Newsletter: Vietnamese community and refugee resettlement programs commemorate 50 years in San Diego
Fifty years after the fall of Saigon, networks formed to welcome Vietnamese families continue to serve new groups of refugees — from Afghans to Congolese.
Saludos a todes (Greetings everyone),
Fifty years ago, tens of thousands of Vietnamese refugees arrived at Camp Pendleton after the fall of Saigon.
The organizations that started up in San Diego to help those newcomers stayed even after the arrival of Vietnamese immigrants slowed, creating an infrastructure ready to help resettle refugees from around the world. In the decades since, San Diego County became a top destination for refugees in California, resettling people from countries around the world including Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Democratic Republic of Congo.
San Diego resident Toai Pham, who married a U.S. citizen and left Vietnam weeks prior to the fall of Saigon, volunteered in the early 1980s as an interpreter with the American Red Cross to help newly arrived Vietnamese women and children.
“I feel like I'm a very lucky person, so why not help the people less fortunate that come here,” Pham said. “That's the motivation that gave me a lot of weight to do that kind of help.”
The International Rescue Committee, one of San Diego's four refugee resettlement agencies, was among the groups that got its start at Camp Pendleton, according to Sharon Kennedy, its executive director.
Kennedy said the Vietnamese refugees who stayed in San Diego have been a model for the groups who have come since.
“That was the start of having a large number of people coming at once, but also getting to watch them succeed and become a true part of our community,” Kennedy said, “It shows the promise of America. We're a nation of immigrants, and people can come here after really difficult circumstances, but they can make it in their day, and their kids, grandkids can thrive.”
After the refugees moved on from Camp Pendleton, the International Rescue Committee opened offices in San Diego and other cities in Southern California to continue its work.
At the time, refugees entered the U.S. through presidential authorization.
Congress formalized a resettlement program with the Refugee Act of 1980. Signed by President Jimmy Carter, it established a coordinated national program and created a formal partnership between the State Department and the resettlement agencies.
The law ensured that all refugees received the same core set of services instead of different types of support depending on which group helped them, according to Kennedy.
Though Jewish Family Service, a nonprofit that works in refugee resettlement, among other social services, started in 1918, the organization's work with refugees ramped up after the act passed, according to Ross Frackel, director of refugee resettlement at the organization's San Diego office.
Despite the current administration's efforts to end refugee resettlement, Frackel said it has been an “astoundingly successful” bipartisan program.
The network supporting refugees in the region has grown through the San Diego Refugee Forum, where schools, faith-based organizations, resettlement agencies and government officials that provide support for refugees meet monthly to address common issues, Kennedy said.
Meanwhile, Pham said many of the refugees she helped are now thriving — something she takes pride in.
“You look at them now — you don't even know how they get here,” she said. “I always bow my head with them.”
She remembers how word of her English skills spread through the community of newcomers, she said. People knocked on her door, encouraging her to get involved in the resettlement efforts as a translator.
Her home became a hub of activity as she and her husband helped new arrivals find jobs.
“To me, they are alive to show us how strong they are,” Pham said.
Little Saigon San Diego is hosting a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnamese community in San Diego at Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park on June 7.
— Marco Guajardo
Nonprofit targets clothing insecurity
Sharia’s Closet was founded by Shamine Linton founded Sharia's Closet because being of service to her community was a lifelong dream. The organization partners with more than 200 referring organizations across San Diego to serve people in need of emergency clothing. Since its founding in 2013, the closet has provided clothesing to more than 64,000 people through its locations across San Diego County. Sharia’s Closet is always accepting clothing donations, and every piece of clothing goes to someone in need. — Brittany Cruz-Fejeran
San Diego and Tijuana are celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride with events throughout June and July, including parades, community gatherings, performances and more. From attending Tijuana’s downtown march to traveling with the San Diego-based Queer Sol Collective for a weekend retreat in Northern California, the region offers dozens of events for San Diegans of all ages. — Marco Guajardo
San Diego's Hazara community — an ethnic minority group from Afghanistan, many recently arrived in the United States — celebrated its heritage in a daylong festival at Liberty Station. Performers read poetry, told jokes, played instruments and sang throughout the day. A Hazara woman in Pakistan launched the annual celebration a few years ago, and the city of San Diego joined officially this year with the mayor proclaiming May 19 as Hazara Cultural Day. — Kate Morrissey
Other news
Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided an Italian restaurant in South Park on Friday evening. Neighbors and other community members responded with a spontaneous protest, and officials launched a pair of flash bangs at the crowd. Over the weekend, the community rallied to support Buona Forchetta and its workers.
San Diego’s controversial ban against beach yoga lessons has been deemed unconstitutional by a Federal appeals court, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported this week. The decision overturns a lower court ruling and allowsprotects yoga to continue in shoreline parks under the First Amendment as protected speech.
Upcoming Events
June 7
Pride By The Beach: Organized by the North County LGBTQ Resource Center, which serves more than 13 cities, this festival includes social advocacy workshops and a Mx. Pride by the Beach drag competition. It also features a Queerosity booth for attendees to ask questions about their identity or supporting others as an ally.
DJ Inspire will be spinning live on the mainstage with local artist Jessica Duron performing in the afternoon. 12-6 p.m., 300 North Coast Highway, Oceanside, CA 92054
June 8
The Big Gay Picnic: Pride All-Stars: The monthly queer community picnic in Balboa Park includes lawn games, potluck and an appearance from America’s Finest City Softball League team members. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 2808 Balboa Drive, San Diego, CA 92103
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