San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran made history last year when she became the city’s first Asian American mayor. Tran is also the first Vietnamese American woman to hold that title in any U.S. city.
Tran went to Vietnam with her parents after winning her election in November 2022. While abroad, she found out that she had made U.S. history with her victory, which became international news.
“We were at a hotel, and I was approached by the workers there,” she told “In Focus SoCal” host Tanya McRae. “They said, ‘We recognize you, we know who you are.’ I’m like, ‘What do you mean, you know me?’ It’s surreal. I don’t know how to really take it.”
Tran had originally wanted to be a third-grade teacher. She said she hopes to inspire others with her election.
“When I go into the Vietnamese community, they’re just embracing me like, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe it,’” she said. “And my response is, ‘If I can do it, you can do it.’ And I tell that to all the kids in every school that I have visited so far. I never thought I would be in this position. I just want to be their great teacher.”
Tran has lived in San Bernardino since she was a child. She also worked for the city’s government for 14 years prior to being elected. She said that over the years, she’s seen dramatic change in the area.
“The change has been rough. But I really believe that we can bounce back quickly,” she said. “Ten years ago, we filed bankruptcy. The city has just gotten through a lot of setbacks and is trying to bounce back from that. And I think the time is now where we all just need to come together and really just propel the story forward.”
Tran is working to advance funding for renewable energy and solutions to the homelessness crisis. Another top goal for her administration is helping residents and small businesses recover from the pandemic.
“We are making sure that our organization is set up for success with the right folks in the respective roles, as well as working with our county partners, with our state partners, our federal partners, our community partners, faith-based organizations, our education institutions,” she said. “So we have everything right in the city of San Bernardino, and by working together, we can really bounce back in a very tremendous way.”
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