DVAN@SFSU
DVAN@SFSU advances the mission of Ethnic Studies by making teaching relevant to the community. We collaborate with faculty and community organizations to develop engaging, community-centered learning activities while empowering students to become agents of social change. We emphasize increasing the visibility of diasporic Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian writers and poets in broader society.
About
DVAN@SFSU was launched in Fall 2019 to serve as a bridge between students and the Vietnamese American community.
We believe that increasing the visibility of Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian diasporic writers and poets in American culture helps foster greater respect and understanding for these communities. In doing so, we create collaborative projects and activities where students are empowered to explore and deepen their understanding of history, identity, and community.
DVAN@SFSU is supported by the Kieu Chinh Endowment at San Francisco State University, the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network (DVAN), as well as sponsors and individual donors.
Projects
Activities
The Department of Asian American Studies offers one of the largest curricula in Vietnamese American and Southeast Asian American Studies in the country.
DVAN serve as a bridge between faculty and DVAN to integrate DVAN programs—such as ACCENTED, diaCRITICS, and SF public events—into the curriculum.
Faculty Affiliates
- Loan Le
- Philip Nguyen
- Yuki Obayashi
- Isabelle Thuy Pelaud
- Valerie Soe
We support and organize campus events that enhance students’ academic, cultural, and community engagement.
READINGS
We collaborate with the Poetry Center to bring poets to campus.
- Lan Duong
- Diana Khoi Nguyen
- Vi Khi Nao
- Dao Strom
EXHIBITS
Textures of Remembrance: Vietnamese Artists and Writers Reflect on the Fall of Saigon
In Spring 2023, we collaborated with faculty and students in Museum Studies and DVAN to bring exhibit Textures of Remembrance to the Global Museum at SFSU.
This exhibit explored the impact of April 30, 1975 through the perspectives of many young Vietnamese American artists. These creative works reflect on the enduring effects of the Vietnam War on identity, family, and community, while humanizing the Vietnamese diasporic refugee experience from the inside out.
To learn more about this exhibit, see this video.
We encourage and guide students to engage in meaningful community service.
We offer both volunteer and paid internship opportunities for SFSU students. Participants may also earn 3 units per semester for their community work through Independent Studies (AAS 699).
In addition to the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network (DVAN), we work with the following organizations (re. volunteers and promotion).
Community Organizations:
- Progressive Vietnamese American Association (PIVOT)
- Southeast Asian Development Center (SEADC)
- Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC)
- Vietnamese American Round Table (VART)
Student Organization:
SFSU Campus Centers & Institutes:
Universities
- University of California, Berkeley (Center for Southeast Asia Studies)
