DVAN@SFSU
DVAN@SFSU is a project dedicated to increasing the visibility of diasporic Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian literature and poetry, while connecting students to Southeast Asian American cultures and communities.
We believe this work is important because Southeast Asian Americans remain among the most underrepresented and underserved communities within Asian America, and our stories are too often shaped by distorted narratives rooted in the legacy of the Vietnam War.
By increasing the visibility of Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian diasporic writers and poets in American culture, we hope to foster greater understanding, recognition, and respect for these communities.
In alignment with the mission of the College of Ethnic Studies, we are committed to making education relevant and responsive to the community.
History
DVAN@SFSU was invited by the College of Ethnic Studies and launched in Fall 2019.
DVAN@SFSU is supported by the Kieu Chinh Endowment at San Francisco State University.
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@SFSU serve as a bridge between faculty in the College of Ethnic Studies and the Southeast Asian literary community.
Faculty Affiliates
- Loan Le
- Philip Nguyen
- Yuki Obayashi
- Isabelle Thuy Pelaud
- Valerie Soe
- Chrissy Lau
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 the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network and Exhibit Envoy 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 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)
