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From Việt Nam to the Central Valley
This collection was created by Alexa Tran, a senior in high school, who received the 2023 Girl Scout USA Gold Award Scholarship for this project. Alexa addressed the lack of cultural preservation of stories from Vietnamese community in her hometown, since they are not being taught in American schools or passed down by immigrant parents. She felt the stories about the Vietnamese Boat People were slowly fading away for her generation. She collected these stories with guidance and resources from Vietnamese Boat People.
This community project was made possible by Possibilities Inc. and Vietnamese Boat People, and was partially funded by a Oklahoma Humanities Grant.
We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the families and individuals who allowed us to capture their incredible experiences and entrusted us in preserving their stories for this collection. We also extend our thanks to many others in the community who contributed to the making of this collection.
We are so grateful for the support of the community in Oklahoma City in advocating for this project and special recognition goes to THN Insurance Solutions, Quill Hawk Publishing, and Asian District of OKC for their leadership and advocacy.
From Việt Nam to Oklahoma City, partnership summary
Video credits: Daniel De Lemos Duas Avos Productions
From Viet Nam to Oklahoma City, Community Recordings Trailer
Video credits: Matt Young
From Việt Nam to Oklahoma City: A Journey of Resilience and the History of the Vietnamese American Community in Oklahoma City
The Vietnamese American community in Oklahoma City has a vibrant and diverse history marked by resilience, determination, and a commitment to cultural heritage. Emerging from the tumultuous aftermath of the Vietnam War, members of this community navigated the complexities of resettlement in a foreign land, demonstrating remarkable strength in the face of adversity. Their enduring contributions have left an indelible mark on the tapestry of Oklahoma City, shaping its identity and enriching its cultural landscape.
We invite you to explore the individual stories below and read more about the history of the community here.
Gallery
Click on the images to read each story.
If you would like to contribute, please Share Your Story.
Three Attempts
Nathalie Ngo
Born in Gia Kiệm
Steve Tran
From Sóc Trăng, Vietnam
Hoang Thai
Just My Sister and I
Kevin Nguyen
I Had Just Turn Seven
Jeannine Laramie
The Coastal Town of Vũng Tàu
Jessica Nguyen
Never Enough Food
Diem Nguyen
We Left Sài Gòn in 1980
Phillip Tran
Two Years and Every Penny
Cat Fan
Huế to the Central Valley
Kevin Le
Help us improve the site! If you see typos, kinks, or just have ideas to make it better, please tell us by completing this survey or email us at stories@vietnameseboatpeople.org - subject line "Journeys Map".