Vietnamese American Heritage Project

About the Vietnamese American Heritage Project and the Smithsonian Asian-American Pacific Program Started in 2004, the project’s vision is to commemorate the thirty plus years of mass Vietnamese migration to the United States, telling the story of challenge, sacrifice and change – an ongoing journey that is changing the face of America. The project’s mission is to educate and inform the public on Vietnamese American community development in the U.S. and to establish a legacy for future generations, through a series of projects: A major exhibit, Exit Saigon, Enter Little Saigon, spanning thirty years of Vietnamese American culture and history, opened in January 2007 at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. A traveling version of the exhibit covering 12 to 15 cities through 2010. A middle-school curriculum guide available to public and private school systems in the U.S. Public programs such as lectures, film screenings, panel discussions in Washington, D.C. and key cities around the country A permanent $1 Million Vietnamese-American endowment fund at the Smithsonian to provide for future projects in perpetuity For more information on the Vietnamese-American Heritage Project, visit the other sections of www.vietam.org The Smithsonian With 18 museums and 9 research centers, the Smithsonian Institution is the largest museum and research complex in the world. On an annual basis, 24 million visitors come to the Smithsonian and another 97 million visit the Smithsonian on the web. It reaches another 30 million visitors a year with traveling exhibits. The Smithsonian brand is ranked #1 for quality and trust by Equitrend and it enjoys a 93% brand recognition among American adults. Its publication, the Smithsonian Magazine, has two million subscribers, one of the largest circulations for a general interest magazine. It has been named the fourth most recognizable consumer print brand in America by Total Research. For more information about the SI, visit http://www.si.edu/
Asian Pacific American Program Dr. Franklin Odo In 1997 the Smithsonian embarked on an historic journey to incorporate the meaningful elements of Asian Pacific American (APA) heritages into its exhibits, public programs and research. Led by Dr. Franklin Odo, the APA Program improves the public's appreciation of the crucial roles that Asian Pacific Americans have played in American history and simultaneously empowers APA communities in their sense of inclusion within our national culture.	Dr. Franklin Odo, Director of the Smithsonian APA Program
Dr. Vu Pham Heritage Project Director After a nation-wide search, the APA Program hired Dr. Vu H. Pham to curate the upcoming exhibit. Dr. Pham completed his doctoral work in History at Cornell University with an emphasis on Asian American Studies, Vietnam Studies and Organizational Culture.
Francey Lim Youngberg Francey is the Development Consultant to the Smithsonian APA Program. She assisted Dr. Odo in creating the 5 year strategic plan for the APA Program in 2000. Currently, she raises funds and develops programs in various Asian Pacific American communities. Prior to consulting, Ms. Youngberg served as the Founding Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies from 1996-1999 and worked as a tax attorney for major law firms in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and Harvard Law School.

2006 Copy Rights. SI-APA Vietnamese American Heritage Project. All Rights Reserved.
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