MEET HIEU NGUYEN
Rooted in Garden Grove.
Hieu Nguyen is running for Garden Grove City Council to strengthen city services and neighborhood resources, expand parks and open space for children and families, address housing affordability and homelessness, improve mental health access, and invest in community gatherings that bring neighbors together. Garden Grove shaped who he is, and he is ready to help shape a stronger, more affordable, and more connected future for the city he calls home.
Born in Vietnam in 1984, Hieu immigrated to the United States in 1993 with his family of eleven in search of opportunity. He attended Garden Grove public schools and was raised in a small apartment in the same district he is now running to represent. Even as Hieu and his family members worked long hours sewing garments for corporations like Forever 21 and Macy’s, their household relied on Section 8 housing, SNAP food assistance, and Medi-Cal to get by. Growing up in a working-class immigrant family instilled in him a deep understanding of opportunity, hard work, and resilience.
As a teenager, Hieu worked in garment sweatshops and local restaurants to help support his family. He became the first in his family to go to a University of California school, commuting to UC Irvine while working multiple jobs. He worked as a substance abuse counselor, supporting individuals facing addiction and mental health challenges.
Hieu then went on to earn a Master of Social Work from California State University, Long Beach, and as a social worker he focused on improving quality of life for seniors, individuals experiencing homelessness, and those living with mental health and substance use challenges. Later, he completed a Master of Business Administration from Brandman University, part of the Chapman University system, to strengthen his skills in leadership, fiscal responsibility, and organizational management. Throughout his life, Hieu has spent his career rooted in the belief that communities thrive when there’s equal and equitable access to resources and opportunities.
Committed to Service and Delivering Results.
Over the past 17 years, Hieu has built a reputation as a problem solver who brings people together and gets things done. As Director of the Office of Population Health and Equity at the Orange County Health Care Agency, he led one of the county’s most ambitious efforts to address health and social inequities. He launched the Equity in OC Initiative, partnered with more than 170 community organizations, and helped create the county’s first Equity Map to ensure life-saving resources reached neighborhoods with the greatest need. He also worked with local leaders to advance a county resolution declaring racism a public health crisis, helping drive long term accountability and change.
Hieu’s work has always been rooted in Garden Grove. In 2012, he helped organize LGBTQ+ Vietnamese American residents to march in the Little Saigon Lunar New Year Parade, creating space for visibility, dignity, and belonging. He went on to become a co-founder of Viet Rainbow of Orange County, building support networks for hundreds of families locally and nationally. Most importantly, Hieu and his husband are proud parents to their son and three furry dogs, and together they are committed to building a Garden Grove where every family can thrive.
