VietNOLA 50 commemorates arrival of Vietnamese community in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — 2025 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon and as a result, many Vietnamese immigrants came to New Orleans.

A commemoration of the their arrival is happening all year but Mai Tran and Saran Chan Bynum with VietNola 50 visited the WGNO studio to discuss upcoming events.

What it did for us here locally was enhanced our city because of Vietnamese citizens, residents, immigrants that moved to America back in the 1970s.

“So we have a bunch of stuff that’s happening throughout the year, but the next couple of things are coming up is April 30. We’ll have a flag raising ceremony with a wreath laying. It’s going to be at 2025 basin and Canal Street, at the Vietnam, Vietnamese Memorial,” said Tran.

The Vietnamese community has been ingrained since getting here.

“I actually came here from Vietnam through Operation Baby Lift, but my father’s family, they are good friends with the family who resides in a diverse community and it’s a tight knit community. They are full of resilience and strength from coming off of a boat, to landing on foreign soil and building a community from scratch. That takes true courage and resilience,” said Bynum.

Also happening through the fall, are a couple of beautiful exhibits. One piece is in the Ogden Museum and the Historic New Orleans collection.

“There’s a lot of families in the exhibit that shows the progress from beginning of our styles to now. So it’s a great exhibit. So we encourage everyone to come and learn about our culture and our history,” said Bynum.

For more information on all events, visit the VietNOLA website.