Vietnamese Cultural Folkways Who Fled Saigon by Boat Before the End of the War
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years old, county officials were ordered in doing all the sweeping before New Year's Day 2002 to print voting ballots in the Viet so that good fortune in the New Year is not namese language. Vietnamese Texan Andrew swept away. The house is decorated with Tran, Democrat, ran for a seat in the flowers and fruits as symbols of rebirth and Texas House of Representatives in the 2002 new growth. The festival lasts seven days, elections. As a Texan he attended political and at midnight on the last day, fireworks are rallies in cowboy boots! But in the election he lit to welcome the New Year and scare away did not get enough votes to win. the evil spirits. Through the Tet festival, the Vietnamese keep their culture alive and pass In 1987 in Garland, Texas, Mr. Loc Tran it on to others. started the Vietnam Weekly News, printed in Vietnamese. Twelve thousand copies were Amazing Vietnamese Texans sold weekly in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and other cities in the U.S. Dat Nguyen (1975-) was born in a Viet namese refugee camp in Arkansas to parents Vietnamese Cultural Folkways who fled Saigon by boat before the end of the war. Five brothers and sisters came over as Vietnam's culture was influenced by China well. His family moved to Rockport, Texas, and India, and many Vietnamese Texans fol where, in the eighth grade, Dat joined the low the teachings of Buddha. In 2002 there football team. After being named the AlI were 29 Buddhist temples in Texas. South Texas Defensive Player of the Year, he In the 1960s Baptist missionaries established joined the Texas A&M Aggies, There he won the Grace Baptist Church in Saigon and be the Lombardi Trophy and the Butkus Award. gan a Christian orphanage for children who After college he joined the Dallas Cowboys, had lost their parents. It was closed when the first Vietnamese to play in the National Saigon fell to the Communists. A hundred Football League. Vietnamese came to Dallas, where members In 2003 Betty Nguyen was a 27-year-old of the East Grand Baptist Church helped television anchor who was seen on morning them get medical care, housing, and jobs. In television in Houston. Born in Vietnam, 2002 the Vietnamese Faith Baptist Church in Betty and her family were among the last to Dallas had 230 members and held services in leave Saigon before the Communists arrived. Vietnamese. She grew up in North Texas and attended the The Vietnamese Texans celebrate the Lunar University of Texas at Austin. New Year. Their festival, called Tet Nguyen In 1998 she returned to Vietnam to visit fam Dan, or Tet, is a celebration of the New Year ily members. There she was overwhelmed by and of the change from winter to spring. the struggle of the rural people to survive the Families gather and prepare foods, fruit, and monsoon rains, disease, and poverty. She re incense to show respect for their ancestors. turned to Texas and with her mother founded The festival, depending on the year, takes Help The Hungry, Inc. ) place between January 21 and February 19. To prepare for Tet, families clean their homes, Web site: wwwtexancultures.utsa.edu/texansoneandall .