Dear Bố,
It's been three years since you left us. I want to highlight exciting news in our community as well as some lessons learned since I wrote to you last year.
Friends of Little Saigon was finally able to secure a home for a Vietnamese community center at the site of Dong Hing market, on 10th and South Jackson. The Landmark Project will be 16,500 sq ft with 71 units of housing and events space. I saw the building plans-you’d be so proud. The new Little Saigon Park between South Jackson St and South King St should open this June. My friend Diem Ly got a new job as deputy director for the Office of Economic Development for the City of Seattle. Remember how much this office supports the MLK Area?
Thanh Tân released a documentary series, "Refuge After War" about how Afghan refugees were helped by Vietnamese refugees. She is starting a new project on the Vietnamese veteran who was in one of the battles before the fall of Saigon. Susan Liễu’s book, The Manicurist's Daughter, came out and it was reviewed on NPR. She also raised over $50,000 to buy books to donate to immigrant and refugees.
State representative My-Linh Thai was able to get Lunar New Year recognized as an official holiday in Washington. I went to the election of the Vietnamese American Community of WA, where Dr. Dat was elected president. Linh Thai was nominated to take an empty seat on Seattle City Council, and he had many supporters. Although he ultimately didn’t get it, I think it was the closest we’ve ever come to having a Vietnamese American city council member in Seattle. Unfortunately, Little Saigon still has lots of crime and public safety issues. I don’t spend as much time in Seattle. Kim-Khanh Van was reelected to Renton City Council.
As for the family and the newspaper, mom is still doing the best she can to manage it. Print costs have gone up a lot. Even Northwest Asian Weekly shut down its paper early last year. Andy is doing really well as a CPA, and he's a valued member of his company. I can tell he's getting better and more confident with speaking to clients. I hear Don speaking with a lot of knowledge to his colleagues at Microsoft too. We still have the weekly sibling dinners.
I got to give a big speech last fall. Mom went and had a good time and I had about 25 friends in the audience. I also got to emcee the Celebrate Asia concert at Benaroya Hall and 1,900 people attended. Andy, Don, and mom were there! I wore a new áo dài for the occasion. Dr. Dat organized a big Vietnamese group to come and lots of both young and old Vietnamese came. We took lots of photos.
Last fall, I was awarded by the National Conference of Vietnamese American Attorneys and I gave a short speech accepting the award on your and mom's behalf. Some people said they were so touched, they cried. It was held at Seattle Art Museum and it was mom's first time going to an art museum ever in the US. She was impressed by the 15th century Bat Trang pottery they had on display. Without you here, mom is doing the best she can to cheer us on and be the equivalent of two.
Next month, we will go visit the tulip festival. I wish we had gone with you. We miss you, and we feel your gentle spirit every day.
Con gái rượi của bố,
Julie