Prelude to “Our Journeys: 50 Years After the Fall of Saigon”

Join us in honoring Vietnamese refugees and their families through stories, songs, and photographs as we look ahead to a powerful, immersive exhibit coming to the Ware Center in 2026.

Featured speaker Len Tran, whose incredible journey to the United States began on a small fishing boat lost at sea, will talk about the organization Vietnamese Boat People and its public programs, including the exhibit “Our Journeys: 50 Years After the Fall of Saigon.” The exhibit will be on display at the Ware Center for the entire month of February 2026, seeking to center the voices of the Vietnamese diaspora as narrators of their own story and to educate broader audiences on the Vietnamese diaspora experience. Tran will also share his experiences as a refugee and talk about his book, Split Up by the Sea: A Vietnamese refugee’s memoir of survival and hope, which will be available for signing.

Rounding out the evening with perspectives from the Lancaster-area Vietnamese community, local singer Panda (Lê Thanh Trúc) will take the stage to perform “Co nhung nguoi anh” (“There are brothers”) by VÕ ĐỨC HẢO, a stirring song about the sorrow and joy of reflecting on the homeland. Finally, Lancaster photographer Brian “bri” Nguyen will speak about his photography exhibit, which will be displayed in the Ware Center lobby during the event, showcasing many of the photos he took during his Baldwin Fellowship trip to explore his family’s home community in Vietnam.