Losing: The Legacy of 30 April

Many who fled Vietnam after 30 April 1975 call it “The day we lost our country” (ngày mất nước). This forum which takes place on the 48th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon will reflect upon what was lost and how it has shaped generations of Vietnamese Australians. It will be a sensitive and open discussion that acknowledges loss with a view to healing. Some of the topics that will be covered include the following.

• How experiences of defeat, displacement, and resettlement have defined Vietnamese Australia.
• How Vietnamese Australians have dealt with trauma.
• The impact of sacrifice and survival on parents and children.
• How loss and alienation are linked to crime, gambling and substance abuse.
• How loss and upheaval have been portrayed in Vietnamese-Australian art and literature.

This Vietnamese-Australian Forum will feature:

• Cat-Thảo Nguyễn works in Australia and Vietnam as Managing Director of Global Ready LLC, specialising in diversity, equity, inclusion and cultural intelligence. She is the author of the acclaimed memoir We Are Here.
• Vivian Phạm is a Sydney-based novelist, essayist and poet who delivers creative writing workshops with Story Factory. She is currently writing the screen and stage adaptations of her award winning novel The Coconut Children.
• Kim Huỳnh (facilitator) is an ANU academic, ABC Radio Canberra presenter and author of Where the Sea Takes Us: A Vietnamese-Australian Story.

This free online event will take place at 20:00 AEST on 30 April.