FVPPA Collection Attracts International Researcher

Van, a conscientious researcher from Geneva, Switzerland, spent three weeks in the Vietnam Archive gleaning information from over 13,000 Orderly Departure Program (ODP) Applications in the Families of Vietnamese Political Prisoners Associaiton (FVPPA) Collection (Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation), as well as other documents in other various Collections, for her Doctorial Thesis. She is currently attending the Universite du Quebec in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and hopes to earn a PhD in History. Van learned about the Vietnam Archive's FVPPA Collection when she contacted the Archive's Reference Archivist, Amy Hooker. Van's ability to read, write, and speak French, English, and Vietnamese (she also speaks German) aided her in gathering ODP Applicants' biographical data and curriculum vitae. Van was an absolute delight to have as a researcher in the Archive and the staff enjoyed having her here.

FVPPA Collection Continues to Help Refugees

Although the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee's (UNHCR) Orderly Departure Program closed in 1994 the Vietnam Archive's Families of Vietnamese Political Prisoner's Association (FVPPA) Collection (Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation) continues to help Vietnamese refugees immigrate to the U.S. Just this month a former Vietnamese reeducation camp prisoner was able to obtain political asylum in the U.S. by using the documents found in the FVPPA Collection to prove his case. This is an unexpected and profound use of the FVPPA Collection documents.

Ambassador Siv Interview

Photo taken by Victoria Lovelady, Public Relations Coordinator

The oral hisotry interview of Ambassador Sichan Siv is now available online. To listen to this remarkable interview click here or search the Vietnam Center and Archive's Virtual Vietnam Archive.

Vietnam Center & Archive's 1st Film Festival

To celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month the Vietnam Center and Archive held its very first film festival on April 20th, 21st, and 23rd, 2009. The Vietnam Center and Archive collaborated with the International Cultural Center, Student Union and Activities, Tech Activities Board, Texas Tech University Libraries, PBS American Experience, and The CH Foundation to show the films New Year Baby and Daughter From Danang. The film festival was a success with an estimated combined 260 students attending the three showings. After the showing of New Year Baby on April 20th, 35 students stayed to hear a discussion panel conducted by Dr. Miriam Mulsow and Sothy Eng.

An Interview With Ambassador Sichan Siv

Photo Courtesy of Victoria Lovelady, Senior Editor

On the morning of March 12, 2009 Ambassador Sichan Siv sat down to an interview with Head Oral Historian Kelly Crager and Vietnamese American Heritage Archivist Ann Mallett. Ambassador Siv, graciously agreed to be the first person to be interviewed for the Vietnam Archive's Vietnamese American Heritage Oral History Project, and to be the keynote speaker during the banquet on the evening of March 14th at the 2009 Vietnam Center Conference: Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand and the Vietnam War. Crager and Mallett conducted the interview in order to record Ambassador Siv's phenomenal story in his own words and to hear in his voice the expression, emotion, and feeling of his words that is not fully conveyed by the written word alone.

The questions Crager asked Ambassador Siv document the Ambassador's incredible life journey of faith, hope, love, and perseverance over great adversity and loss. Throughout his life Ambassador Siv has always helped others no matter how desperate his own circumstances were. As a young man in Cambodia he worked for CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere) to help refugees during the Vietnam War. After surviving the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge and losing his entire family (his mother, brother and sister-in-law, sister and brother-in-law, and their children were all killed by the Khmer Rouge) he escaped to Thailand where he helped his fellow prison inmates and fellow refugees living in a Thai refugee camp by teaching English (before being placed in a refugee camp he was imprisoned for illegal entry into Thailand because he no longer had any ID or documentation). Once the Ambassador immigrated to the U.S. in 1976 he continued his humanitarian efforts and worked to help refugees from his position as Deputy Assistant to the President for Public Liaison and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

The Ambassador walked into the room for the interview carrying his distinctive red and black jacketed memoir, "Golden Bones: An Extraordinary Journey From Hell in Cambodia to a New Life in America," just published eight months prior (July 1, 2008). Immediately upon seeing Ambassador Siv one is stuck by how distinguished looking he is and the air he gives of being laid back, relaxed, and comfortable in any situation. He is tall, athletic, and looks younger than his actual age, one would not guess that he had just celebrated his 61st birthday less than two weeks prior to the interview. Siv walks with an agility and grace that belies that his legs were severely wounded by pungi sticks when he fell into a booby trap while fleeing Cambodia, and that he had been malnourished and starved for nearly a year in a Khmer Rouge slave labor camp. His eyes, smile, and jokes reveal a genuine kind and caring spirit. The Ambassador is an eloquent and gifted speaker, extremely intelligent and observant, and speaks many languages.

