Students and community members will have the opportunity Sunday to taste authentic Vietnamese food, be entertained by skits and experience a fresh portrayal of Vietnamese culture.
Coordinated by junior Thuvan Hoang and senior Tran Quach, Vietnamese culture night is an annual event that draws people from around the state. Dinner starts at 5 p.m., and at 6:30 p.m. in the EMU Ballroom the Vietnamese Student Association will present “Memories of the Past, Dreams for the Future.”
Building on their past success, the students of the VSA will also try something a bit different this year.
Rob Yee, a sophomore multimedia arts major and the VSA’s program coordinator, said this year’s program is anything but typical. Instead of the fashion show and dances that are usually the main focus, a musical performance will address the idea of blending Vietnamese traditions with American culture.
In the main skit, a young girl opens up a “time capsule” of her life, and each item reminds her of a certain event, Yee said. A fan, for example, will remind her of a fan dance, which will then be performed for the audience.
“The whole show is based around a grandma and a little girl,” Hoang said. “The grandma is reminiscing about her past in Vietnam. The newer parts revolve around her time in the U.S.”
Quach added that in this way, the show attempts to “mesh an old culture with a new American culture … [and show] how it is to be growing up in a bi-racial culture like many of us are.”
Another skit tells the story of how New Year’s came about in Vietnam. Traditional cultural and courtship dances will also be performed, Yee said.
Authentic Vietnamese food will also be offered, and Quach said that not only will VSA members be cooking, but so will their parents, ensuring that the samplings will be traditional.
The “usual dishes” such as egg rolls will be served, Quach said, but so will many new noodle dishes. Yee said volunteers will also make a tasty Vietnamese barbecued pork.
Quach said although the active VSA members total about 25 people, more than 50 helped with the production.
“A lot of people came out of the woodwork,” she said.
Those who are involved in the student group are not all Vietnamese. Quach said the association has people of all backgrounds and races, including Chinese, Thai and Hispanic.
“I believe it’s really important for people to come to this event to see what Vietnamese culture is about,” Yee said. “I believe a lot of people don’t really know about it.”
The cost for the event, including dinner, is $8 for students and $9 for general admission.