Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association

Historical Background

The Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association (VAALA), a community-based non-profit organization based in Orange County, California, was founded in 1991 by a group of Vietnamese American journalists, artists, and friends. VAALA's mission is to promote Vietnamese values in art, create opportunities for artists to interact with their audience, and facilitate communication among different ethnic groups through various forms of art. VAALA has organized numerous cultural events that include lectures, exhibits, book fairs, and concerts by world-class Vietnamese scholars and artists. These events help bring the arts and culture to the community.

The Fresh off the Boat (F.O.B.) art exhibit was held in September 2002 at the Nguoi Viet gallery in Westminster, California. F.O.B. was the first exhibit to incorporate all the major media of visual and performing arts presented by Vietnamese American artists who are under 40 years of age. The goal of the exhibit was to celebrate and empower the Vietnamese American identity through creativity. Media featured include painting, sculpture, photography, film, new genres, installation, performing art, video art, comic drawings, graffiti art, poetry/spoken word, music, and di-jing. F.O.B. interwove art, popular culture, and unpopular notions of identity into a controversial show that addressed discrimination, stereotypes, and struggles. The exhibit was part of a three-week long festival.

"Fresh off the Boat' is a label often attributed to immigrants who have not yet integrated into the mainstream American society. The art show was created to shatter stereotypes and empower the immigrant community, co-opting the term "F.O.B." for the immigrants' own use.

The Vietnamese International Film Festival (VIFF) was fist held in 2003 and was the world's first film festival showcasing works on the Vietnamese diaspora. It was held at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of California, Irvine. The festival usually features about 100 films shown over a six-day period.

From the guide to the Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association collection, 2002-2005, (University of California, Irvine. Library. Special Collections and Archives.)