Recap of Program:
Champagne brunch and viewing of the exhibit, Hope of Freedom: Project Ngoc's Decade of Dedication.
University Librarian Lorelei Tanji welcomed guests to the UCI Libraries.
Michelle Light, Head of Special Collections and Archives, described the mission and goals of the Southeast Asian Archive.
Daniel Do-Khanh, Chair of the Vietnamese American Community Ambassadors, gave an inspiring talk about his background and the importance of preserving the history of our Southeast Asian American community. Daniel described the VACA Initiative to raise $25,000 to help hire a temporary archivist to collect and process materials for the Southeast Asian Archive, and invited support for the initiative.
Mai-Phuong Nguyen, MD (3rd PN Co-Chair, 1988-89 Currently, Minority Healthcare physician leader at CMA) gave an touching and informative tribute to Project Ngoc members with the slide show: "The Tale of Project Ngoc, A Love Story."
Dr. Thuy Vo Dang (Director, UCI Vietnamese-American Oral History Project) led a panel discussion on the Living Legacy of Project Ngoc. Participating were: Anh-Thai Quang Dinh (Former PN advisor and currently Assistant to the Publisher, Nguoi Viet Daily News), Anne Frank (Founding librarian of the Southeast Asian Archive), Dr. Mai-Phuong Nguyen, Nicole Nguyen (Final PN Co-Chair, 1996-97 and currently Project Manager at United Healthcare), Thanh Nguyen (PN volunteer/advisor and Co-Founder SAP-VN (Social Assistance Program to VietNam)), and Dr. Tu-Uyen Nguyen (PN Washington DC intern and refugee camp volunteer, 1991, and currently, Associate Professor of Asian-Am Studies at CSU-Fullerton).
Following the program, guests enjoyed tours of the Southeast Asian Archive Reading Room and Special Collections and Archives.
Langson Library | Google Map
Parking in Lot 1 is included in the registration fee for attendees.
The entrance for Parking Lot 1 is located off of Pereria Drive. Please see this map for more information. Langson Library is Building 102; parking lot 1 is nearby.
See also driving directions to main campus.
Financial donations are encouraged to support the UCI Libraries Southeast Asian Archive. Since 1987, the UCI Libraries Southeast Asian Archive has preserved the histories of refugees and immigrants from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam who left their home countries after 1975. Working with community advisers, UCI staff have collected books, journals, photographs, letters, diaries, organizational records, paintings, audio-visual materials, and more about the Southeast Asian American experience. The collections are used by community members, students, faculty, scholars, journalists, and others from across the world to tell stories that might otherwise go untold.
Funds raised at this event will go towards the VACA initiative to hire an archivist to build collections about Southeast Asian Americans for future generations. VACA seeks to raise $25,000.
What will the archivist do? The archivist will build relationships in the Southeast Asian American community and identify important historical materials that document the Southeast Asian American experience for preservation. The archivist will focus on collecting, organizing, and preserving unique, unpublished archival materials. The VACA initiative will fund an archivist for one year, but this is just a starting point. Continuing partnerships and support from the Southeast Asian American community are essential to help UCI preserve the historical legacy of Southeast Asian Americans for future generations. The Southeast Asian Archive is an internationally recognized research collection and is a top priority for the UCI Libraries.
To make a tax deductible donation, give online now, or print out a form to mail.
Donors to this fund will receive special gifts:
- $100: 10 cards or 1 8x10 print (see images below)
- $250: 20 cards or 2 8x10 prints, library borrowing privileges for 1 year (upon request), access to premium electronic resources (upon request) including ProQuest Snapshots, and Value Line Investment Survey
- $500: 20 cards and 2 8x10 prints, library totebag, library borrowing privileges for 1 year (upon request), access to premium electronic resources (upon request) including ProQuest Snapshots, and Value Line Investment Survey
Image choices
| 1 |
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Title:Hope of freedom
Creator:Trinh, Quoc Lap, Artist |
| 2 |
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Title: Full moon of the mid-autumn festival in the free land
Creator: Nguyen, Binh Thai, Artist |
| 3 |
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Title: The dinner of traditional Tet in closed camp
Creator: Vu, Minh Van, Artist |
| 4 |
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Title: The strength of youth
Creator: Unknown |
| 5 |
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Title: Dreams and reality
Creator: Nguyen, Quang Phuc |
| 6 |
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Title: The rose
Creator: Hoang, Quoc Bien, Artist |
| 7 |
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Title: Family life
Creator:Hoang, Quoc Bien, Artist |
| 8 |
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Title: The last hope
Creator: Bui, Duc Loc |
| 9 |
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Title: Why?
