About Us and Our Project
This digital exhibition explores the works of several Southeast Asian American writers, which serves as a counterpart to the physical exhibition “Literally Displaced: Writing the Southeast Asian Diaspora.” The exhibition consists of seven different authors, each telling their own experiences of escaping from war or genocide and the subsequent struggle to acclimate into a new environment that is far from the comfort and familiarity of their homeland.
The UCI Libraries Southeast Asian Archive aims to foreground the stories and perspectives of Cambodian, Hmong, Lao, and Vietnamese in the diaspora; particularly those that are not usually included in mainstream archives. The archive builds partnerships with Southeast Asian communities to preserve and provide access to their records toward a more inclusive and equitable historical record. Moreover, the archive’s overall goal is to empower communities in telling and preserving their own histories, and be cognizant of how these stories are preserved, such as through description or language that reflects the views of the communities.
Exhibition Curators
Dr. Thuy Vo Dang (she/her)
Dr. Thuy Vo Dang is the Curator for the Southeast Asian Archive and Research Librarian for Asian American Studies at UCI. She is committed to advancing the practice of community-centered archives and foregrounding histories of marginalized communities. She has a Ph.D. in ethnic studies from UC San Diego and is co-author of the book, Vietnamese in Orange County (published in 2015) and also co-author of the forthcoming A People’s Guide to Orange County (2022), a book about the lesser known places and people whose lives were shaped by struggles for power and belonging in this region. Thuy serves on the board of directors for Arts OC and the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association.
Mary Nguyen, Class of 2022
Mary Nguyen is a student assistant for the Orange County & Southeast Asian Archive Center at the University of California, Irvine. Her work at the OC & SEAA includes working on oral history projects and assisting with the development of special exhibits hosted by the Southeast Asian Archive.
Louis Heine, Class of 2023
Louis Heine is an undergraduate student studying history at the University of California, Irvine. In his free time he likes to skateboard, go on hikes, play chess, and barbecue with friends or family. He was able to intern on this project under Dr. Thuy through the Humanities Out There Practicum Program.
Annie Quynh Nguyen, Class of 2024
Annie Nguyen is an undergraduate at the University of California, Irvine. She double majors in English and Asian American Studies. Annie worked as an intern for this project under Dr. Thuy through the Humanities Out There Practicum Program offered at UCI.
Annie and Louis were able to contribute to this exhibit by participating in the Humanities Out There Practicum Program offered at UCI. The H.O.T. Practicum is an internship class that gives UCI Humanities undergraduates the opportunity to gain valuable professional experience with UCI campus partners. Led by Humanities Out There Teaching Fellow, Ella Turenne, who unfortunately passed on Christmas Day, 2021. Humanities 195 teaches students to structure and refine the skills they have learned as Humanities majors, with the aim of applying their knowledge to the professional world. From Marketing and Communications to UCI Libraries internships, H.O.T. students discover how essential the Humanities are to the world "out there."
In Memory of
We came to know Ella through her work as the Teaching Fellow of the H.O.T. Practicum Program, but she accomplished so much more throughout her life. Ella prospered as an activist, theatrical actor, poet, author, curator, filmmaker, journalist, public speaker, and doctoral student. She championed for justice and expression, working extensively on social change and issues of mass incarceration. As a graduate student of Visual Studies at UCI, focusing on Black feminist theory and visual culture, Ella led the class portion of our internship. Ella provided mentorship to our cohort and her passing is a great loss to our community. Ella was compassionate and understanding to her students, inspiring us to see the importance of our work in the humanities. We are grateful for having the chance to know her and be guided by her.
