Vietnamese American Patterns of Settlement and Community Building

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Vietnamese American Patterns of Settlement and Community Building

Little Saigon shopping center, Westminster, California

Author: Tori Phù
Grades: 11-12

Suggested Amount of Time: 45-60 minutes
Area of Study: Vietnamese Resettlement and Community Building

Compelling Question

  • What is Vietnamese America? 

Lesson Questions
  • How did Vietnamese refugees build a community for themselves in America? 
  • What were some patterns of Vietnamese settlement in America? 
Lesson Objective

Students will be able to identify patterns of community building and settlement of Vietnamese refugees in America by participating in a jigsaw activity and completing an exit ticket. 

Lesson Background

Little Saigon began as a result of the tumultuous defeat of South Vietnam and the unification of the entire country under North Vietnam rule in 1975. These events are also remembered as the Vietnam War or the Fall of Sài Gòn. In the midst of fleeing to the United States and having no choice but to assimilate to American culture, Vietnamese newcomers held onto their roots and successfully built their community upon the memories of their former country. The majority came with absolutely nothing and some were able to obtain loans to start small businesses such as dry cleaners, markets, and liquor stores. As the community grew, Vietnamese relied on Little Saigon to stay connected to their heritage, as well as for cultural protection and comfort in a foreign place where discrimination was not uncommon. 

Little Saigon spans several cities in Orange County, including Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, and Huntington Beach. Westminster, however, is where Little Saigon began and where the heart of it still exists today. Experiencing Little Saigon in Southern California is a palpable, cultural immersion in Vietnamese culture. It’s not only Vietnamese Americans, but many others of predominantly Asian descent, who frequent the area to eat, meet, shop, and learn about Vietnamese current events and culture.

Referenced from: Nicholds, K. 2020. Little Saigon – A Cultural Heritage Site — Preserve Orange County. Preserve Orange County. https://www.preserveorangecounty.org/tracts/2020/2/13/little-saigon-conservation-of-a-cultural-community 

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to identify one or more of the following patterns of Vietnamese settlement in America: similar identity in population, high concentration of family members and friends, opportunities for commercial exchange, collective membership, church support, weather, access to cultural foods, and more.

Image Citation: Little Saigon shopping center, Westminster, California. (n.d.). Calisphere. https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/13030/hb896nb4x4/ 

Ethnic Studies Theme 

This lesson connects to the ethnic studies theme of community and solidarity from the Asian American Studies Curriculum Framework (Asian American Research Initiative, 2022). Students analyze community resistance and alliances between communities, as well as the complexities within these experiences. Students will explore how Vietnamese settlement in communities, such as Little Saigon in Orange County has helped Vietnamese Americans maintain their cultural heritage/identity and community formation. 

For additional guidance around ethnic studies implementation, refer to the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (2021)  https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/esmc.asp.

Historical Thinking Skills 

This lesson will facilitate student proficiency in historical perspectives, one of Seixas’ historical thinking skills (Seixas & Morton, 2013). To demonstrate the use of evidence to write historical fiction that accurately conveys the beliefs, values, and motivations of historical actors. Students consider how the perspectives of historical actors are best understood by considering their historical context.

Supplies
  • Access to laptop device
Handouts
  1. Cultural Energizer: To open the class, prompt students with the following question: Where do you feel most at home? (five minutes)
    1. Students can answer this question in a partner share, and then the teacher can solicit student responses in a whole class discussion.
    2. Optional: Teacher can write down common themes or responses on the white board to serve as an idea bank for students to connect with throughout the lesson.
  2. Jigsaw Setup:  Advise students that they will be participating in a jigsaw activity today and become an expert in a particular source within a small group. For detailed information about how to set up a jigsaw activity, teachers may refer to the following Cult of Pedagogy link: https://ucdavis.box.com/s/chm3qtouzpcvpx4exd28rp07boeszswx (Original source: https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Jigsaw-Instructions.pdf) 
    1. There are a total of four text-based sources (passages): Sources 1-4 (see handout: "Vietnamese American Patterns of Settlement and Community Building")
    2. Suggested Group Breakdown: Two groups will be responsible for each source. Groups should be no larger than three or four students in size.
    3. Sources can be made available digitally to students or copies on paper handouts.

    4. Assign each source to two different groups and emphasize that each member will be responsible for understanding that source in its entirety.  

