THE FALL OF SAIGON AT 50: STORIES OF LOSS, LEGACY AND IDENTITY

By Jennifer Robinson / Web Producer

Published November 25, 2025 at 10:13 AM PST

In this undated image, black text reads "Fall of Saigon at 50. Stories of loss, legacy and identity" against a brown background.

Stream now with KPBS+ / Watch Friday, Nov. 28 2025 at 8:30 p.m. on KPBS TV + Saturday, Nov. 29 at 5:30 p.m. on KPBS TV + Saturday, Nov. 29 at 6:30 p.m. on KPBS 2 + Thursday, Dec. 4 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV + Monday, Dec. 8 at 9 p.m. on KPBS 2

KPBS presents a special featuring the people in San Diego's Vietnamese community who are remembering their past and finding a path forward on the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War.

Historians explain the origins of the Vietnam War and what is missing from the American narrative of the fall of Sàigòn and its aftermath.

For the Vietnamese people, the Fall of Sàigòn constitutes a loss of homeland, loss of country, loss of identity and loss of familial ties.

The Fall of Sàigòn left behind a lasting legacy of trauma. That trauma is being felt not only by the first generation in the Vietnamese diaspora, but also by their children and grandchildren.

The fracture of Vietnam 50 years ago has impacted multiple generations. What does it mean to be Vietnamese today and how can members of the diaspora move forward without letting the war define them?

The exodus of the Vietnamese people in the '70s, '80s and '90s, was a major global humanitarian crisis that continues to impact both global politics & San Diego's Vietnamese community to this day. In this episode, the son of the San Diego man who helped create Boat People SOS, an organization that served as a lifeline to thousands of the "boat people" after the war speaks about his father's work.

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Credit: Alexander Nguyen

THE FALL OF SAIGON AT 50: STORIES OF LOSS, LEGACY AND IDENTITY

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