ABOUT US
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.
Special Thanks to Chinary and Kalean Ung for their cooperation and assistance with this exhibition!
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.
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 Quynh 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. 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."
Prior to working on "Music, Letters Home," Annie and Louis worked on another digital exhibition called “Literally Displaced: Writing the Southeast Asian Diaspora.” The digital exhibition explores the works of several Southeast Asian American writers. It 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.
