October 18, 2007

Letter from the Editor

By Anh Do

The week — Cal State Fullerton’s week — kicked off with the type of gathering meant to unite the school and the immigrant community, showing what the campus in its 50th year has to offer.

First, it’s the much-publicized ''Exit Saigon, Enter Little Saigon,'' a Smithsonian exhibit celebrating 30 years of Vietnamese American life, sponsored by the university and now staged at Vi?t Art Center in Garden Grove, Calif.

Two generations of visitors came to its opening night last Tuesday, pausing at scene after scene, viewing, commenting. You went from ''being Vietnamese to becoming Vietnamese Americans,'' said Jeff Brody, professor of communications who greeted attendees, helping to host the event. The work lining the walls highlights ''you as individual heroes — and as a heroic community.''

The displays show the struggles, contributions and change of the refugees in their adopted home, the United States, to which they fled at the end of the Vi?t Nam War. It also showcases civic and political issues, along with the constant tug-and-pull of tradition vs. modernity in navigating new lives in a new land.

Just half of the entire exhibit is here in Orange County, through Dec. 2, as the other portion cannot travel, curator V? Ph?m says. After it leaves California it will tour nationwide to 11 other cities where there are large Vietnamese American populations.

The local reaction? ''There are some touching stories and images — especially the boat — that really struck me,'' says Katrina D??ng, a media planner at the IW Group advertising agency. ''I have family who went through the boat escape'' from Vi?t Nam ''and they really should come here to check it out, how it’s been retold.''

''I’m really glad that I can see a lot of Americans coming to see a Vietnamese show,'' says Katrina H?, a senior majoring in English and one of more than 2,100 Vietnamese American students on the Fullerton campus — the largest total of such students across the country. ''To me, it means that we are something; it makes us feel more at home.''

And speaking of home, guests to the college campus in the past week, attending VIBE — the Vietnamese International Bridging Expo — say they welcome the university’s outreach and at the same time they say they feel welcomed by officials.

The two-day expo, attracting thousands of participants from around Southern California, was launched by a team of Vietnamese American entrepreneurs as part of CSUF’s golden anniversary and designed to connect arts, business, culture and education. It began with a gala Thursday where four individuals — most alumni — were honored for achievements and contributions:

California Sen. Lou Correa: Elected to the state senate in 2006, he represents the 34th district, spanning Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Stanton and Westminster, and is a familiar face at Vietnamese community events. Among his priorities are pushing for affordable higher education, championing small businesses and rallying to fight poverty. He holds an economics degree from CSUF, along with an MBA and a jurist doctorate degree.

The late Phú Ng?c Nguy?n: The popular student activist, who passed away in 2005, was known for his dedication to his fellow youths, having been active in the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California, serving as chair of its annual T?t festival. On Sundays, he volunteered as a troop leader for a Buddhist group teaching children the Vietnamese language and its traditions. On campus, he had been a McNair Scholar, heading for medical school.

Ti?n M. Nguy?n: The lifelong learner claims four masters’ degrees, two doctorate degrees, more than six dozen professional awards, more than 200 published papers, nine patents and 24 years of experience in an array of technological industries. He is now program chief engineer for space and airborne systems at the Raytheon Co.

S?n Kim Võ: She is essentially the person who introduced the school to the community, working 19 years on campus and offering herself as a resource — and when needed, as family — to Vietnamese Americans and Vietnamese exchange students as well as Asians. A constant advocate for a deeper relationship between the academic and immigrant worlds, she initiated courses in the Vietnamese language and culture at CSUF, along with Asian American studies. As coordinator of the Intercultural Development Center, her network is global, her energy ''endless,'' according to her colleagues, allowing her to link the school to projects and people across Asia.

Tâm Nguy?n, president of VIBE, said he stood ''in awe'' of the honorees and what they have done for both his community and CSUF. While his group received a $40,000 grant from the school to organize the event, he said proceeds raised benefit current and future scholarships, which as a reflection of five decades, are called the ''Next Golden Idea.''

At the dinner, five students each won the $1,000 scholarship. They are: Jennifer ??, a senior majoring in kinesiology; Katrina H? (quoted above); Mark Ph?m, a senior human services major whose award was named in honor of the late Phú Ng?c Nguy?n and sponsored by Vi?t Báo; Tamara Tr?n, studying for her teaching credential in child adolescent studies and sociology; and Tùng Tr?n, a senior biological sciences major.

Tú-Uyên Nguy?n, assistant professor of Asian American studies, presented their awards, saying the high number of Vietnamese Americans enrolled at CSUF surprised her. ''I think it’s wonderful; it’s a big constituent and it’s even more wonderful'' that university President Milton Gordon ''has been supportive of finding ways to connect to them — the current students.''

''Just think of the thousands of other Vietnamese alumni that we haven’t started tapping into. Yet.''

Yours,
Anh Do