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SANTA ANA – They sang the U.S. and the Vietnamese national anthems, then sat down to a five-course Vietnamese dinner. It was a convention-watching party and a blending of cultures.
About 60 people, half of whom were Vietnamese- Americans, gathered Thursday night at Emerald Bay Restaurant to watch President George W. Bush again accept the party's nomination.
Bachlien TranBatdorf, who organized the event for the Orange County Vietnamese- American Committee for Bush/Cheney '04, said this election year is especially important to her community.
"We used to live in Vietnam under communist rule. It's no different from terrorism. We know what it's like, and we know we need to take action," she said. "Republican principles support freedom."
After the national anthems and recital of the Pledge of Allegiance, an invocation in English was followed by a prayer in Vietnamese, led by Buddhist leader Thich Tri Thu.
During Bush's speech, Ronnie Guyer, 62, stood up and waved an American flag over his head, hooting his support.
Guyer, a Vietnam veteran and campaign coordinator for the Orange County Republican headquarters in Little Saigon, said he felt solidarity with Vietnamese-Americans.
"They love their freedom. John Kerry helped defeat freedom," he said. "President Bush will protect us by spreading freedom throughout the world."
The restaurant's dining room was decked in American flags and banners that declared "4 more years" and "God Bless America." Tables dressed in white linens and red, white and blue napkins were covered with steaming bowls of hot and sour seafood soup, beef with Chinese cabbage and Vietnamese deep- fried chicken.
Le Thanhnhan, 59, an electronics technician from Gardena, set down his bowl of soup to say that he appreciated Bush's emphasis on education.
"Education reform, that every child will not be left behind, that's a great commitment," he said. "And in the situation we have, we need strong leaders."
Margaret Cummings, 71, of Westminster came by herself to the convention-watching party. "I'm a Christian. To me, George Bush is a Christian. He takes 'under God' seriously."