Alexander Nguyen was asked at the first session of a summer mentorship program why he was there. Seven weeks later, standing in the backyard of the Viet Museum on a blazing hot Saturday, he said he finally found an answer. “For 10 years, I have shut out my community,” he told a crowd of about 20 people. “This...
Will San Jose’s Vietnamese Heritage Garden ever blossom?
When a group of Vietnamese leaders came up with the idea of a heritage garden almost 40 years ago, the vision was grand. The Viet Heritage Garden in San Jose was supposed to be a cultural oasis featuring mini-replicas of different historical Vietnamese landmarks, a reflection pond and a pathway to a community center. Today, the garden...
San Jose’s Vietnamese community struggles with its political voice
In a city with the largest Vietnamese population in the nation, Vietnamese Americans are still struggling to find their voices in politics. The lack—and loss—of Vietnamese representation in San Jose politics is the result of a number of factors, community leaders say, including an inherited distrust in politics and a generational and ideological division in the...
Amid anti-Asian violence, San Jose’s Vietnamese residents embrace COVID-19 vaccines
Despite a fear of anti-Asian violence hanging over their heads, some Vietnamese residents lined up as early as 4 a.m. to get a COVID-19 vaccine at a new mobile clinic this week — a chance to defend themselves against a virus that’s disproportionately infecting them. “We initially expected around 700 people but now there’s about 1,000,” said Asian...
‘People are hurting’: San Jose’s largest Vietnamese mall hanging by a thread
Every day at 10 a.m., Nancy steps under the white arches of Grand Century Mall and pushes open the glass doors of her store, Lac’s Skincare & Cosmetics. Sometimes she’ll watch an Asian drama on her laptop. Other times, she’ll sit and people watch behind a countertop brimming with unopened skin care products. There’s the rare...
New Alum Rock district bilingual program helps students learn Vietnamese
Thu-Hong Tran ended a recent Zoom class by asking 14 kindergartners to count to 100 in celebration of 100 days of school. “In Vietnamese please,” she said. In East San Jose, Ben Painter Elementary is the first school in Alum Rock Union School District to launch a Vietnamese dual immersion program, allowing students to learn both English...
Election creates void on San Jose City Council for Vietnamese community
From the sensory delights of Little Saigon to colorful celebrations at Lion Square, the influence of the Vietnamese community is seeped in San Jose — except on the City Council. Following November’s election, San Jose — where more than 1 in 10 residents is Vietnamese — no longer has a councilmember representing the community, leaving...
South Bay Vietnamese Americans wrestle with COVID-19, lack of information
On a clear December day, the glowing sun hit a scant array of faces walking toward the Grand Century Mall in San Jose. In a plaza once teeming with visitors, particularly Vietnamese Americans, there were mostly shop owners and workers tending to business: distributing supplies, cleaning facilities and fulfilling to-go orders for loyal customers. San...
Vietnamese art and culture gain exposure with San Jose’s Chopsticks Alley
For Trami Cron, sharing Vietnamese art and culture is about more than creating community. It’s also about helping people focus on something positive. “We find that during these difficult times, there needs to be a light,” she said. “There needs to be some laughter and smiles.” As chief editor and founder of Chopsticks Alley Art,...