Creator: Nguyen, Quang Phuc |
| 10 |
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Title: Rejection Letter
Creator: Trinh, Do |
The UCI Libraries exhibit, Hope of Freedom: Project Ngoc's Decade of Dedication, which was on view from April to October 4th, 2012 celebrated the power of student activism while also remembering the many tragedies of the Southeast Asian refugee crisis. Drawing deeply from the Project Ngoc Records in the Libraries Southeast Asian Archive, the exhibit included photographs, correspondence, clippings, flyers, and reproductions of the powerful paintings that Project Ngoc members collected from refugee artists detained in camps in Hong Kong and Thailand. To learn more about this inspiring exhibit, please go to our Exhibits website: http://www.lib.uci.edu/about/publications/exhibits/library-exhibits.html.
Initiated as a class in 1987 by UCI graduate student Tom Wilson, Project Ngoc raised awareness about the plight of Southeast Asian refugees and provided direct relief to refugees detained in camps. Project Ngoc raised money to send students to work as teachers, counselors, and translators in refugee camps in Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Thailand, and to lobby in Washington, D.C. on behalf of Southeast Asian refugees. In Orange County, they organized protests, vigils, art exhibits, concerts, and conferences. These ambitious students had a tremendous impact at home and abroad. Project Ngoc disbanded in 1997, after most Vietnamese refugees had been resettled or repatriated.
Some reflections from UCI students who visited the exhibit:
- ""Project Ngoc really opened my eyes to the wondrous things that students can do when they really fight for a passion... It's amazing to think that students really do have a voice and the power to make a difference on such an international front."
- "I personally was very touched by the effort shown by UC Irvine students who participated in Project Ngoc, which made significant strides towards improving the lives of refugees... This exhibit underscores the fact that college students are able to empower themselves through a uniting cause and truly make a difference for others... To see this exhibit shed light on these tragic journeys that so many of its students have grown up knowing is truly inspiring and emotional for me. Many of these tragedies resulting from the refugee experience are also completely unknown to our generation...."
- "I was mostly moved by Project Ngoc itself. The fact that students from UC Irvine were involved in this project and went to these camps to not only witness and experience the crisis first hand, but also to spread awareness and advocate for the refugees back in California is truly inspiring... The fact that this class bridged the university with community organizations and social justice is truly beautiful and is something I would love to see with more classes today."
- "...as I spent time looking at the exhibit, I was very ecstatic to learn that Project Ngoc was started by a group of ambitious UCI students. I could not help but think about what kind of actions I would have done if I was a UCI student back then and how the whole campus reacted to Project Ngoc... These students actually went overseas to help work with the refugee community or lobby in Washington D.C... I was glad to learn about the Project Ngoc because not only did it raise my knowledge about Vietnam refugees, it made me proud to be a UC Irvine student."
- "While walking the exhibit reading the description of the person who drew the paintings, their experience reminded me of my family because they were boat people.... I am planning on taking my family to the Project Ngoc exhibit and maybe via this opportunity it will open up our communications for them to talk more about their experience and for me to ask more questions."
- "I loved the exhibit, for it gave me an understanding of what my parents and family had to go through during this hard time. I asked my dad about his experience when I got home after seeing the exhibit, and it made me respect him even more....This exhibit was very eye-opening and helped me better understand my culture."
The UCI Libraries Southeast Asian Archive preserves the historical records of Project Ngoc. The records are described in a finding aid. Anyone is welcome to consult the materials in the Special Collections and Archives Reading Room. Some materials are also available online.
If former members have any additional historical records about Project Ngoc (e.g., photographs, diaries, correspondence, etc.), the Southeast Asian Archive welcomes additional donations to this collection. Contact michelle.light@uci.edu for more information.
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