Vietnamese American Experience Students “SEA” the Archive

Today, on February 29, 2012 (Leap Year!) students of Vietnamese American Experience at UC Irvine met in Langson Library for a tour and informational session with Research Librarian, Christina Woo and Public Services Coordinator, Steve MacLeod.

This visit to the Southeast Asian Archive (SEAA) at UC Irvine allowed students to connect their oral history training in the class and their individual interview projects with a more nuanced understanding of the archival process. What students produce through their oral history interview will be physically archived here at the SEAA and will show up under their names, as their contribution to public history about Vietnamese Americans in Southern California. This is huge! And this is exciting. The tour and info session inspire students to put their best efforts into this important work.

As the quarter winds down and students are busy in the work of processing their oral history interviews, this visit gives them a sense of purpose and helps them see the larger intellectual contribution they are making. UC Irvine’s Southeast Asian Archive is a one-of-a-kind resource for researchers and the public on the experiences of refugees and immigrants from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Many come from across the country to use its collections. The VAOHP Collection (as part of the SEAA) will give a home to the stories that are waiting to be heard.