Crager began the interview of Ambassador Siv by asking the Ambassador about his beginnings, his childhood in Cambodia, and ended with accounts of his experiences as a U.S. Ambassadaor to the UN. Ambassador Siv was born on March 1, 1948 (year of the Boar 2490) in Phochentong (his father's village) under a full moon. (Sichan means "beautiful moon.")

Photo Courtesy of Victoria Lovelady, Senior Editor

Left to Right (Ambassador Sichan Siv, Ann Mallett, and Martha Pattillo Siv)

Law Student Volunteers At Vietnam Archive

To learn more about the effects of the Vietnam War and the Vietnamese American immigration process, Cam Xuan Nguyen (Carrie) began volunteering at the Vietnam Archive on October 31, 2008. Carrie helps prepare the Families of Vietnamese Political Prisoners Association Collection files for digitization by numbering folders, removing corrosive materials, and providing help with translation. Carrie speaks and writes Vietnamese, English, and Spanish. She is a Vietnamese American from Saigon. Carrie immigrated to the US in 1994 at age 10. She is a graduate student from UT Austin with a BA in English and Government (Political Science). Her hobbies include: reading, traveling, and cooking. Among the things she enjoys in the U.S. are driving and eating Mexican Food . Carrie came to Texas Tech University to get a J.D. in Business Law . She will take her BAR exam in July and hopes to work in International Law, hopeful in the Washington D.C. or New York area.

A Winter Wedding for Anh & Van

Photo Courtesy of Victoria Lovelady, Senior Editor

Congratulations, Anh & Van!

Anh Ho Nguyen and Van Thanh Nguyen were married over winter break on December 28th, 2008, in Hanoi, Vietnam. Anh is a Vietnamese graduate exchange student from Hanoi who is working at the Vietnam Archive while earning his Masters in Business Administration at Texas Tech University. Prior to coming to the U.S., Anh studied Electrical Systems at Hanoi University of Technology. His choice to attend TTU in August of 2007 was due to his family’s connections to and good relationship with the Vietnam Archive. Anh became interested in working at the Vietnam Archive because it has so much information on Vietnam. On October 14, 2008, Anh began scanning and digitizing documents for the Vietnam Archive. His work will make these documents searchable and accessible to the public through the Virtual Archive. Anh’s ability to read, write, and speak English and Vietnamese fluently has been a great help and asset to the Vietnam Archive.
Anh enjoys tennis, playing games, and watching movies. Anh’s favorite things about his educational experience at TTU are the people & infrastructure of Texas Tech. The people of Lubbock, skiing (not in Lubbock), and sightseeing are what Anh enjoys most about his experience in the U.S.
We at the Vietnam Archive wish Anh and Van a bright future. May they share many happy years together filled with love!

UNHCR Commends the Vietnam Center and Archive

On November 18, 2008 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) regional representative Michel Gabaudan wrote a letter congratualting the Vietnam Center and Archive for opening the Families of Vietnamese Political Prisoners Association (FVPPA) collection, donated by the Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation. In his letter, Mr. Gabaudan writes, "I commend the Vietnam Center and Archive, and the Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation on their work to preserve this collection and make it available to researchers. The FVPPA's documents will give researchers approximately 10,000 primary sources, first hand accounts, of Vietnamese immigrants and their experiences...The UNHCR is happy to have been a part of the Vietnamese-American immigration experience, and the contributions of the Vietnamese-Americans to our nation..."

FVPPA ODP Application Files Now Available to Researchers

The Families of Vietnamese Political Prisoners Association (FVPPA) collection, donated by the Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation, contains 117 linear feet of immigration applications of reeducation camp prisoners and their families in Vietnam. The FVPPA collection records the individual stories of 13,456 applicants for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) Orderly Departure Program (ODP) and 227 ODP correspondence files from individual sponsors. The FVPPA helped approximately 10,000 ODP applicants and their families immigrate to the U.S.

