Friends of Little Saigon - Seattle

Students from our Vietnamese Language Level 1 Course went to Eyedentity Studio to practice Vietnamese vocab and learn more about ancestral wellness practices and meditation with Ti Phan.

🏫In partnership with the Van Lang Vietnamese Cultural School, Friends of Little Sài Gòn hosts bi-annual 10 week courses for adults (18+) of Vietnamese descent in King County who want to enhance their understanding of the language and culture.

Eyedentity Studio is a Seattle beauty salon with an emphasis on wellness. Their mission is to cultivate self-love, and inclusivity, fostering a safe space for all.

🏫FLS offers two courses per year, Level 1 in the Fall & Level 2 in the Winter

❓Interested in taking a future course? Email [email protected] to be added to our mailing list.

Calling Artists in the Little Saigon & greater Seattle community!

Join our Artist Roster for upcoming public art projects and art exhibits! Our internal network of artists will gain access to:

- Annual calls for art in the Little Saigon Creative Art Gallery
- Sub-contracts for public art
- Our monthly Artist Opportunities Newsletter (grants/funds, CFAs, employment opportunities)

➡️To join the roster, please submit portfolio samples at bit.ly/FLSArtistRoster

The form will close at 5:00pm PST on Friday, December 20, 2024.

Artists do not need to be of Vietnamese descent to be added to our roster. We are especially seeking artists with experience with city permits, operating machinery, and procuring liability insurance.

Artists with experience in murals, 3D Media (sculptures, installations, fiber arts, ceramics, etc.), and non-mural 2D Media (paintings, graphic design, film, photography, etc.) should submit up to five (5) images of your best work samples with descriptions of each work sample provided, including: medium, budget, year completed, and client, if applicable.

➡️Please note that this roster is not an application and will not guarantee your selection for art initiatives. Contact [email protected] if you need portfolio assistance.

Last month, the Friends of Little Sài Gòn Board and Staff held our annual retreat at the historic Dearborn House to discuss and prioritize strategies for our organization through 2025.

The retreat focused on establishing the most important initiatives in the FLS work plan for 2025, revisiting the Little Saigon 2030 Action Plan, and training in advocacy skills.

Staff and Board members participated in advocacy training with Erin Okuno and practiced their skills in sharing public testimony on behalf of Little Saigon.

Friends of Little Sài Gòn discussed ways to make sure the CID Vision Plan and Little Saigon 2030 Action Plan are incorporated in our community’s development with the Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development who presented information about One Seattle Comprehensive Plan.

🍎To learn more about FLS’s long-term goals and vision, visit https://flsseattle.org/

🔎Read more about the 2030 Action Plan at https://littlesaigon2030.com/

Last Saturday, Friends of Little Sài Gòn and SCIDpda hosted 25 community members at an open house community event at Nisei Veterans Committee Hall. We held rich discussions around how to activate the Landmark Project building, the programming inside, and name suggestions for the project.

The Little Saigon Landmark Project will be located on 10th Ave S and S Jackson St and will include affordable housing and a Vietnamese Cultural and Economic Center. This project is part of our Economic Development initiative to combat displacement and gentrification threats to Seattle’s Vietnamese community.

Thank you to all of our community members who contributed their time and feedback at this meeting!

To learn more, visit flsseattle.org/what-we-do/economic-development/landmark-project/ or link in bio

At our next community meeting, learn about we’ve incorporated community feedback and ideas into the Landmark Project! 

We welcome supporters, workers, business owners, and residents to join us at our next meeting to hear about the progress and help us name the building! 

If you’ve never been to a meeting, enjoy these slides about what to expect and how to get inspired to do your own community work. 

⏰Saturday, Sept. 28, 12:00 - 2:30pm 
📍 Nisei Veterans Committee Memorial Hall (1212 S King St, Seattle, WA 98144)

RSVP at tinyurl.com/Sept-Meeting or in link in bio

Imagine a world where Little Saigon is the hub of the regional Vietnamese American community where all families and businesses are thriving.

FLS advocates for the equitable development of Little Saigon and we aim to support these efforts through the Little Saigon Landmark Project.

What is equitable development?

