A people's reckoning
The Movement
Thirty years of fighting to be remembered — and to remember correctly.
How it began
Born from Silence
On April 30, 1975, the Republic of Vietnam fell. More than three million Vietnamese fled — by boat, by foot, through jungles and open seas — to escape communist rule. They arrived in America with nothing but memory and resolve.
For decades, their story was told by others, or not told at all. The flags they fought under were banned. The sacrifices of their soldiers were erased. Their children grew up in a country that did not know what their parents had survived.
The VietAmerican Legacy Institute was founded on a single conviction: that this community deserves to write its own history — and that history must be preserved before the last witnesses are gone.
This community deserves to write its own history — and that history must be preserved before the last witnesses are gone.
— Beti Lapson Luu, Founder
What we fight for
Five Fronts of the Movement
Refugee History
We document and amplify the lived experiences of Vietnamese refugees — the boat people, the re-education camp survivors, the HO Program families — so their stories become part of the permanent American record.
Learn moreThe Yellow Flag
The flag of the Republic of Vietnam is not a relic. It is a living symbol of freedom, sacrifice, and identity. We defend its display and educate the public on what it represents.
Learn moreEducation
We develop curriculum, oral history archives, and community programs that bring the Vietnamese American refugee experience into classrooms and cultural institutions across the country.
Learn moreIdentity
We affirm the distinct identity of Vietnamese Americans who fled communist rule — separate from, and not to be conflated with, the government that drove them from their homeland.
Learn moreCivic Engagement
We mobilize the community to participate in the democratic process — to vote, to run for office, to advocate for legislation that honors their history and protects their rights.
Learn moreOur journey
Milestones of the Movement
The Fall
April 30 — Saigon falls. Over three million Vietnamese begin a decades-long exodus. The movement to preserve their legacy begins the moment they set foot on free soil.
The Institute Founded
Beti Lapson Luu and a circle of community leaders establish the VietAmerican Legacy Institute in response to growing erasure of the refugee experience from public memory.
First Oral History Archive
The Institute launches its first structured oral history project, recording testimonies from first-generation refugees in Southern California.
Yellow Flag Legislation
Working with local governments across the country, the Institute helps pass resolutions recognizing the Heritage and Freedom Flag of Vietnamese Americans.
National Education Initiative
The Institute partners with school districts to introduce Vietnamese American refugee history into K–12 social studies curriculum.
50 Years — Still Standing
On the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, the Institute leads commemorations in cities across America, reaffirming that the community's story will not be forgotten.
The Movement Needs You
Whether you carry this history in your blood or you simply believe it deserves to be told — there is a place for you in this work.