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NOLA.com: 50 Years after Fall of Saigon, Taking a Look at Settlement of Vietnamese in New Orleans

April 7, 2025

Contributing writer Dave Walker visited HNOC’s “Making It Home” exhibition, which explores how the Vietnamese made the city their home.

A vintage black and white photo shows a group of Vietnamese Americans engaged in a ring toss game to win a live duck at a Christmas Day youth fair. The image shows four ducks in the foreground, with a group of smiling community members about to toss their rings.
Ring toss to win a live duck at a Christmas Day youth fair in the Versailles community, 1981, photograph by Mark J. Sindler. HNOC, acquisition made possible by the Laussat Society, MSS 1074.1.207.1
NOLA.com / The Times Picyaune
“Spotlights for [the exhibition’s] concept [of home] are a family’s recreated dining space and living room. Actual news footage of one local family’s perilous boat rescue plays on the living room’s vintage TV set. An interactive display allows visitors to track the family’s Vietnam-to-New Orleans journey. Visitors can sit at the dining table to hear individuals tell their resettlement stories. Each visitor will also receive a pamphlet containing excerpts from the many individual stories told in the exhibit.”

Dave Walker, contributing writer for the Times Picayune | NOLA.com

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Explore the Exhibition

Dave Walker is the founder of TheMuseumGoer.com, a digital destination for those interested in visiting museums and museum-adjacent attractions of New Orleans and the Gulf South. Read his recent blog post about Making It Home, and listen to his accompanying podcast interview with HNOC senior curator Mark Cave and interactives designer Candy Ellison, via the links below.

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A gallery view of "Making It Home: From Vietnam to New Orleans" on view at HNOC.

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Making It Home: From Vietnam to New Orleans

April 4 to October 5, 2025

Elders of the Vietnamese community describe their journey to a new country 50 years ago.

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A black-and-white photo of a man and woman standing in traditional attire in front of a shrine with religious images and candles. A vintage television sits nearby. The floor has a patterned design.

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Leap of Faith

Fifty years after the fall of Saigon, a new exhibition tells the story of a community’s rise out of tragedy.

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A vintage black and white photo shows a group of Vietnamese American teenagers at a Christmas Day youth fair playing a game.
Press Release

HNOC Unveils Landmark Exhibition Honoring Vietnamese Refugee Resilience and Community Legacy

March 26, 2025
The new exhibition “Making It Home: From Vietnam to New Orleans” marks 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon.
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A group of museum visitors explore "Making It Home: From Vietnam to New Orleans".
HNOC in the News

Atlanta Magazine Names HNOC Among New Orleans Destinations with Global Flavor

September 21, 2025
The museum’s “Making It Home” exhibition is featured among local attractions and restaurants that showcase Vietnamese history and culture.
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20250429 MIH Reception AJ073 o6
Announcement

Recap: HNOC Celebrates “Making It Home: From Vietnam to New Orleans”

May 8, 2025
Curated by Thuy Pham of NOLA Nite Market, the vibrant celebration brought together HNOC supporters and members of our community.
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