Evening commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the Vietnamese Boat People
Monday, April 28, 2025 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM EDT
Merten Hall, 1201
Between 1975 to 1992, almost two million Vietnamese risked their lives to flee oppression and hardship after the Vietnam War. Escaping by boat, while many were captured or did not survive the journey, many found freedom in other countries including Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, while others were resettled in the United States, Canada, Italy, Australia, France, or the United Kingdom in refugee camps. This population of people are known as the ‘Vietnamese Boat People'.
Please join us in welcoming speakers while they share their family stories, art, food, and more!
The event will include a discussion of the Vietnamese Boat People resettlement experience, a viewing of the Closing the Gap documentary, a conversation on the current state of refugees around the world and in the United States, and an art and book display.
The speakers include:
- Hanh Bui, Teacher, Author, and George Mason University Alum
- Tori Huynh, Teacher and PROUD President of the Fairfax County Public Schools Asian Educators Association & Asian Leadership Alliance Scholarship Foundation
- Steven Luu, U.S. Air Force Veteran, Artist, and Current MFA student at George Mason University School of Art
- Dr. Connie Park, Director of Make Us Visible Virginia and AAPI Education Director for the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia
- Len Tran, Chemical Engineer, Author, and Founder of Kinetic Mind, LLC.
- Matt Brown, Expert in International Development and Roles for Higher Education in Resettlement
- Moderator: Dr. Jim Witte, Director of the Institute for Immigration Research at George Mason University
Please save the date and RSVP. For questions, please email the Institute for Immigration Research at iir@gmu.edu.
The closest parking deck to Merten Hall is in the Rappahannock River Parking Deck. The street address for the Rappahannock River Parking Deck is: 4395 University Dr, Fairfax, VA 22030. For a map of the Fairfax Campus, please click here.
