Huntington Beach, CA – Michelle Steel, Chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors and Republican candidate for CA-48, today called on Congressman Harley Rouda to apologize to the Orange County Vietnamese community and also explain his attendance at racist “Mekong Delta” frat parties while in college.
“Harley Rouda owes an apology and explanation as to why he would condone and attend racist parties that denigrated our Vietnamese families,” Steel said. “I know first-hand the struggles immigrants in our country face when coming to America – parties like these perpetuate stereotypes and racism that we work every day to stop.”
According to the California Globe, “Rep. Harley Rouda’s calls to end systemic racism in the United States, and his aggressive push to court veterans and Orange County’s Vietnamese community might appear disingenuous after photos surfaced of Rouda’s college fraternity hosting “Mekong Delta” parties during Rouda’s time in the Delta Tau Delta fraternity at the University of Kentucky….The Delta Tau Delta fraternity party “Mekong Delta” refers to the Mekong River Delta, over 15,000 square miles in Southwestern Vietnam where towns were ravaged and hundreds of thousands died during the Vietnam War…The photos shown below were all taken during the University of Kentucky’s Delta Tau Delta’s Mekong Delta parties held between 1980-1984, and were found on the alumni chapter Facebook page.”
As Orange County Board Chairwoman, Steel recently introduced and passed a resolution promoting tolerance and compassion. According to the Globe, Rouda has refused to comment.
