Join the movement
Be Part of Something That Lasts
The VietAmerican Legacy Institute is built by community, for community. Whether you give your time, your story, or your support — there is a place for you here.
Every Role Matters
Preserving history is not a solo act. It takes archivists and storytellers, event organizers and educators, donors and advocates. Here are the ways you can make your mark on this mission.
Give your time
Volunteer With Us
Our volunteers are the backbone of everything we do — from staffing community events and conducting oral history interviews to translating documents and mentoring youth. No matter your background or schedule, there is a meaningful role for you.
Apply to Volunteer
Oral History Interviewer
Train with our archivists and conduct recorded interviews with community elders to capture stories before they are lost.
Event Coordinator
Help plan and run our annual commemorations, cultural festivals, and community gatherings throughout the year.
Youth Mentor
Work with students in our Heritage Education Program, guiding them through Vietnamese American history and identity.
Translation & Transcription
Help translate Vietnamese-language documents and transcribe recorded oral histories for our digital archive.
Digital & Social Media
Support our communications team with content creation, photography, and social media outreach.
Administrative Support
Assist with grant writing, donor outreach, data entry, and general office operations at our Westminster headquarters.
Become a member
Join as a Supporter
Membership is the most direct way to sustain the institute's work year-round. Members receive exclusive updates, invitations to private events, and the knowledge that their support keeps history alive.
Community Friend
$35/year
Annual newsletter, digital membership card, and our heartfelt thanks.
Become a MemberHeritage Supporter
$100/year
All Friend benefits plus invitations to member-only events and early access to new archive releases.
Become a MemberLegacy Circle
$250/year
All Supporter benefits plus recognition in our annual report and a personal call from our Executive Director.
Become a MemberShare your history
Contribute Your Story
Every family carries a piece of this history. Whether it is a photograph, a letter, a document, or a memory — your contribution helps build the most complete record of the Vietnamese American experience ever assembled.
Submit Your Story
Record an Oral History
Schedule a recorded interview with one of our trained archivists. Sessions can be conducted in person or via video call.
Donate Photographs
Share family photos from before, during, or after the refugee journey. We digitize and preserve every image with full attribution.
Submit Documents
Letters, identity papers, official records, and personal writings are invaluable to our archive. We accept originals and high-resolution scans.
Write Your Memoir
Our writing program pairs community members with volunteer editors to help document personal histories in their own words.
Current initiatives
Active Campaigns & Initiatives
1975 Oral History Project
A multi-year effort to record the testimonies of first-generation refugees who arrived in the United States between 1975 and 1985. We have collected 847 testimonies and aim to reach 2,000.
Yellow Flag Education Campaign
Partnering with school districts across Southern California to introduce Vietnamese American history into K–12 curricula. Currently active in 47 schools.
Digital Archive Expansion
Digitizing over 15,000 physical documents, photographs, and artifacts from our Westminster archive for permanent online access. Phase 1 is underway.
Ready to Make Your Mark?
Join thousands of community members who are keeping this history alive for the next generation. Fill out our interest form and we will match you with the right opportunity.