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Little Saigon Welcomes Visitors For Art, Food And Tours

Joseph Haquang, one of the photographers whose work is being displayed in the "Little Saigon Stories" exhibition, poses with a photo at the pop-up gallery location on April 25, 2019.
Roland Lizarondo
Joseph Haquang, one of the photographers whose work is being displayed in the "Little Saigon Stories" exhibition, poses with a photo at the pop-up gallery location on April 25, 2019.

Little Saigon will be welcoming visitors Saturday to honor the San Diego Vietnamese-American community. The event coincides with what they call "Black April." The fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, marked the end of the Vietnam War.

It will feature a pop-up gallery that will showcase "Little Saigon Stories." It's a multimedia project that documents the stories of local Vietnamese refugees and their descendants who have lived and worked in San Diego's Little Saigon District, on El Cajon Boulevard, since the 1970s.

The pop-up gallery is located in a closed storefront in the heart of the Little Saigon District. A public gallery will be held there from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will feature a photo exhibition, film screenings, an artist meet-and-greet, and more.

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Little Saigon Welcomes Visitors For Art, Food And Tours

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Joseph Haquang is a Vietnamese American, whose artwork is showcased in the exhibition.

"I think it's also really important not only to be able to grow up and know English and know the American culture here but also be able to experience and relate to your own culture and keep the traditions that you feel are meaningful from your country," Haquang said.

The event will also offer guided walking tours through Little Saigon at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. There will be a self-guided "food crawl" with printed tour maps of Little Saigon's eateries.

"We have a special place in our hearts for City Heights and this community and we want to find different ways to lift this community up and bring attention to this community," said Natalia Valerdi-Rogers with the Media Arts Center.

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Little Saigon Welcomes Visitors For Art, Food And Tours
Little Saigon will be welcoming visitors on April 27 to honor San Diego's Vietnamese American community. You can hear this story and other local news every morning by subscribing to San Diego News Matters, KPBS’ daily news podcast. Subscribe via iTunes, Google Play or your favorite podcatcher.