Vietnamese Texans Establishing New Roots & Identities in Austin
by Guest Writer on August 14th, 2009
Photo courtesy Austin History Center, Austin Public Library.
Written by Andy Rhodes
Austin has become the destination of choice for Texas’ Vietnamese-Americans, drawn by the capital city’s progressive culture and perpetual growth. (Photo: Austin History Center, Austin Public Library)
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I entered the Austin History Center’s recent exhibit, “Vietnam to Austin: Restoring Community.” In my 15 years as an Austin resident, I’d heard little about the city’s Vietnamese-American community, so I was curious to see how an entire exhibit could be devoted to a subject that hadn’t often appeared on my radar screen.
Turns out, I hadn’t adjusted my perception properly. Austin’s Vietnamese-American community had been steadily growing in numbers and influence over the past decade, but it took the history center’s exhibit to fine tune my awareness.
Traditionally, Texas’ Vietnamese-American communities have been associated with large metropolitan areas like Houston and Dallas, where thousands of fellow countrymen share neighborhoods and millions of residents provide a customer base for family-run businesses. But in the past ten years, Austin has become the destination of choice for Texas’ Vietnamese-Americans, drawn by the capital city’s progressive culture and perpetual growth.
Since 2000, Austin’s Vietnamese-American population has increased considerably, from approximately 8,000 to nearly 20,000, according to Esther Chung of the Austin History Center. She adds that the current generation of Vietnamese-Americans feels far separated from the political events of nearly 40 years ago, when they broke ties with the past and focused on the future in their new country.
I was impressed with the Austin History Center’s exhibit, which showcased the progression of the city’s Vietnamese-American population, from its early days of displaced refugees to its current burgeoning populace of high-tech workers and mainstream families. A sizable portion of new residents are recent University of Texas graduates, who often choose to remain in Austin’s vibrant urban environment.
Chung told me that after a long history of imperialism and political strife, Vietnamese-Americans found opportunity and hope in Texas, where families joined Scout troops, political organizations, and especially churches, which serve as important spiritual and social gathering places. Though some are Buddhist, most Vietnamese in Austin are Catholic. Many families were drawn to Christianity when they were sponsored by churches as refugees, and they still feel a strong sense of connection to the Christian faith.
Chung added that the exhibit title, “Restoring Community,” referred to the concept of picking up the shattered pieces of the Vietnam War’s aftermath and establishing a renewed identity as Austinites. She helped put my perspective in focus when she reminded me that this new generation is brimming with optimism and that “their history as Americans is just beginning.”
Andy Rhodes is the managing editor of the Texas Historical Commission’s magazine, The Medallion.
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