After two well-attended public unveiling events this fall, a new booklet about Arlington’s former Little Saigon is now available to the public. Called Echoes of Little Saigon, the full-color booklet was authored by Kim O’Connell with support from Arlington County’s Department of Cultural Affairs, Historic Preservation Program, and Center for Local History and a grant from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.

After the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War in April 1975, the commercial center in Clarendon became a thriving hub for newly arrived refugees from South Vietnam, several of whom opened memorable and popular businesses in the existing historic buildings, including Pacific Department Store, Queen Bee and Cafe Dalat restaurants, and My An Fabrics. Arlington’s response opened doors for future waves of immigration by other ethnic groups, establishing the county’s reputation as a welcoming and diverse community.

The booklet was first unveiled in September at the annual Mid-Autumn Festival (Tet Trung Thu) held at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center. O’Connell also talked about Vietnamese immigrants and Little Saigon at the We Are All Arlington! event at Wakefield High School, which was a celebration of and community conversation about Arlington’s immigrant communities.

Print copies of Echoes of Little Saigon are now available free of charge at the Center for Local History at Arlington Central Library or you can download a PDF version here. If you have any questions about the booklet, contact the author at kimoconnell1129@gmail.com.