  3. Suggested Handout: Teacher to produce a handout with table for students to take notes from jigsaw activity. 
    1. Top of handout should note the unit and lesson questions.
    2. Row Categories: 1) My "Expert" Group; 2) My "Home" Group
    3. Column under My Expert Group should note the following:
      1. Three main ideas of my section, patterns and important details for settlement and community building, something new that I learned from my expert group.
    4. Column under My Home Group should note the following:
      1. Three main ideas shared by my home group, patterns and important details for settlement and community building, how does each topic connect with my expert topic (similarities and trends)?
  4. Shared Learning: Jigsaw Activity (25 minutes)
    1. At this time, students should be given time to sit in their home groups and become familiar with their teammates. Remind students that each of them will split off into respective expert groups and eventually report back to their home group to share their findings.
    2. Home Groups - Groups of three to four that will all personally be in charge of different sources and sharing knowledge from different backgrounds with each other at the end of the activity.
    3. Expert Groups - Groups of three to four that will all be reading and analyzing the same source. Together, they will come to an agreement with the main takeaways and key notes from the expert group column which they will report back to their home groups.
    4. After students are familiar with jigsaw activity directions and the difference between home and expert groups, allow students to move to their expert groups.
      1.  First read: Skim to find unknown words and define them with the group.
      2. Second read: Fill out the first two questions in the column under expert groups together as a group. Emphasize that students should be in agreement with responses.
      3. Third read: Independently, each member will complete the “what I learned from my expert group” question.
    5. Give each expert group about 10–15 minutes to complete the reading and discussion. 
    6. Once expert groups are complete, have them return to their original home groups. Advise students that they will each have about four to five minutes to share their findings from their expert group. As each student is sharing about their expert group source, the other students are jotting down notes in the home group column.
      • Teachers can choose the order in which students present. Ensure that students stick to the time limit so that everyone gets an opportunity to share.
    7. Once all students have shared in home groups, prompt students to revisit the lesson questions. Give students about fve minutes to discuss the lesson questions. Have students choose one member from their home group to report back to the class.
  5. Cultural Production (20 minutes)
    1. Students will revisit the lesson question and choose from one of the assessment options. The final product can be open to a written, visual, or audio narrative. 
      1. Interactive Map: This can be done online or hand drawn. Students will create an interactive map of Little Saigons and other Vietnamese communities. The map should include facts from the sources. The map can be of locations in California or other states. 
      2. Informational Brochure of Little Saigon: This brochure can be created online or hand drawn. The brochure should include facts and statistics about Little Saigon communities and illustrate how Vietnamese refugees built communities for themselves in these central locations. The brochure should include a mix of text, images, charts, maps, etc. 
      3. Video Reel: Students can create a short two to three minute video clip of the Little Saigons. The video can narrate the Vietnamese refugee experiences of resettlement and community building. 
  6. Reflection (5-10 minutes)
    1. Allow students to share their final projects. Once sharing is done, have students reflect on key takeaways and new learnings.

Students will choose one of the following options:

  • Interactive Map: This can be done online or hand drawn. Students will create an interactive map of Little Saigons and other Vietnamese communities. The map should include facts from the sources. The map can be of locations in California or other states. 
  • Informational Brochure of Little Saigon: This brochure can be created online or hand drawn. The brochure should include facts and statistics about Little Saigon communities and illustrate how Vietnamese refugees built communities for themselves in these central locations. The brochure should include a mix of text, images, charts, maps, etc. 
  • Video Reel: Students can create a short two to three-minute video clip of the Little Saigons. The video can narrate the Vietnamese refugee experiences of resettlement and community building. 
  • Engagement: Consider the following method to support with lesson engagement:
    • Create cooperative learning groups with clear goals, roles, and responsibilities  
  • Representation: Consider the following method to support with multiple means of representation:
    • For Source 1 and 3, consider chunking sources to provide language support.
  • Action and Expression: Consider the following method to support in presenting their learning in multiple ways:
    • Provide the following sentence frames for responding to the exit ticket
      • Question 1: How did Vietnamese refugees build a community for themselves in America? Response Starter: “Vietnamese refugees built a community for themselves in America by (creating/establishing/finding)....
      • Question 2: What were some patterns of Vietnamese settlement in America? Response Starter: “Some common patterns of Vietnamese settlement in America consisted of….”  

