Go Vap District in Ho Chi Minh City

From: Dana Sachs <sachs@bellsouth.net>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vsg@u.washington.edu

Date: Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 6:32 AM

Does anyone have information on the history of Go Vap District in Ho Chi Minh City? I’m particularly interested in the French and American War periods. I’m wondering if Go Vap had a larger Catholic population than other areas of Saigon. Also, the largest orphanage in Saigon was in Go Vap, so I’m curious to know if anyone would have an explanation for that.

I’ll appreciate any historical information, or any clues as to where I might find some.

Thanks!

Dana Sachs

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

--------

Peter Hansen <phansen@ourladys.org.au>

date Feb 26, 2008 1:39 PM

subject [Vsg] Go Vap

Hi Dana,

Yes, there is a local history of Go Vap. Here ios the citation

Maïc Döông. Lòch Sûöû Quaän Goø Vapá [History of Go Vap District.] Thaønh Phoá Hoà Chí Minh: NXB Khoa Hoïc Xaõ Hoäi, 1994.

And yes, Catholics are over-represented in Go Vap. Although there was a Catholic Parish in Go Vap itself from 1874, the bulk of Catholics came in the ‘cuoc di cu bac nam 1954-55’, when Go Vap was part of Gia Dinh Province. Most of the Parishes in the giao hat (deanery) of Go Vap date from that time.

Regards,

Peter Hansen

--------

From: Maxner, Steve <steve.maxner@ttu.edu>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 7:46 AM

Dana:

You can find more than 50 documents in our Virtual Vietnam Archive that have information about the Go Vap Orphanage. I conducted the search by entering “Go Vap” as one keyword and “orphanage” as a second. One of the documents, Item Number 2391117003 has the following information. Please note that this is background OCR text that has had certain elements stripped to conserve digital storage space.

CURRENT EDUCATIONAL SITUATION AT GO VAP ORPHANAGE GIA DINH PROVINCE Go Vap orphanage is charitable institution established in 1874 currently supervised by Archbishop Nguyen Van Binh Up to now it has cared 30 000 children It is operated by managerial board 15 nuns orphanage s operational fund 1972-1973 was VN 28 million which considerable part was subsidy from Ministry Social Welfare orphanage is tending 539 children different ages whom large number age both fatherless motherless some either fatherless motherless others waifs strays Among these children there 11 white 29 black half-breeds Besides receiving religious teaching at orphanage children go Sao Hai private school in Go Vap their general education In 1974-1975 academic year 234 children attending Sao Mai school At secondary level primary level In addition religious general education orphanage also offers children vocational education courses in embroidery knitting cake-making typing following related observations recommendations Ministry Culture Education Youth should consider granting instruction al materials learning aids which orphanage is badly in need orphanage should have its own primary school established its orphans vocational program these orphans should be given greater emphasis

Here is the complete record information:

Document Title: International Conference on Children & National Development (14-23 January 1975): Vietnam Children's Basic Problems

Language/Translation: English

Document Pages: 63

Date: December 1974

Collection: Douglas Pike Collection: Unit 11 - Monographs

Media Type: Document (.pdf)

Physical Location: Box #: 11, Folder #: 17; Collection Location(s)

Full Text: OCR text of this document is available. Note that this text is not edited. See the Help section for more information.

Citation: International Conference on Children & National Development (14-23 January 1975): Vietnam Children's Basic Problems, December 1974, Folder 17, Box 11, Douglas Pike Collection: Unit 11 - Monographs, The Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University.

You can read the full text of this document along with many others online.

Good luck with your research.

Stephen Maxner, Ph.D.

Director

The Vietnam Center

The Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University

Special Collections Library Room 108

15th and Detroit

Lubbock, TX 79409-1041

Phone: 806-742-9010

Fax: 806-742-0496

Email: steve.maxner@ttu.edu

Website: www.vietnam.ttu.edu

--------

From: Maxner, Steve <steve.maxner@ttu.edu>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 8:00 AM

Dana:

Here’s one more document that really stuck out. ITEM NUMBER 2223107064

It has some very interesting information about the evolution of the orphanage as of 1969.

Stephen Maxner, Ph.D.

Director

The Vietnam Center

The Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University

Special Collections Library Room 108

15th and Detroit

Lubbock, TX 79409-1041

Phone: 806-742-9010

Fax: 806-742-0496

Email: steve.maxner@ttu.edu

Website: www.vietnam.ttu.edu

--------

From: ryan nelson <sociolgst@yahoo.com>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 8:47 AM

To add to Steve's guidance.

Found some interesting background information. The literature below tackles in brief role of Go Vap orphanage and it’s nuns during the American War.

Cordiner, Bill. Diplomatic Wanderings: From Saigon to the South Seas. 2003. Radcliffe Press. p. 41-2.

<http://books.google.com/books?id=4mCU5AX4CUIC&pg=PA41&dq=Go+Vap+orphanage&lr=&sig=p6lHrxUkOvd4tPTdaVSjKAG4eHc#PPA41,M1>.

Cordiner, a diplomat on visit during the American War, devotes two paragraphs to the function of the Go Vap orphanage. It seems the orphanage served as a place for unwanted Amerasian children.

Yarborough, Trin. Surviving Twice: Amerasian Children of the Vietnam War. 2005. Brassey’s. p. 12.

<http://books.google.com/books?id=TIfbUZzjsSMC&pg=PA12&dq=Go+Vap+orphanage&lr=&sig=Rh5VifWc0zPaHnEfq768rjh1Lv8>.

Yarborough mentions an “early” Los Angeles Times article written about Catholic nuns who worked at Go Vap orphanage during the American War. From her reference, the article appears to have been about the nun’s roles in gathering up Amerasian children “nobody wanted.”

Pham, Nga. “Vietnam war babies' mixed memories.” BBC Vietnamese Service. Monday, 25 April, 2005. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4472915.stm>.

Article includes comments from a former orphan at Go Vap orphanage. Stated by Peter Hoa Stone, "We knew the war was going on. Sometimes you could hear the bombs exploding during the night.”

Other literature verifies that Go Vap orphanage was a depressing place during the American War. A place of discard for “children of the dust.”

Peace in Viet Nam

Ryan Nelson

--------

From: Tuan Hoang <thoang1@nd.edu>

Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Date: Thu, Feb 28, 2008 at 6:44 AM

The 1964 Catholic yearbook [Nien giam cong giao Viet Nam, 1964 (Saigon)] has the following info about the

orphanage on pp. 475-476.

One of three orphanages run by nuns of Dong Men Thanh Gia Cho Quan (Amantes de la Croix de Cho-quan), whose

headquarter was in Cho Lon. This was a branch of the larger Dong Men Thanh Gia (Les Soeurs Amantes de la

Croix).

The Go Vap orphanage was founded in 1874, "with branches in Thu Duc, Xuan Truong." The other orphanage listed

is Can Giuoc.

No number of orphans at Go Vap is given, but the total from 3 orphanages is 1455 children.

~Tuan

Tuan Hoang

PhD Candidate

Department of History

University of Notre Dame

219 O'Shaughnessy Hall

Notre Dame, IN 46556

thoang1@nd.edu

[Quoted text hidden]

--------

Return to top of page