Students preserve stories of Vietnam War survivors

Fifty years after the Fall of Saigon, a group of students at East Kentwood High School is helping to preserve the stories of their families’ harrowing journeys from Vietnam to the United States.

Through a collaboration with the Grand Rapids Public Museum, the Vietnamese American Community of West Michigan, and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, these students are documenting oral histories that reflect not only personal resilience but also the legacy of this country's refugee policy.

At the May 7 event hosted by the Grand Rapids Public Museum, four East Kentwood students – Christina Le, Amberly Nguyen, Ethan Lien, and Jennifer Pham – shared their family stories, as did East Kentwood art teacher Le Tran. The evening also included performances of traditional Vietnamese songs, offering a vibrant cultural tribute to the Vietnamese American experience.

Tommy Allen

Several students wore traditional Vietnamese dress, including senior Lien, who wore a royal blue áo dài, a long tunic embroidered with gold patterns worn over white trousers. The elegant garment is usually reserved for weddings and other formal occasions.

The initiative is part of the museum’s GR Stories program, a community-driven project that amplifies local voices and weaves personal histories into the broader fabric of American life. This year, the project marked the 50th anniversary of April 30, 1975, the day Saigon fell.

Teacher inspires project

"This all really started with Le Tran," says Matt Vriesman, an AP U.S. history teacher at East Kentwood and the 2023 National History Teacher of the Year. "She’s an art teacher and the faculty adviser for the Asian Student Union. Every spring, they put on a cultural festival, but this year was different. Ms. Tran told them they needed to do something extra special. She was leaving Saigon on April 30, 1975, and now, after 23 years of teaching, she was ready to share her story."

Tommy AllenEast Kentwood High School and 2023's National History Teacher of the Year, Matthew Vriesman.

Tran’s personal journey inspired a larger project that grew through collaboration and creativity. Vriesman had previously partnered with the Ford Museum and saw an opportunity to connect local student stories with national history. 

"We received a grant through Kentwood Public Schools to focus more on teaching diverse histories," he says. "We’ve been taking what’s worked really well at East Kentwood and sharing it with other districts."

Vriesman’s goal was for students to analyze national policy – in particular, the Refugee Act of 1980 – through the lens of their own families’ lived experiences, as well as learn about what artifacts are and how to interview family members through a historical perspective. 

Tommy AllenCuong Luong performs at the GR Stories: This is our home now, 50 years of building community after Saigon.

"At the start of the year, I didn’t have this exact event in mind," he says. "But as I talked with Tony (Baker) and Le about their ideas, everything started coming together."

Baker, a professor of urban sociology at Ferris State University and GR Stories collaborator, says the project aligned perfectly with the historical moment. 

"This is the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, and it just so happened that we were already working on telling this community's story," Baker says. "It felt spiritual in a way. When you talk about the legacy of refugee policy, it’s these students, their families came here under difficult circumstances, and now they’re going off to college, starting businesses. That’s the legacy."

Tommy AllenTony Baker

That legacy was deeply shaped by President Gerald R. Ford, the Grand Rapids native who championed refugee support legislation during his presidency. Ford’s efforts played a key role in welcoming thousands of Vietnamese refugees to the United States, including many who settled in Grand Rapids.

Two events showcased the students’ work: On May 7, the Grand Rapids Public Museum hosted an exhibit of oral histories and art installations. On May 9, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum expanded the narrative to include Operation Babylift, Amerasian experiences, and the wider impact of the Vietnamese diaspora on West Michigan.

Students gained new perspectives

Christina Le, a junior at East Kentwood, participated in the project by interviewing her father. 

"He really started back with how he got the idea to come to the Americas and how he navigated being in a new country," Le says. "I was shocked that he was so young during the Vietnam War. He said he could hear the planes dropping bombs. He was born in 1968, so he was only about 7."

Tommy Allen Reception for GR Stories allowed folks to dive into Vietnamese cuisine.

The experience helped Le see her family history in a new light. 

"Even the things I thought were mundane, like food or the way they speak, are really just pieces of their own country that they brought with them over here,” she says. "I definitely feel a lot more connected. Their journey isn’t something we talk about casually. So this helped me understand the sacrifices they made."

For Amberly Nguyen, also a junior at East Kentwood, the project was eye-opening and healing. "I interviewed my mom and some of my grandparents," Nguyen says."I was surprised that my uncle came here alone at 13. He first went to California because my grandmother’s parents and siblings were already there. Then he sponsored my grandparents. Miss Tran's family encouraged them to come to Grand Rapids and helped them find jobs."

“Doing this project for my mom and learning how far they came for me to be here made me appreciate it a lot,” she adds.

Senior Ethan Lien, who also took part in GR Stories, says the interviews were a revelation. 

"To be honest, I didn’t really know much of that history before doing this," he says. "Listening to their stories about how they got here, the struggles they went through was very eye-opening."

Lien says understanding the challenges his family overcame has motivated him. 
"It pushes me to work hard and get through my own struggles,” he says. “If they went through that and made it, I can too."

Tran’s own story was also part of the exhibit and the presentations. She recounts her childhood in Vietnam: walking to school past bamboo groves, hearing bombs shake the earth, and watching her brother go off to war and being killed on the frontline, bringing a grief that her family had never known. Her parents were forced to leave everything behind to protect their family. 

"We were told we were going on vacation," she recalls. "At night, we were crammed into a little boat. A U.S. naval ship spotted us. They hoisted us up in fishing nets. I was terrified. But that was the beginning of our journey."

Coming to West Michigan

Tran remembers being sponsored by a Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids. Before arriving there, her family spent time at a refugee camp in Pennsylvania, where she and her sisters encountered a man who would change the course of their integration. 

Donald Hettinga, an English professor, was initially reluctant due to his limited time, but he agreed to the girls’ request to teach them English. They met twice a week for half-hour lessons behind a nearby church. Those early sessions were the sisters’ first exposure to the English language, and they played an important role in setting a foundation for their life in the United States. 

Tommy AllenEast Kentwood High School and 2023's National History Teacher of the Year, Matthew Vriesman

When Henninger returned home to Grand Rapids weeks later, he promised to help find a sponsor. He kept his word and connected them with a local church that welcomed them with open arms. The family moved into a home on Edna Street. Tran remembers the church members stocking the pantry and making them feel welcome.

"Did you know what my first possession in America was? A library card," she says, sharing her story at the presentation. "My friend Amy took me to the Grand Rapids Public Library. Everything was free – books, magazines, even music. I went every day."

Tran’s journey from refugee to educator reflects her commitment to art and advocacy. She earned her associate degree at Grand Rapids Community College, followed by a bachelor’s from Aquinas College and a master’s in art education from Ferris State University's Kendall College of Art and Design.

She teaches art at East Kentwood and is adviser to the Asian Student Union and National Art Honor Society. She has received national recognition for her work, including being named the 2021 National Secondary Art Educator of the Year.
As the GR Stories project continues, Vriesman says the museum partnership with East Kentwood will grow. 

"We want more students to be able to celebrate their identities and share their stories," he says. "GR Stories is an amazing resource for our community. These students are not just learning history, they’re making it."

For Baker, the impact is clear. 

"This project became very personal. It’s not just a recognition of legacy, it’s a celebration of it. And it shows that history lives in the stories we tell and the ones we choose to hear."