April 30, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, which ended the Vietnam War and precipitated the exodus of millions of people from South Vietnam. In time, thousands would settle in and around New Orleans. They carried few personal possessions but countless stories—of their lives and families in Vietnam, of harrowing escapes and refugee camps, and of hope.

The Historic New Orleans Collection honors their experience with Making It Home: From Vietnam to New Orleans. Built around oral history narratives, photographic portraits, and family and community heirlooms, Making It Home traces a multigenerational arc of resilience. Particular attention is paid to the bond of Catholicism shared by New Orleans and its Vietnamese population. The exhibition features a recently acquired collection of photographs and ephemera by Mark J. Sindler documenting the first decade of resettlement, as well as loans from members of the Vietnamese community, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, the Library of Congress, Naval History and Heritage Command, Tulane University, the University of New Orleans, and the US National Archives and Records Administration.