Meet Chris
Embracing our diversity. Uniting our community. Serving our people!
Chris Phan serves our country with honor and pride. He humbly asks for your support to serve our community as Garden Grove Councilman.
Chris immigrated from Vietnam when he was eight years old and grew up in Indiana, but frequently visited relatives in Garden Grove during his childhood. He fell in love with Garden Grove for its cultural diversity, sense of community, and perfect climate. However, fulfilling his dream of making Garden Grove home took several years to become reality.
Since his arrival to America, Chris wanted to serve our country and give back to the United States. After obtaining his college degree from Indiana University, law degree from Southern Illinois University, and passing the Illinois Bar, he joined the United States Navy's Judge Advocate General's Corps.
Chris reported to the Naval Legal Service Office, Earle, New Jersey in 2001 for his first tour of duty. At Earle, he served as defense counsel for our sailors, Marines, and Coast Guard personnel and provided legal services for our deploying troops after the September 11, 2001 tragedy. He then reported to the Trial Service Office, Yokosuka, Japan in 2003 and served as a Navy prosecutor.
Always with the intent to make Garden Grove home, he requested and was given an opportunity to serve in California as the attorney for Naval Special Warfare Group ONE from 2005-2007. During this time, he deployed to Iraq with a SEAL squadron as their legal counsel.
Having first-hand experience with deployment to the front line and the loneliness of being far from home, he helped form the Vietnamese American Armed Forces Association (VAAFA) upon his return from Iraq and was its founding President. VAAFA consists of Vietnamese American service members from all branches of the United States military. It is a professional networking and community service association that sends care packages to deployed service members, provides toys to children in our community during the holidays, and awards scholarships in honor of our deceased Vietnamese American military members to deserving students.
In 2008, Chris passed the CA Bar and resigned from active duty in order to better serve our community. He made Garden Grove home and opened a law firm specializing in immigration and family law. Chris also became Chairman of the Board of Saint Anselm's Cross Cultural Community Center, a non-profit organization located in Garden Grove that serves our immigrants, refugees, and low income clients. He also served as board member of the Vietnam War Memorial in Westminster, CA.
Since his promotion to Lieutenant Commander in 2008, Chris has been a Navy reservist. In 2010, he was recalled to active duty for one year to serve as legal counsel for our wounded troops at the Portsmouth Naval Hospital, Virginia. Being away from home was difficult for Chris, but the mission of supporting our wounded troops is very rewarding. It has been his absolute honor to serve these brave men and women who have given their all for our nation.
Chris learned from his military experience that our strength lies in our diversity. Garden Grove is truly a melting pot of culture, background, and ethnicity.
Together, we can ensure a brighter future for our city and forge a better tomorrow for our families.
Please elect Chris Phan as our Garden Grove City Councilman!
