November 2025 • Issue 97 • California Association for Bilingual Education

Upcoming CABE Dates and Deadlines in this Issue...

• November 6—Thrive 2025: Fall One-Day Virtual Conference for Parents & Support Staff
• November 14—CABE 2026 Extra Early Bird Registration Deadline
• December 5—Nomination Deadline for all CABE 2026 Awards
• January 20—Free webinars—Session 2: Equity in Action: Inquiry-Driven Strategies for Justice and Access
• March 4-7, 2026—Save the date for CABE 2026 in San Francisco!

CABE Legislative Advocate Report

by Jennifer Baker

• LAO Releases Overview of 2025-26 Budget
• Governor Signs Hundreds of Bills
• CABE-Supported Legislation
• Legislative Calendar

Deadline for Extra Early Bird registration savings is Nov. 14th...

HồngTiên Trần, the second of three brothers, was born in Sa Đéc Province, Việt Nam. His childhood was shaped by the hardships of postwar Vietnam. In 1975, his father—a Lieutenant police officer—was sent to a concentration camp for nearly six years, a fate that befell many with ties to the Republic of Vietnam, such as police, military, government, or the United States. HồngTiên’s mother, a nurse, lost her job due to her association with his father. Blacklisted upon his release, his father was unable to own property and was forced to report all travel.

As a result, the family turned to farming, gradually working to earn the right to use the land on which they were farming, despite not having legal ownership rights. HồngTiên recalls, “I remember being kicked out of kindergarten because my parents couldn’t pay the tuition. I sat under a jackfruit tree in the schoolyard until a neighbor found me and walked me home. That’s when my family realized that we could skip out on many things, but not tuition.”

In 1992, the family was approved to leave Vietnam as political refugees under the H.O. program, a sub-category under the Orderly Departure Program (ODP), which was chartered by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). 

However, financial barriers delayed their departure for two years. Each stage of the process demanded payments in gold, forcing the family to borrow money and save relentlessly, while also facing the norm of the bribery of government officials. HồngTiên remembers the secrecy and fear surrounding the process: “We were considered traitors for wanting to leave for the U.S. I experienced discrimination at school and was denied recognition for academic achievements because of my family’s status.”

His family of four at the LA Museum (1995)

Despite these challenges, he found ways to learn and grow. He secretly listened to BBC English lessons on the radio under the covers at night and was tutored by a family friend who was an English teacher. He was interested in joining the Communist Youth Movement because he wanted to be included in school, but his father forbade him from joining, reminding him that his grandfather had been assassinated by the communists for serving as a village representative.

His family of four at the community's

Lunar New Year celebration (Spring 1997)

At 13, HồngTiên arrived in the U.S. as a political refugee with his parents and younger brother, settling in Westminster, California. Entering 8th grade with limited English, he carried a small dictionary everywhere, painstakingly translating each word of his assignments. While culture shock was real, the large Vietnamese community in Orange County helped him balance his Vietnamese identity with his new American one. He recalls, “Learning to be part of society was a challenge. I had a split identity—it was hard to navigate both cultures.” His parents worked long hours in a garment sweatshop, often late into the night. HồngTiên took care of his younger brother, cooked meals, and helped in the sweatshop on weekends and holidays. “It was a hard life, but it taught me that hard work and education can change your life.

It taught me to value every opportunity.”

Community service has been a constant in his life. While at Orange Coast College, his Vietnamese Students Association successfully petitioned for Vietnamese language courses that continue to this day. He also became active in Scouting, serving as a volunteer adult leader. In 2017, he joined the Vietnamese Heritage Museum in Garden Grove, where he now serves as vice president, working to preserve the history and language of Vietnamese refugees. He also volunteers with the Union of Overseas Vietnamese Language Schools, a network of Vietnamese language weekend schools, promoting the expansion of dual language programs.

With his late father at the Vietnamese Language

and History Competition (Summer 2002)

After graduating from Garden Grove High School in 1999, HồngTiên pursued engineering. He attended Orange Coast Community College, then transferred to Cal Poly Pomona, earning a B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 2006. Since 2007, he has worked as a Transportation Engineer with Caltrans, helping inspect and retrofit Southern California’s 22,000 bridges, tunnels, and pedestrian crossings for safety and earthquake readiness.

Vietnamese Student Association's booth at

Orange Coast College's Club Rush

(2001-2002)

Leading a tour of the Vietnamese Heritage Museum for the Westminster School District Executives Team and Parents (October 2025)

His passion for Vietnamese Dual Language Immersion (VDLI) deepened as a parent volunteer at DeMille Elementary, where he helped cofound the VDLI Advisory Committee and advocated for the program. He recalls his first CABE conference in 2019 as transformative: “It was huge—the networking and resources were amazing. At Lobby Day in Sacramento, I realized that VDLI is a relatively small part of educational funding. I joked that it’s like an ant on a mouse on an elephant in the jungle.”

Encouraged by CABE board member Dr. Annie BichLoan Duong and CEO Dr. Edgar Lampkin, Hồng Tiên ran as a write-in candidate for the CABE Board, becoming the Region III Representative. “I knew my voice was needed. I emailed all my associates, asking them to write me in and promising to do my best to advocate for the program. I wear ten hats because I care.”

With his wife and 2 children at their Vietnamese scouting's

Lunar New Year Celebration (February 2014)

With his wife and 2 children at their scout's annual spring multi-level coed camp (May 2025)

Today, HồngTiên continues to dedicate himself to community, family, and advocacy. He and his wife, Emily Ho, a cosmetologist and aesthetician, are raising two children: TịnhNhư (13), an 8th grader in the VDLI program at Warner Middle School, and ChíThiện (11), a 6th grader at the same school. Beyond work and family, he enjoys reading, studying history, coin collecting, outdoor scouting, and leading 4–6 Scout camps each year.

Through resilience, dedication, and service, HồngTiên embodies the mission of CABE—strengthening communities by honoring culture, advancing multilingualism, and building bridges for future generations. Nevertheless, he would like the CABE community to be aware of the fragility of DLI programs in the current political climate, despite 50 years of advocacy and progress. He encourages us all to remain steadfast and unified in our efforts to advocate for educational equity.

Attention, Chapter Leaders!

Nominations for the CABE 2026 Chapter of the Year Award are now open!

Check your inbox for information and the application link. (Not in your inbox? Be sure to check your junk/spam folder.)

Deadline to apply: December 5, 2025

Questions? Contact joshua@gocabe.org

The Children’s Partnership (TCP) is conducting a confidential, anonymous online study of California parents with children ages 3 and under to learn how to better support families statewide. The information will be kept safe—not shared outside the research team, and used to inform TCP’s advocacy to support the needs of families of young children from diverse backgrounds. There are multiple online studies available. Participating parents of children ages 3 and under will receive $150 for their time! Click here or scan the QR code above to take a short survey to be considered for the study: TCPResearch.com.

Thank you in advance for your help and sharing this with your networks. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Jamila Michael at jmichael@childrenspartnership.org. 

📣 Join the Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) at Loyola Marymount University on Saturday, February 7, 2026 for the annual Jornada Conference — a celebration of bilingual education, collaboration, and culturally sustaining pedagogy! 🌍📚

📌Register Here: https://lmutpg.lmu.edu/C20995_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=1288&SINGLESTORE=true

Alma Flor Ada Award applications are open! This annual honor recognizes educators advancing transformative practices in bilingual education.  Deadline: December 18, 2025 

Contact the editor: Laurie Miles, Communications Manager, laurie@gocabe.org