"Sài Gòn Nh?, Little Saigon" is a series of images from various Vietnamese-American communities throughout the United States, punctuated with imagery from Vi?t Nam. Through portraiture, landscapes, and poetic imagery, I explore broader themes of home, displacement, resettlement, cultural hybridity, and the evolving relationship between Vietnamese-Americans and their adopted country. This project seeks to visually articulate this hyphenated identity, exploring the intersection of where Vietnam ends and America begins. I have been photographing Vietnamese-American communities for approximately six years, intensifying my focus over the past three. In the summer of 2024 I will be photographing communities in the Northeast. I plan to photograph along the Gulf Coast in October and the West Coast in November and December. I aim to complete this body of work by April 30, 2025, a date which coincides with the fall of Saigon 50 years ago on April 30, 1975. The series of images will consist of a monograph, gallery exhibit, and newspaper or magazine feature. The scholarship award will assist in my travels along the West Coast as I photograph in Orange County, San Jose, and Seattle. My approach blends planned and spontaneous methods: while I schedule portraits in advance, I also make use of street casting and engaging with the community to find my subjects. The funding will be used to cover budget lodging, allowing me to fully engage and immerse myself within these communities.
