February 24, 2009 | Yvonne Lim Wilson
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Following the Vietnam War in 1975, thousands of Vietnamese were forced to flee their country after the Communists took over. In Texas alone, the number of Vietnamese Americans increased from a few to over 500,000. It was a desperate escape for freedom.
“Most were refugees who fled after the fall of Saigon, or they were boat people who risked life and limb on the rough Indo-China Sea during a three decade period from 1970 to early 1990. Still others were political prisoners who were allowed to settle in the US after spending many years in prison without any trial or due process just because of their past affiliation with the US or due to ideological differences with the communist regime,” said Nancy Bui, a founder and current president of the Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation.
And so this community of refugees has grown, making significant contributions to their new adopted homeland. Their story is behind the “Vietnam to Austin: Restoring Community” exhibit at the Austin History Center, which opened Feb. 21 and runs through July 17.
“Most Americans don’t know about Vietnamese history – how and why we came here. I hope people will understand us more,” Bui said. “The only way to have people understand is to open your heart.”
The Foundation is opening its heart to the general public through historical documents, oral histories, photographs and art at the exhibit.
The exhibit is groundbreaking, showcasing a local Asian American community in the United States. It’s believed to be the first of its kind in the United States, and the first Asian American exhibit at the Austin History Center.
“The best thing about this exhibit is that it features local people, our fellow community members. It’s not people from out of town. They are here and they contribute to our community,” said Esther Chung, neighborhood liaison to the Asian American community for the Austin History Center.
The time was ripe to feature Vietnamese Americans, Chung said. Vietnamese are the largest group of Asian Americans, as well as the fastest growing group, in Austin.
“The Vietnamese are at the forefront,” Chung said. “You can see that in all the businesses that are booming. People are making history now.”
To illustrate the journey from past to present, the exhibit will feature the story of one man traveling from Vietnam to Austin, which will be woven into the various displays.
Other highlights include love letters written between a couple torn apart by of the war for 10 years and reunited here in Austin; paintings by Tien Nguyen, who created microart on grains of rice during his time as a political prisoner in Vietnam; oral histories, photos, personal memoirs. Special guests include Rep. Hubert Vo, the first Vietnamese American to serve on the Texas State Legislature, and other local politicians.
There will also be a photo panel on Summit Elementary, which offers a bilingual program. Summit students will also be there to perform a traditional dragon dance.
The exhibit was developed in partnership with the Vietnamese Heritage Foundation, which does not currently have a permanent space to display their materials. All materials displayed in the exhibit will be donated to the Austin History Center.
“This was an honor and a real pleasure for us to present. We hope people will be more aware of the importance of preserving our history, especially the under-documented groups like Asian Americans here,” Bui said. “The Vietnamese American Community in Austin for the most part is a political refugee community. We are all very thankful for the kindness that Austinites have embraced us with. We also understand however, that even in a beautiful place as Central Texas, one should never be fully content with government, and we continually strive to improve Austin so that it can remain the best place to live in the country.”
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