I am a Progressive — PIVOT - The Progressive Vietnamese American Organization

Mayor Rich Tran grew up in Milpitas, CA, the city where he now serves as the mayor.

Not only is he the youngest mayor in Silicon Valley, he is also the city's first Vietnamese American mayor. As a newcomer to politics, he faced tough odds during his mayoral race - he was outspent two-to-one by one candidate and was up against another candidate who had been involved in local politics for decades.

Mayor Tran obtained his undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Sociology at University of California, Los Angeles. He went on to earn his Master of Social Work at San Jose University and his Master of Public Administration at New York University Wagner School of Public Service in.

On how it feels be to be home...
It feels great to be home after a few years in New York City. The Bay Area and Silicon Valley have the most opportunities in the world and I couldn't be more fortunate to be the youngest mayor in Silicon Valley. It's really a complete deal I have, considering this is my hometown. It's especially nice knowing that I am a 10 minute drive to see my mother and not a six hour flight.

On whether his age or ethnicity affected the race he ran or the work he's doing now...
Quite frankly, I think my age and race had a positive effect during my candidacy. Folks in Milpitas wanted someone with less experience in politics to mix it up and bring a new set of eyes to city hall.
Milpitas is home to approximately 10,000 Vietnamese-American residents that make up 15% of all voters. The thing I'm most proud of is the fact that I was able to garner 38.5% of all votes, demonstrating that well over half of my support comes from people from all corners of the world.
I would admit that my age is not close to the average age of other elected officials. I usually stand out in the room due to my age, but it's been fun - the other elected officials like to have fun with my age and I enjoy it too. When it comes to the actual work, I've come to find people will respect you for your knowledge, which I work hard to ensure.

On being a mayor in a culturally diverse city...
I set out to be a mayor that represents all people, with equal consideration. At the same time, I am sensitive to different cultures and their unique needs. There is certainly a balancing act that is required when representing a city as diverse as Milpitas is. It's all about understanding people, and I don't think there's anybody in my city that can understand people like I do.

On who inspires him...
If I had to list one person for this feature, I would have to go with our 44th President, Barack Obama. I graduated from UCLA in 2007 and actually worked in real estate construction finance leading up to the Great Recession. By 2008, I was out of a job and going broke when I become more interested in politics. I remember working as a restaurant waiter to pay my rent and I would always watch the television and see this presidential candidate named Barack Obama. He inspired me at my worst times and the rest is history.

On the best advice he received...
The best advice I received when I won was "If you do good in office, then you'll be around for a long time." Admittedly, there are many temptations when holding so much power. Everyone wants to be your best friend and treat you like it's your birthday everyday.

On what he wants to tell other Vietnamese Americans who want to run for office...
I would advise other Vietnamese Americans to totally run for office - win or lose, it's a great life lesson. I lost my first city council race! Everyone has their own motivation to run for office, but as long as you follow your heart, you'll be fine.

Fun facts...

I used to be an aspiring rapper in college, performing at VSAs across the country, from Boise State all the way to the University of Illinois.
I studied theater acting in West Village while living in New York City in my 20's. I was a background extra in various television shows like Law and Order.
I worked at Sequoia Capital as a Human Capital Associate for over 100+ tech startups before leaving venture capital for local politics.

Dr. Tung Nguyen is President of PIVOT, Chair of the PIVOT Board, and a founder of PIVOT. He is a physician and professor of medicine who has conducted many successful research projects to improve the health of Vietnamese and Asian Americans.

Dr. Nguyen is a founder of the Asian American Research Center on Health. He also served as Chair of President Obama’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and is a founder of the AAPI Victory Alliance and AAPI Victory Fund.Dr. Nguyen and his colleagues made news earlier this year when they collectively resigned from the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in protest of the Trump administration's policies that adversely affect Asian Americans.

Dr. Nguyen received his B.A. in Philosophy from Harvard College and his M.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine.

How PIVOT came to be and why...
Among AAPIs, Vietnamese Americans were thought to be the most conservative group, which did not match with what I saw as a Commissioner on President Obama’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs. The 2017 Presidential election was a turning point, as many Vietnamese Americans committed to human and civil rights saw the clear divide between the two candidates. A few of us helped Hillary Clinton to increase her media presence in our community. Through that work, we realized that progressive Vietnamese American voices were under-represented in both Vietnamese and mainstream society, but that those voices resonated with many Vietnamese Americans. The election of Donald Trump was an impetus for us to protect the rights of our people and others. In December and January, we had meetings with Vietnamese Americans in Virginia and California. We agreed to build a national progressive Vietnamese American network. In two months, we already have nearly one hundred active members in Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

Goals for PIVOT...
I firmly believe that the best way to accomplish anything great is to put passionate and accomplished people together and help them do the right things. I see myself as a facilitator so where PIVOT will go depends on its members. We all share the common mission, which is to engage and empower Vietnamese Americans for a just and diverse America.

Why am I helping to build PIVOT...
As a refugee, I know very well that I could not have survived or thrived without some luck and the help of others, many of whom were not Vietnamese. I became a doctor and public health researcher partly because I wanted to pay back what I owed, but there’s only so much I can do as one person. The power to make change for the better comes from being a part of the greater whole—as part of the Vietnamese American community, as part of the Asian American movement, and as part of all minority groups in our struggle for justice. We all have basic rights-- to have health, education, job, respect, a voice, and the ability to live a life we choose. And our responsibility is to make sure everyone else has those rights too.

Fun Facts

Although he claims to have had no skills, Dr. Nguyen played American football from elementary school through high school.
He has read all of Kim Dung (Jin Yong) martial arts novels (chuyện chưởng), and his favorite is Tiếu Ngạo Giang Hồ (Smiling, Proud Wanderer).
Dr. Nguyen's children often wish he would stop playing Vietnamese and 60s-80s music badly on his keyboard. He is not allowed to sing.