Our Story

Growing up as a first-generation American, I was profoundly shaped by the stories I heard from my elders. My mother and her parents preserved their Vietnamese heritage through language and storytelling. For decades after arriving in the United States, the pressure to assimilate into American culture meant these small acts of personal expression, practiced only at home, were their sole connection to Vietnam. Since I was little, I have always associated ‘home’ with hearing my family telling stories of bustling Saigon or the quiet countryside of Hanoi rippling through a rich beef-pho-aroma-filled kitchen. In early 2024, my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer; I realized with dismay the importance and urgency of documenting these stories while I still can. As a result, the Immigration Archives was born, a project aiming to record and celebrate her stories. Beyond honoring my grandmother, the project is a tribute to cultural diversity. In a time when the political climate aims to use our differences to divide us, I believe they should be celebrated as a source of connection.