Saigon? Ho Chi Minh City?

Forgive any hint of avuncularity in the next statements, but confusion on the part of some of our friends back home has made me realize that Vietnam's geographical/cartographic history is not on everyone's hobby list. Ho Chi Minh City is the official name of what was once known as Saigon and the outlying small "towns," such as Cho Lon. When talking about the central districts, people are "officially ok" with calling it Saigon. District 1 is also referred to as Saigon. And, with some populations, such as those who fled Reunification to other countries, using the modern name can be painful and offensive. Modern Vietnamese citizens tend to use both names interchangeably, with no hint of despair nor irony. Tourists beware - when you don your Vietnamese flag-emblazoned souvenirs, some Vietnamese immigrants in your home country will react with disappointment and/or disdain. Don't fret, just play dumb.