Full Description
A collective memoir of community reimagining, The Making of Little Saigon orchestrates the voices of activists, writers, artists, entrepreneurs, and scholars who have inhabited and nurtured Little Saigon, Orange County, California, into a beloved sanctuary—a sumptuous enclave of Vietnamese refugees and immigrants in the US. This constellation of narratives chronicles collective memories of settlement, nostalgia, (dis)enchantments, and aspirations as the community has evolved over time. From oceanic crossings to forging a new home, every story interweaves and reverberates with a history of pain and beauty, disunity and solidarity, failure, and resilience as the community careens forward into an uncertain future.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part 1: An Odyssey of Self-Discovery
Chapter 1: Crossing Oceans and Cultures: An Intimate Journey to Belonging
Chapter 2: Farewell to Vietnam, Embracing Little Saigon
Chapter 3: Genesis and Pathways: Forging a New Community
Chapter 4: Echoes of Belonging: Creating Representation and Emotional Ties
Chapter 5: Enchanting Nostalgia: A Dance with the Past
Chapter 6: Exiled Identities in Motion: A Symphony of Journeys
Chapter 7: Sweet Dreams and Bitter Realities
Chapter 8: The Art of Mastery: Sculpting and Rethinking the Immigrant Identity
Chapter 9: Emergence: Building a New Home
Chapter 10: A Voyage into the Unknown
Part 2: Voices of Movers and Shakers
Chapter 11: Flourishing Amidst the Trials: The Triumph of Economic Tenacity
Chapter 12: The Unbreakable Splendor: Resilient Pride
Chapter 13: Safeguarding the Soulful Exile: Nurturing Art and Culture
Chapter 14: Ethnic Tapestry: Vietnamese Politics in Harmony
Chapter 15: The Community in Transit
Index
About the Authors