The Orderly Departure Application files contain documents proving eligibility for immigration to the U.S. through the ODP. These records include: ODP application forms, sponsor letters, prisoner release documents, personal letters, photos, copies of identification papers, birth, marriage, and death records, educational certificates, military records, exit visas, and other relevant documents.

Due to the personal nature of these documents and privacy concerns the Vietnam Archive did not make the ODP Application files available to the public on May 28, 2008 when the FVPPA collection was first made open to the public. While the Office Files were available to the public, the ODP Application files were restricted until December 1, 2008 so that individaul ODP applicants and their families could contact the Vietnam Archive and decide whether or not to restrict their ODP application file temporarily or permanently. Not a single ODP applicant who used the FVPPA to help them apply to the UNHCR's ODP chose to restrict their file temporarily or permanently.

Of the FVPPA collection's 166 boxes (165 and 1/2 linear feet), 163 are now open to the public and available for research. 3 boxes (2 and 1/2 linear feet) of medical records and social security numbers are permanently restricte due to privacy concerns.

Vietnamese Political Prisoners Day Convention

On October 3rd-5th 2008 the Families of Vietnamese Political Prisoners Association (FVPPA) held their Vietnamese Political Prisoners Day Convention at The Special Events Center in Dallas, Texas. Dr. James Reckner (Executive Director of the Institute for Modern Conflict Diplomacy and Reconciliation, and founder of the Vietnam Center and Archive), Jason A. Stewart (Oral Historian at the Vietnam Archive), and Anna Mallet (The Vietnam Archive's Vietnamese American Heritage Archivist) attended the October 4th activities. The theme of the convention was "Children of Vietnamese Political Prisoners and Amerasians."

An estimated 4, 000 people, former Vietnamese political prisoners and their families, attended the morning session (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) of the convention. The convention was the first ever reunion for Vietnamese political prisoners from all over the world, not just those who had resettled in the US. Representatives from all 5 of the Republic of Vietnam's (South Vietnam) allies during the Vietnam War: America, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. A flag representing each of the Repulic of Vietnam's allies was on stage. Also on the stage were 20 Republic of Vietnam flags that symbolized the 20 years from the re-education camps to freedom and resettlement worldwide, and almost 20 years since the Historic Agreement signed between the US and the Vietnam government on July 30, 1989. Dr. Reckner was a scheduled keynote speaker at the morning ceremony. Actress Kieu Chinh (famous for her role in Journey From the Fall) was also a speaker.

Dr. Reckner and Dr. Stephen Maxner (Director of the Vietnam Archive received awards from the FVPPA, presented by Khuc Minh Tho (cofounder and former President of the FVPPA), for the Vietnam Archive's work to preserve and make accessible to the public its FVPPA collection, donated by the Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation, which preserves the history and experiences of Vietnamese Americans who came to the U.S. with the help of the FVPPA under the UNHCR's ODP.

At the evening session (6 p.m.-11 p.m.) an estimated 9,000 people attended to see the biggest Vietnamese stars perform and to see a fashion show designed by a talented AmerAsian designer. All performers are children of Vietnamese reeducation camp prisoners, many were AmerAsian. Almost every song performed was written by the performer themself and was about the Vietnamese reeducation camps. One VietnameseAustralian performed a song he wrote when he was a young student in Paris and heard that those he loved and admired were forced to report to reeducation. Colonel Bernard "Bunny" Leo Talley, Jr. spoke on behalf of Senator John McCain at the evening session. Colonel Talley was one of five high ranking U.S. military servicemen, all former POWs in Vietnam, who attended the Oct. 4th convention. Colonel Talley received flowers and a warm welcome and greetings from McCain kids (children of former Vietnamese political prisoners who immigrated under the McCain Bill refer to themselves as McCain kids in respect for and in appreciate of Senator John McCain and the Bill that allowed them to immigrate).

"The Reeducation Camp Exhibit" was displayed at the convention by The Museum of the Boat People and the Republic of Vietnam, and the Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation. The Museum of the Boat People and the Republic of Vietnam is a brand new museum, it just opened this summer, and is the only museum soley dedicated to the Vietnamese outside of Saigon.

