Our Core Principles
What We Stand For
Five pillars that define our mission, guide our work, and honor the sacrifice of Vietnamese American refugees.
Pillar 01
Preserving Refugee History
The Story Must Not Be Forgotten
On April 30, 1975, South Vietnam fell to communist forces. In the days, months, and years that followed, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese fled their homeland by any means possible — by boat, by foot, by sheer will to survive. They left behind everything they had built, everything they loved, to seek freedom.
VietAmerican Legacy Institute exists to ensure this history is documented, preserved, and taught with the gravity it deserves. We collect oral histories, family archives, photographs, and testimonies so that future generations can understand the full weight of what their ancestors endured.
History that is not preserved is history that can be erased. We will not allow that to happen.
Pillar 02
Honoring the Yellow Flag
A Symbol of Freedom, Sacrifice, and Identity
The flag of the Republic of Vietnam — yellow with three horizontal red stripes — is far more than a historical artifact. For Vietnamese Americans, it is a living symbol of the nation that was lost, the freedom that was fought for, and the identity that must be protected.
We stand firmly in defense of this flag and what it represents. It is the banner under which South Vietnamese soldiers gave their lives. It is the symbol carried by refugees as they fled communist oppression. It is the emblem that unites a diaspora community across generations and continents.
To honor the yellow flag is to honor every person who sacrificed under it. We will never allow its meaning to be diminished or its history to be rewritten.
Pillar 03
Educating Younger Generations
Knowledge Is the Foundation of Legacy
The children and grandchildren of Vietnamese refugees are growing up in a world that may not fully understand what their families endured. Without deliberate education, the depth of this history risks being reduced to footnotes — or lost entirely.
We develop educational programs, resources, and community events designed to bring this history alive for younger generations. We want Vietnamese American youth to know where they came from, to understand the price of the freedom they enjoy, and to feel a deep sense of pride in their heritage.
An educated community is an empowered community. When young Vietnamese Americans know their history, they are equipped to carry it forward with purpose and conviction.
Pillar 04
Protecting Distinct Identity
Our Identity Is Not Negotiable
Vietnamese American refugees and their descendants carry a distinct identity — one shaped by the experience of loss, survival, resilience, and rebuilding. This identity is not interchangeable with any other narrative. It must be protected from erasure, dilution, and misrepresentation.
We stand against any effort to reframe the Vietnamese American refugee experience in ways that minimize communist atrocities, sanitize the fall of Saigon, or conflate the identity of those who fled oppression with those who imposed it.
Our community's story is one of courage and conviction. We will tell it truthfully, on our own terms, for as long as it needs to be told.
Pillar 05
Promoting Civic Engagement
Gratitude Expressed Through Participation
Vietnamese Americans came to the United States seeking freedom — and found it. That gift carries a responsibility: to participate actively in the civic life of this nation, to defend the values that made refuge possible, and to contribute to the country that opened its doors.
We encourage Vietnamese Americans to vote, to serve, to lead, and to engage in the democratic process at every level. Civic engagement is not just a right — it is an expression of gratitude and a fulfillment of the promise that brought so many here.
A community that participates in its democracy is a community that shapes its own future. We are committed to building that kind of engaged, empowered Vietnamese American presence across the United States.
Stand With Us
These five pillars are not just words — they are commitments. Join VietAmerican Legacy Institute in honoring the past, protecting the present, and building a future worthy of the sacrifice that made it possible.
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