Petition to PBS: Investigate reporting of “Terror in Little Saigon”

Last week, PBS aired a documentary titled "Terror in Little Saigon."

Having grown up in Little Saigon and worked in nonprofit and government serving the Little Saigon area, I thought "what terror?"

I have watched the documentary by A.C. Thompson. I read his accounting of his investigation.

My conclusion: "Terror in Little Saigon" is a false, misleading depiction and assault of the Vietnamese American community. It's exploitive, sensational, and completely insenstive and based on unfounded rumors and conspiracy theories. Add in dramatic music, leading questions, misleading editing....it's a shameful piece of work.

I only know one of the people he interviewed, who has since spoken up on how his comments were editted and misrepresented.

Many of the video clips of Vietnamse Americans and community events including the Lunar New Year Tet Parade were misused and had nothing to do with the so-called subject of investigation.

Unbelievable. This is not the PBS I expect.

AC Thompson's actions are not only discriminatory and culturally insensitive - it is dangerous. To call fire, throw around accusations of terrorism in any community is irresponsible.

I am disappointed that PBS aired this "investigation" without any input from leaders in the API or Vietnamese American community as they have in the past.

As a Vietnamese American, frankly I am pissed.

As a parent of a third generation Vietnamse Americans, I am worried.

It's already a challenge to get the record straight on the Vietnamse American experience and contributions.

It's not too late to set the record straight, PBS.

Friends, please join me in defending the Vietnamse American community.

Take action by signing our Change.Org petition to PBS.

*Webmaster's note: Tammy's post first appeared on Facebook. Below is the text of the Change.org petition. __________

As a taxpayer-supported broadcaster, PBS should maintain the highest standard of journalistic integrity. The program “Terror in Little Saigon” aired by Frontline on November 3, 2015 fails both professional and ethical standards.

We urge you to investigate why and how the reporting team of Frontline and ProPublica was allowed to broadcast a flawed report based on the preconceived narrative of a militant, extremist Vietnamese American community.

Consider the following:

1. The program misrepresented key sources. In order to elicit the desired response, reporter A.C. Thompson interviewed Nguyen Xuan Nghia for four hours over three occasions and aired just the one minute that fit the narrative. Even more alarming, the reporter quoted an alleged remark made off camera by Nghia (used to justify the narrative of the program) which Nghia has stated in a subsequent interview with the Nguoi Viet daily newspaper that he never said. Other subjects were similarly misrepresented. Although they repeatedly claimed no knowledge of an assassination squad, the reporting team tried to convey a sense of guilt through omitted translations, repeated and leading lines of questioning by the reporter, and deceptive editing.

2. The Vietnamese American community is portrayed as a terrorized community. Just by its name this documentary already established an antagonist as a monster-like character who instilled fear in its victims. This false portrayal facilitated the preconceived narrative that an anti-communist organization must be behind all the unsolved murders.

3. The reporting team exhibited a cultural bias demeaning to Vietnamese Americans. The program labeled Vietnamese Americans who opposed communism and supported a free Vietnam as “vengeful” and “aiming to restart the Vietnam war.” The reporting team treated the viewpoints of non-Vietnamese as authority while dismissing how Vietnamese American describe their own motives and aspirations.

We believe that Frontline and ProPublica should retract this program and apologize to everyone who was misrepresented and falsely accused. The killing of journalists is a grave injustice and reporter A.C. Thompson should be held accountable for a sloppy program that tars many Vietnamese American activists and the overall community.

We ask that you conduct a thorough investigation to maintain the credibility of PBS.