NEASS Conference

The New England Association for Asian Studies (NEAAS) Regional Conference was held at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, MA on October 18th, 2008. At the conference, The Vietnam Archive's Vietnamese American Heritage Archivist, Anna Mallett, presented "Unheard Voices: The Families of Vietnamese Political Prisoners Association and Its Struggle for Freedom." Ms. Mallett's presentation detailed how the FVPPA, under the extraoridinary leadership of Khuc Minh Tho, helped approximately 10,000 former Vietnamese political prisoners and their families immigrate to the U.S. under the UNHCR's (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) ODP (Orderly Departure Program). Ms. Mallett's presentation gave a brief introduction to: why the UNHCR created the ODP, Khuc Minh Tho's biography, the history and accomplishments of the FVPPA, the condtions of the reeducation camps, the hardships endured by former Vietnames political prisoners and their families during and after their release from reeducation camps. Ms. Mallett enjoyed the conference and its beautiful location. The campus is surrounded on three sides by the bay, lots of ships and tall white sails, and trees adorned in beautiful fall colors.

37th SWCAS

The 37th Annual Meeting of the Southwest Conference on Asian Studies (SWCAS) was held on October 3rd and 4th 2008 at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Ann Mallett, the Vietnam Archive's Vietnamese American Heritage Archivist, attend the first day of the SWCAS conference and presented "Unheard Voices: The Families of Vietnamese Political Prisoners Association (FVPPA) and its Struggle for Freedom." Ms. Mallett's presentation focused on the efforts of the FVPPA, under the leadership of its extraordinary and dedicated founder and president, Khuc Minh Tho, to free Vietnamese political prisoners detained in reeducation camps and assist those who had been released in applying to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' Orderly Departure Program. The FVPPA helped approximately 10,000 former Vietnamese political prisoners and their families resettle in the U.S. through the O.D.P.

FVPPA Collection Name Search Database

Did you know that the Vietnam Archive has the records of those assisted by the Families of Vietnamese Political Prisoners Association (FVPPA) in applying to emigrate from Vietnam under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' Orderly Departure Program (ODP)? The Vietnam Archive's FVPPA Collection contains the records of over 12,000 ODP applicants. To find out if you, a family member, a friend, or a military counterpart have a record in the FVPPA Collection's ODP Application Files, use the FVPPA Collection name search database.

How do you search the FVPPA Collection name search database?

1. Go to the Vietnam Archive's FVPPA Collection webpage.
2. In the right column, under "Navigation Links," click "Search Applicant Names Database."
3. Enter the name you are searching for in the "Search All Files" search field and click the "Search " button.

You can search using complete or partial names, or even using * searches. Names are entered in the database in Vietnamese order, which is the opposite of American order, so if you are searching for a complete name, enter the family name first, followed by first and middle names. You can also enter just part of a name, like a family name, or if you are unsure of the spelling, you can enter part of a name followed by an * (i.e. Ngu* will pull up all names starting with Ngu). The database will check your query against the primary name in the file, as well as aliases and other listed names.

Files are arranged by the name of the principal applicant, who is the person who has status under the ODP qualifications. For example, Nguyen Van Be, a former Vietnamese political prisoner, is applying for his family to immigrate to the U.S. through the ODP. His list of family members includes his wife Pham Thi Phuong, his son Nguyen Ngoc Be, and his father Nguyen Ngo Be. Nguyen Van Be’s name will be the one listed on the file. If, however, Nguyen Van Be’s wife was also a Vietnamese political prisoner or a U.S. employee, her name will also appear on the file, for she too has status and qualifies as a principal applicant under ODP. The order of the two names on the file is determined alphabetically. If the widow of a principal applicant applies, the file is listed with her name first, followed by that of her deceased husband. If the children of a principal applicant are orphans when they apply, the file is listed under the names of the children. If the applicant has a known alias it is noted on the file. For example, Nguyen Van Be has an alias of Pham Van Be. His file would be marked Nguyen Van Be a.k.a. Pham Van Be. If an ODP applicant has more than one date of birth the dates of birth are listed on the file.

Due to privacy concerns all ODP Application files are restricted until December 1, 2008. Only the principal applicant, the spouse of a deceased principal applicant, or the children of a principal applicant may request that access to an ODP Application file be restricted beyond December 1, 2008. To restrict a file, or to request more information, search for the record using the instructions above. Each record includes email links for requesting more information or to request that a file be restricted. Please use these links as they automatically include information to help us process your request in a timely manner.

