Once the districting process in Garden Grove drew to a close I spent of lot time in self-reflection. I focused a lot on “lessons learned.”
The mapping process was contentious but it allowed me to showcase my strengths and helped me grow as an individual. I was able to see, even more clearly, not only the differences throughout the city but the similarities. We all wanted the same thing we just had a different way of going about achieving it.
I witnessed the same strong voice of individuals speaking out on behalf of their community but definitely a lack in participation from groups who were major stakeholders in this process. Working with community leaders we were able to draw out a crowd of “new” faces.
It became clear to me that East Garden Grove wanted to be heard, they just needed a little push in the right direction; someone to show them that their voices mattered and were equally important.
East Garden Grove is a wonderful area that has been neglected for too long. It is filled with hard working families and youth that strive every day to overcome too many obstacles.
I’m a product of this community. Not only did I attend the schools and live in District 6 for over 15 years but the families here helped raise me. They opened their homes to me, fed me after school, and pushed me to always strive for better. Most importantly, they taught me to be resilient and because of that I decided this was the right time to step up to the plate. I want to be their voice, to be their conduit for change that is desperately needed.
In addition, the city of Garden Grove is at a crossroads. Our City Council is expanding to seven members from five and the majority of the council will be new members. There are many issues facing the city that will affect East Garden Grove in particular and there are ideas l have that will help lead Garden Grove into the next 60 years.
I want to be a strong voice advocating for the community to bring strong economic development to the Harbor corridor. I want to introduce innovative ideas that will help bring more revenue to the city so we can fully staff our police and fire department. I also want to take the lead in creating a closer relationship with the Garden Grove Unified School District to creat joint use agreements to add more recreational space to East Garden Grove.
If elected I will be the first Asian Latina, fifth woman and youngest person elected to Garden Grove City Council. While history may be made if elected, what matters most is bringing the representation and change to East Garden Grove they have been waiting for too many years to see.
Kim Nguyen, Garden Grove Resident, Santiago High School Alumni and candidate for Garden Grove City Council, District 6.
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