Vietnamese Portland Lewis & Clark College

In our last episode of Vietnamese Portland, activists and community leaders described their advocacy work for Portland’s Vietnamese community and other people of color. They tell us about their work in politics, urban planning and healthcare, where they strive for better representation and resources for Vietnamese Americans. We close with a retrospective look through the many narratives in this podcast series.

Featuring: Thuy Dam, Phil Duong, Bick Huynh, Chau Huynh, Thi Luong, Tommy Ngo, Chi Nguyen, Jacques Nguyen, Mary Nguyen, Man Ninh, Connie Nguyen-Truong, Adele Pham, Khanh Pham, Vu Pham, Minh Tran, Anthony Truong, Thao Tu, Thuy Tu, Margaret Vu, and Vinh Wong

We hear from Vietnamese Americans about their first experiences in the Portland job market and how they eventually found careers, often while dealing with language and cultural barriers. Portlanders discuss their involvement in the culinary and creative arts and tell us how each of their identities shape their work.

Featuring: Chau Huynh, Thi Luong, Chi Nguyen, Adele Pham, Vu Pham, Minh Tran, Tai Tu, Thao Tu, Thuy Tu, Margaret Vu, William Vuong, and Vinh Wong

Community members discuss the language and cultural barriers they faced in Portland. They also share their varied experiences navigating Portland’s school system and going to college. Parents and students discuss the difficulties of assimilating into American society while preserving their Vietnamese culture, language and traditions.

Featuring: Phil Duong, Bick Huynh, Khuong Le, Thi Luong, Dao Ngo, Tommy Ngo, Chi Nguyen, Mary Nguyen, Connie Nguyen-Truong, Khan Pham, Thai Tien Nguyen, Minh Tran, Thao Tu, Thuy Tu, Vinh Wong, and Loan Ziehl

Vietnamese Americans tell us about their first experiences in Portland. They described the communities they found in Northeast Portland, in places like the apartment complex known as Halsey Square, and the Vietnamese Catholic church, Our Lady of Lavang. We also focus on volunteer organizations like IRCO, the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, which provided social services in the face of declining federal funding.

Featuring: Thuy Dam, Phil Duong, Chau Huyhn, Azen Jaffe, Thi Luong, Chi Nguyen, Jacques Nguyen, Connie Nguyen-Truong, Adele Pham, Vu Pham, Thuy Tu, and Vinh Wong

Members of the community share their stories from after the Vietnam War. They describe being held prisoner in Communist “reeducation camps” and risking their lives at sea to escape persecution. We learn about what it was like leaving one life behind in search of another in America, and eventually Portland.

Featuring: Thuy Dam, Bick Huynh, Khong Le, Stephen Nghiem, Dao Ngo, Teresa Nguyen, Man Ninh, Vu Pham, Tai Tu, Thao Tu, Thuy Tu, Minh Tran, Margaret Vu, William Vuong, and Vinh Wong

Introducing Vietnamese Portland, a podcast presented by Lewis & Clark College and the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon. This 5-part series documents the stories of Portland's Vietnamese Americans, the largest Asian American group in Portland. This project aims to create a more inclusive history of the city by giving people of Vietnamese descent an opportunity to share their stories.