SACRAMENTO – Today, Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San José) presented ACR 71, to designate the portion of State Route 101 in the County of Santa Clara from Story Road to the junction with State Highway Route 280 and State Highway Route 680 as the Little Saigon Freeway. ACR 71 was approved by the committee with bipartisan support.
“Today’s passage by the Senate Transportation Committee is a major step toward making the Little Saigon Freeway a reality and ensuring that the name Little Saigon remains forever a beacon and a lesson in the fight for democracy. I am deeply grateful for the support and engagement by our community advocates and leaders, including elected officials at the City of San José and Santa Clara County, our broad support coalition, our co-authors, and Committee Chair Cortese,” said Assemblymember Kalra. “After 50 years of resilience, the Vietnamese American community continues to represent a powerful American story of standing up to dictatorship—especially at this moment in time.”
Little Saigon is a vibrant hub for tourists and refugees from across the globe, offering a diverse array of services and businesses, such as restaurants, supermarkets, shopping malls, banks, and jewelry stores serving the Vietnamese American community as well as local residents of San José.
“I’m proud to support ACR 71 designating this stretch of Highway 101 as the Little Saigon Freeway. San José is home to the largest Vietnamese population of any city outside Vietnam, and this recognition honors a community whose resilience, entrepreneurship, and cultural contributions have shaped our region. Designating this stretch of Highway 101 as the Little Saigon Freeway is a meaningful acknowledgment of a community that has overcome displacement and hardship to build vibrant neighborhoods and lasting institutions. I am honored to stand with our Vietnamese American community in celebrating their history, their contributions and their future,” said Senator Cortese.
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Assemblymember Ash Kalra represents California’s 25th Assembly District, which encompasses the majority of San José, including downtown and open space areas in southeast Santa Clara County. He was first elected in 2016, becoming the first Indian American to serve in the California Legislature in state history, and was re-elected to his fifth term in 2024. Assemblymember Kalra is the Chair of the Committee on Judiciary and also serves as a member on the Housing & Community Development, Labor & Employment, Natural Resources, and Utilities & Energy committees.