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Little Saigon Booklet Now Available

Little Saigon Booklet Now Available

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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…

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Upcoming Event: Arlington’s Little Saigon, Sept. 18

Upcoming Event: Arlington’s Little Saigon, Sept. 18

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The public is invited to the unveiling of a newly published, full-color booklet documenting the history and significance of the arrival of Vietnamese immigrants to Arlington County following the fall of Saigon in 1975. The Little Saigon commercial center in Clarendon became a thriving commercial hub for newly arrived refugees from South Vietnam, and Arlington’s response opened doors for future waves of immigration by other ethnic groups, establishing the city’s reputation as a welcoming and diverse community. During this year’s…

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Guest Post: A “Living Museum” about
Little Saigon

Guest Post: A “Living Museum” about
Little Saigon

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April 30, 2015, marked the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War. After the war, many Vietnamese refugees settled in Arlington, Virginia, and the Clarendon neighborhood briefly became known as “Little Saigon.” On Saturday, a cultural heritage event took place in Clarendon to recognize this important history. The event featured a County Board proclamation, a temporary public art installation by Vietnamese-American artist Khánh H. Lê (now on view at the Center for Local…

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Clarendon Event May 9 Will Commemorate Arlington’s Little Saigon

Clarendon Event May 9 Will Commemorate Arlington’s Little Saigon

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On Saturday, May 9, 2015, as part of Clarendon’s Neighborhood Day celebration, the Arlington County Board, county staff, local artists and students, and members of the Vietnamese community will participate in a special program to honor Clarendon’s Vietnamese history, particularly the period of the late 1970s and 1980s when it was known as “Little Saigon.” All are invited to take part in this special event that will include a hands-on public art activity and self-guided smartphone tours of historic buildings…

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Recording Vietnamese Voices in Arlington

Recording Vietnamese Voices in Arlington

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As we’ve reported, Preservation Arlington has been proud to sponsor an ongoing project by master’s degree students from Virginia Tech’s Department of Urban Affairs and Planning (National Capital Region) to collect and preserve Vietnamese heritage in Arlington. The students have now completed the first phase of this project, which involved collecting stories, photos and artifacts from Vietnamese community members who immigrated to, shopped at or owned businesses in Arlington’s Clarendon neighborhood when it was known as “Little Saigon” during the…

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Collecting and Preserving Arlington’s Vietnamese Heritage

Collecting and Preserving Arlington’s Vietnamese Heritage

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In the late 1970s and early 1980s, after the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War, the arrival of thousands of Vietnamese refugees and immigrants in the Washington, D.C., area led to the creation of a Vietnamese enclave in Clarendon. This community became widely known as “Little Saigon.” Department stores, restaurants, fabric and furniture stores, and other establishments filled the Clarendon strip, revitalizing an area that was, at the time, disrupted by Metro construction. The Clarendon metro…

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