Traditional Vietnamese music filled a dimly lit room at Dorchester’s VietAID Community Center last Saturday as hundreds of people entered the space. Blue waves were cast onto the ceiling while candles flickered at every seat in remembrance of the soldiers who lost their lives during the Vietnam War.

The 1975 Vietnamese Diaspora Commemoration Initiative hosted the event, called the “Intergenerational Cultural Commemoration Event” (‘Chương Trình Tưởng Niệm, Liên Thế Hệ’). It featured art performances, visual exhibitions, traditional cuisine, and speeches from elected officials and community leaders. 

The gathering paid homage to “Black April,” a reference to the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, which marked the end of the US involvement in the war. The capture of Saigon by communist forces of North Vietnam triggered a mass migration of Vietnamese people, a large number of whom settled in Dorchester.

The initiative, led by Dorchester-based artist Trân Vũ and mental health clinician Linh-Phương Vũ, aims to honor the legacies of families affected by the war. They are planning to create a permanent memorial within Boston’s Little Saigon district in Fields Corner.

“We want to create a space for Vietnamese people where we can respect and honor our journey here, as well as acknowledge how much we have made a name for ourselves in the New England area,” Linh said in an interview with the Reporter.

Saturday’s event was intergenerational and inclusive, welcoming individuals from different generations and accommodating bilingual attendees.

It started off with a lion dance performance by young students from the Vovinam Quang Trung, a non-profit martial arts school and training center in Boston.  After that event, Vietnamese veterans led the flag salutations for both Vietnamese and American flags, followed by a moment of silence to honor the soldiers who fought in the war. Many lifted candles from their seats, eyes closed in a moment of respect.  As the Vietnamese national anthem began playing, everyone in the room stood up, with many citizens offering salutes to the soldiers.

The finale featured speeches by Trân, Linh, and other notable figures such as Rep. Tram Nguyen (D-Essex), the first Vietnamese American woman to serve in the Massachusetts Legislature. She arrived in the US at age 5.

“It has been 49 years, almost half a century, since the communists forced many of us out of the country,” Nguyen told the crowd. “But they never extinguish our desire for democracy, liberty, and freedom.

Nguyen delivered congratulations to the initiative in recognition of their “dedicated work, bringing together all generations of the Vietnamese diaspora to commemorate the impact and legacies of war.”

Other attendees included state Sen. Nick Collins, and City Councillor John FitzGerald.

Tammy Ho, who is partly of Vietnamese descent, attended the event to further explore his cultural heritage and to honor the elders who have played significant roles in his life. 

“It’s always inspiring to meet experienced people that come from similar roots as mine,” he said. 

Tran, one of the two chief organizers, said she and Linh aimed to create interactions between different Vietnamese generations, given that the Vietnamese community is “very complex.” Kevin Tran, who also spoke at the event, said it is “very difficult for the younger generation to comprehend and sympathize with what our parents went through.”

To bridge gaps between the generations, Linh wants to be able to preserve and archive these stories through her initiative. She hopes to honor and hear everyone’s collective stories. 

“Because then, we can use that to educate,” Linh said. 

The initiative is organizing a Givebutter campaign. The goal is to raise $100,000, contributing to a larger budget of $500,000 for the construction of a permanent memorial in Boston’s Little Saigon Cultural District by 2025.

Learn more about the campaign at givebutter.com/1975VietMemorial.