For additional ideas to support your students, check out the UDL Guidelines at CAST (2018)  http://udlguidelines.cast.org.

  • Emerging: Consider the following method to support with emerging students:
    • Reading: Preview the text content with pictures, videos, demos, charts, or experiences 
  • Expanding: Consider the following method to support with expanding students:
    • Reading: Use note-taking guides
  • Bridging: Consider the following method to support with bridging students:
    • Reading: Use focused questions to guide reading
      • Students use inquiry posing their own questions and wonderings to guide shared research experiences. 

For additional guidance around scaffolding for multilingual learners, please consult the following resources:

  1. Socioeconomic Growth of Little Saigon (see: https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/vietnamese-immigrants-united-states)
  • Questions to consider: What factors have led to the steady rise of socioeconomic status for Vietnamese Americans? How do these trends compare to other minority groups? Examining Vietnamese Americans through a multi-layered perspective, what are some political, historical, cultural, or structural reasons that have helped Vietnamese Americans achieve this growth?
  1. Community Shield/Coat of Arms - Have students think about what communities they belong to. On a paper or digital template, students can customize and decorate a shield/coat of arms to reflect each of the communities that make up their identity. For example, students may belong to sports teams, club organizations, cultural groups, religious affiliations, and so much more. The shield should be composed mostly of visuals and less text. After curating their pieces, students can display it through a gallery walk or partner share. 
  2. Travel Brochure - Students will be prompted to think about the community in which they reside in or attend school in. For either of those, they will create a travel brochure to highlight the positive aspects of said community. They can publicize events, cultural enrichment opportunities, small businesses, natural landscapes, and more. 

American Initiative. 2022. Asian American Studies K-12 Framework.  https://asianamericanresearchinitiative.org/asian-american-studies-curriculum-framework/ 

Britt, K. 2020, May 11. English learner toolkit of strategies. California County Superintendents.  https://cacountysupts.org/english-learner-toolkit-of-strategies/

California Department of Education. 2021. Ethnic studies model curriculum. https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/esmc.asp 

California Department of Education & English Learner Support Division. 2012. California English Language Development standards (Electronic Edition) kindergarten through grade 12 (F. Ong & J. McLean, Eds.). California Department of Education. https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/documents/eldstndspublication14.pdf

California Educators Together. (n.d.). ELA / ELD framework. https://www.caeducatorstogether.org/resources/6537/ela-eld-framework

CAST. 2018. The UDL guidelines. http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Collet, C. & Furuya, H. 2010. Enclave, Place, or Nation? Amerasia Journal, 36(3), 1-27.

Collet, C. 2023. VIETNAMESE AMERICAN POLITICS. Toward a Framework for Vietnamese American Studies: History, Community, and Memory, 135.

Jennifer Gonzalez. 2015. The jigsaw method. In www.cultofpedagogy.com. https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Jigsaw-Instructions.pdf 

Nicholds, K. 2020. Little Saigon – A Cultural Heritage Site — Preserve Orange County. Preserve Orange County.  https://www.preserveorangecounty.org/tracts/2020/2/13/little-saigon-conservation-of-a-cultural-community 

San Diego County Office of Education. (n.d.). Providing appropriate scaffolding.  https://www.sdcoe.net/educators/multilingual-education-and-global-achievement/oracy-toolkit/providing-appropriate-scaffolding#scaffolding

Sexias, P. & Morton, T. 2013. The big six: Historical thinking concepts. Nelson Education.

Tulare County Office of Education. (n.d.). Strategies for ELD. https://commoncore.tcoe.org/Content/Public/doc/Alpha-CollectionofELDStrategies.pdf 

Waters, M. C., Ueda, R., & Marrow, H. B. (Eds.). 2007. The New Americans: A Guide to immigration since 1965. Harvard University Press. 

Supplementary Resources

Batalova, J. B. L. H. and J. 2021, October 14. Vietnamese Immigrants in the United States. Migrationpolicy.org.  https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/vietnamese-immigrants-united-states

“Between Two Worlds” Documentary | Asian and Native American Center | Wright State University. (n.d.). Www.wright.edu. https://www.wright.edu/inclusive-excellence/culture-and-identity-centers/asian-and-native-american-center/between-two-worlds-documentary 

Model Curriculum

Vietnamese American Experiences

Standard(s)

HSS 11.8 RI.11-12.7 W.11-12.7

Grade(s)

Grade 11 Grade 12