The first installment of Little Saigon Stories brought together people from many walks of life to celebrate and enjoy food, poetry at inaugural multimedia art installation at Fair at 44.
Vietnamese-American youth trained on how to capture the people and places of the Little Saigon District in San Diego through photography and film. After two years of work, the multimedia installation became available for the community to enjoy. The collection of stories through photography and film honor Vietnamese refugees and descendants living and working in San Diego’s Little Saigon District on El Cajon Boulevard.
Guests at the event shared their “Little Saigon Story” and what moved them to see this project. Little Saigon Stories captures some of the triumphs and challenges Vietnamese people face since they have settled in the United States. The result describes a rich culture, filled with good food, unity and hope.
The event featured food by Sabor Pri Pri, boba by LiveBerry Fresh, coffee by Dojo Cafe, raffles to local restaurants. Performances included poetry by special guest Alex Luu, music by Alexander Nguyen, and host Viet Mai, a local spoken word artist.
The Media Arts Center San Diego would like to thank partners who helped make Little Saigon Stories possible: The AjA Project, the El Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement Association and the Little Saigon Foundation San Diego.
Special thanks to the City Heights Community Development Corporation, the Fair at 44 and the Dojo Cafe. This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities; by the National Endowment for the Arts, by LISC San Diego, by the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, and the California arts Council. You can still visit the installation at the Fair at 44.
Find out more about Little Saigon Stories at https://mediaartscenter.org/littlesaigon/
A digital archive of the collection of photographs and films will be available soon.
Read more at Speak City Heights http://www.speakcityheights.org/
Produced by Jasmine Arreaga, Media Arts Center San Diego http://www.mediaartscenter.org/
Speak City Heights is a media collaborative with partners KPBS, voiceofsandiego.org, The AjA Project and Media Arts Center San Diego with funding from the California Endowment, aimed at amplifying the voices of residents in one of San Diego’s most diverse neighborhoods.