If you need assistance, or have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the Vietnam Archive at (806) 742-9010 or e-mail Vietnamese American Heritage Archivist Ann Mallett at vahc.vietnam@ttu.edu.

Letters of Acknowledgement from Senator Kerry, President Clinton

In July 2008 the Vietnam Archive received congratulatory letters from Senator John F. Kerry and President William Jefferson Clinton for its opening of the Families of Vietnamese Political Prisoners Association (FVPPA) Collection, donated by the Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation. In his letter Senator Kerry writes, "...Your dilligent work to record for posterity the story of the historic immigration of Vietnamese-Americans is to be commended...I appreciate your important efforts to protect and give voice to their inspiring history." To view Senator Kerry's letter in full and access congratulatory letters from other VIPs for the opening of the FVPPA collection visit our FVPPA Collection Webpage.

Unfortunately, we are unable to post the congratulatory letter from President Clinton on our FVPPA website, as President Clinton has a strict policy that prohibits his letters from being posted on websites.

Photo Courtesy of WikiCommons

Student Spotlight: Sebastian Arandia

Sebastian Arandia graduated from Texas Tech University on May 10, 2008 with a BA in History. He has been accepted into Texas A&M University's History graduate program and will begin in August of 2008. Sebastian started working at the Vietnam Archive in May of 2007 and began working on the Familes of Vietnamese Political Prisoners Association (VAHF) collection on July 17th 2007. He has proven himself a very conscientious, dedicated, and hard working student assistant with a passion for History and learning. Sebastian chose to work at the Vietnam Archive so that he could have “… the opportunity to have a hands-on experience with the history of the Vietnam War.” Sebastian enjoys working with the FVPPA (VAHF) collection because by doing so he is “…preserving and making known the history of the thousands of Vietnamese refugees who left their country after April 30, 1975.” Congratulations and Good Luck Sebastian. We wish you best. We know you are on the road to a bright future.

May 28th FVPPA Collection Opening Ceremony

The Vietnam Center and Archive’s May 28th, 2008 opening ceremony of the Families of Vietnamese Political Prisoners Association (FVPPA) Collection, donated by the Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation (VAHF), was a great success. The Vietnam Center and Archive co-hosted the event, entitled “We Did Not Forget Those Left Behind,” with the VAHF. The ceremony marked the collection as fully processed and available to researchers. The Vietnam Center and Archive held the ceremony to raise awareness of the FVPPA collection and to thank those individuals and organizations who helped these Vietnamese refugees emigrate to the U.S.

Speakers at the event included: Dr. James Reckner, Executive Director, Institute for Modern Conflict, Diplomacy, and Reconciliation; Ms. Nancy Bui, President, Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation; Ms. Khuc Minh Tho, Founder and President, Families of Vietnamese Political Prisoners Association; An Hoang Le, Humanitarian Operations Participant; Dr. Stephen F. Maxner, Director, the Vietnam Center and Archive; Mr. T. Kumar, Advocacy Director for Asia & Pacific, Amnesty International; Ms. Anna Mallett, Project Archivist, the Vietnam Center and Archive; Dr. William M. Marcy, Provost, Texas Tech University; and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) deputy regional representative Thomas Albrecht was scheduled to speak, but had to cancel his flight and attendance due to events in East Africa, Kenya.

Distinguished guests at the May 28th Opening Ceremony included Khuc Minh Tho, T. Kumar of Amnesty International, Major General Dudley Faver, representatives of the Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation, and Texas Tech University Provost William M. Marcy.

Awards were given from the VAHF to Dr. James Reckner, Dr. Stephen Maxner, Mary Saffell, and Ann Mallett. The Vietnam Center and Archive also presented an award to Ann Mallett.

Letters of written for the May 28th Opening Ceremony by Senator John McCain, Senator Bob Dole, President George H. W. Bush, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and Robert L. Funseth (Senior Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Acting Director of the Bureau for Refugee Programs) are posted on our website for researchers to read when they look the FVPPA collection. These letters, along with the FVPPA collection’s scope and content note, administrative history, finding aid, and names search database, may be viewed on the following webpage of the Vietnam Archive’s Virtual Archive: http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/vietnamarchive/fvppa/index.htm

-All photos are were taken by The Vietnam Center's Victoria Lovelady

View more pictures of the opening ceremony