Communist activist Jane Fonda as a heroine of peace and social justice on the anniversary of the Fall of Saigon."
Acknowledging these concerns, the Board voted Tuesday to move "Jane Fonda Day" to April 8, beginning in 2025.
"Out of respect for community voices who have spoken out regarding the historic significance of that date, Los Angeles County will recognize American actor and activist Jane Fonda on April 8 during Earth Month," Horvath and Supervisor said in a joint motion.
