vietnamese american

Central Floridians who risked to their lives to escape Vietnam forty two years ago will gather in Orlando this weekend to commemorate Black April, a pivotal moment in Vietnam War history when thousands of Vietnamese fled for the United States, many on makeshift boats.

It’s been 40 years since the Fall of Saigon and all week we’re looking at Orlando’s Vietnamese population. Age is just a number for a group of Orlando Vietnamese retirees who dance for their country. Six members, average age 60 with no professional dance training, make up the group Hon Viet. Hon Viet means soul of Vietnam, and soul is certainly what you get when you watch this group perform.

Vu Nguyen and Hoang Doan are both Presidents of the Vietnamese Student Association at the University of Central Florida but three decades apart. They join 90.7's Matthew Peddie to discuss the generational differences between the first generation of Vietnamese Americans and the next.