April 30, 2025, marked the 50 year anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. Because of this historical landmark, this year’s article for Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI) will focus on influential Vietnamese Americans. Their achievements include careers in American civil service, business, science and technology, athletics, and more.
As previously mentioned, American involvement in the Vietnam war ended in 1975. The rush to evacuate the city of Saigon in the final hours of the war was chaotic. Military leaders, both American and South Vietnamese, attempted to get as many people out as possible before the PAVN (North Vietnamese forces) claimed the city. One of the men who played a major role in this evacuation was Đỗ Kiếm, a Vietnamese Naval officer allied with the United States. His leadership successfully delivered 32 vessels – carrying over 30,000 refugees – to the US Navy. Without the efforts of Captain Đỗ Kiếm, the evacuation could have been far more disastrous, and many of those refugees may not be alive today. After the war, he became a US citizen, a school teacher, MBA graduate, cost engineer, and lecturer.
Like those who fled Vietnam with Captain Đỗ Kiếm, thousands found themselves looking for a new home. One of those people was Tony Lam. Originally born in Northern Vietnam, he had already escaped his homeland when Vietnam fractured into two states. Many years later, with a family of his own, he was doing it all over again. Lam stayed in Vietnam to evacuate civilians while his family flew out of the country, rejoining them after three long months apart. As a former business owner, he began the long and challenging journey of starting over again in Orange County, CA. He worked small jobs, opened a life insurance agency, a successful restaurant, and was a founding member of the Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce. By 1992, he had achieved a tremendous feat, remarkably fast after being forced to rebuild his entire life: he became the first Vietnamese American elected to a political office in the United States, after successfully campaigning for Westminster City Council.
Similar to Lam’s family, Jacqueline Nguyen fled Vietnam as a young girl. Starting as a 10 year old refugee in Los Angeles, by age 22, she earned her Juris Doctorate. Quickly rising through the private practice of law and later as a US attorney, she became a Superior Court of Los Angeles County judge in 2002. By 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Ngyuen to a seat on the US District Court for the Central District of California; two years later, she was again nominated and confirmed to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Nguyen had achieved the honorable status as the first Vietnamese American federal judge.
Vietnamese Americans have achieved fantastic accomplishments in the sciences; NASA astronaut Eugene Trinh is one achiever, and yet another example of a child refugee from Vietnam. He earned his Doctorate from Yale University. Trinh conducted experiments in fluid dynamics, fundamental materials science, and levitation technology aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia and multiple other spacecrafts.
In more recent years, Lilia Vu has led an impressive series of athletic victories in women’s golf. Vu has won eight individual titles in her UCLA college career, five LPGA tours, one Ladies European Tour, and three Epson Tours. In 2023, she was the highest ranked individual in the women’s world golf rankings. She has represented America’s national team.
Vietnam has a rich history dating thousands of years. But 50 years ago, the lives of hundreds of thousands were forever changed. Some were forced to flee, many that stayed lost their livelihoods, and many more lost their lives. But for those that survived, found their way to America, and persevered through the devastating sacrifices, they found a new life here. America, and the world, has benefited tremendously from the contributions of Vietnamese Americans. Their legacy continues to build, and new heights are being reached every day.