PIVOT Statement: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the End of the Vietnam War

April 30, 2025

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and the beginning of the Vietnamese American community, members of PIVOT share their reflections on these events and what it means to be Vietnamese American through words and photographs.

Since 1975, successive waves of Vietnamese Americans have arrived in the US as refugees, carrying with them memories of the war. A new generation born in the US has grown up with echoes of these experiences—shaped by both American perspectives and the growing chorus of Vietnamese American voices.

The reflections from our PIVOT community capture this diversity, revealing both the trauma of leaving and the resilience in rebuilding. "We floated at sea for 3 days," recalls Tung Nguyen, whose most precious possession became a simple water bottle for his family. Cathy Lam remembers the chaos of evacuation, with families entrusting their children to strangers facing "the unthinkable future." For many, what was called "Liberation Day" instead marked the day "our world shattered" as fathers were sent to re-education camps.

Despite these hardships, gratitude permeates these accounts—for parents who, as Stephanie Doan notes, "built a new life that has afforded opportunities my parents could have only dreamed of in Vietnam." Kim Nguyen, born in America, recognizes how her family's narrative taught her "to live a life of gratitude and purpose." Looking forward, Khanh Nguyen reflects on the privilege of democracy: "Unlike my parents, I am fortunate to be an American... I have a hand on the levers of democracy that will shape my children's future."

The PIVOT community is united by these shared experiences and by our mission of building a just and diverse America, and we are committed to this work in the years ahead.