From the

Equitable development means public and private investments, programs, and policies in neighborhoods that take into account past history and current conditions to meet the needs of marginalized populations and to reduce disparities so that quality of life outcomes such as access to quality education, living wage employment, healthy environment, affordable housing and transportation, are equitably distributed for the people currently living and working here, as well as for new people moving in.

In these graphics, we share how this project received funding and what the future holds for the project.

Learn more about the project and give feedback on the name of the Vietnamese Cultural and Economic Center on Saturday, Sept. 28, 12:00 - 2:30pm at the Nisei Veterans Committee Memorial Hall (1212 S King St, Seattle, WA 98144)

RSVP at tinyurl.com/Sept-Meeting or in link in bio

What is the Little Saigon Landmark Project? Why does it matter?

In this post, we share why this project is critical to the preservation and revitalization of the Little Saigon neighborhood and to the Vietnamese community, what it takes to build a community center, and why community feedback is so important.

Learn more about the project and give feedback on the name of the Vietnamese Cultural and Economic Center on Saturday, Sept. 28, 12:00 - 2:30pm at the Nisei Veterans Committee Memorial Hall (1212 S King St, Seattle, WA 98144)

As we continue to gather input from the community, we will share outcomes with you in future posts!

RSVP at tinyurl.com/Sept-Meeting or in link in bio

September is full of community engagement opportunities in Little Saigon!

🏞️ The National APIAHiP Forum | 9/12 - 9/15 | A series of workshops, tours, and networking centered on preserving Asian & Pacific Islander American heritage. General Registration is SOLD OUT. Please contact [email protected] to ask about a waitlist. https://apiahip.org/forum-2024

📚 “Author Intersections” | Saturday, 9/21 | 11am - 4pm | A book event celebrating local Southeast Asian authors and the writing community – learn more about and register for the free event at https://partiful.com/e/WA33Bgf9PA5QMCmoUVYO

🌙 CID Night Market | Saturday, 9/21 | 1 - 9pm | Learn more about the annual street festival at Seattle's Chinatown-International District

🏢 Landmark Project Community Meeting #2 | Saturday, 9/28 | 12 - 2:30pm | Learn about and help name the Little Saigon Landmark Project’s Vietnamese Cultural and Economic Center! Register at https://partiful.com/e/fhYjo78YJhjBttNwR9sF?



Explore more upcoming events by signing up for our newsletter – https://flsseattle.myflodesk.com/flsseattle

Help us name the Little Saigon Landmark Project’s Vietnamese Cultural and Economic Center!

Join us for the next Little Saigon Landmark community meeting hosted by Friends of Little Sài Gòn and SCIDpda!

When: Saturday, September 28 from 12:00pm - 2:30 pm
Where: Nisei Veterans Committee Memorial Hall / 1212 S King St, Seattle, WA 98144
RSVP: Click on the Partiful link in our bio

The Little Saigon Landmark Project will be located on 10th Ave S and S Jackson St and will include affordable housing and a Vietnamese Cultural and Economic Center. This project is part of our Economic Development initiative to combat displacement and gentrification threats to Seattle’s Vietnamese community. In our next community meeting, we will be revealing new designs and inviting you to give input on the name for the Vietnamese Cultural and Economic Center!

Want to learn more about what we discussed in our last community meeting? Take a look at these awesome graphics by .shibuya which illustrates key points of our conversation around programming, activities, and space planning.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Celebrate Little Saigon made the front page of Nguoi Viet NW! Pick one up at the Little Saigon Creative while copies last!

Learn more on the Office of Arts & Culture Seattle blog!

https://artbeat.seattle.gov/2024/08/21/hoa-mai-public-art/?fbclid=IwY2xjawE5jhhleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVzLS-Eu7RCjmwJKGiZe_skMJ47l14579Csgs-eXrSWQJi1I3janMB6K8g_aem_ssSPzlHVwXpWop-3Got9eQ

The 13th Annual Celebrate Little Saigon event was a huge success, thanks to all of you! We had 30 brave competitors in our phở and cream puff eating contests, 24 enthusiastic Stamp Rally participants who supported our small businesses, and countless connections between new and old friends.

When our Little Saigon community comes together, our neighborhood truly flourishes. We’re so grateful to each of you for returning to Little Saigon and making this celebration one to remember.

A special shoutout to our 23 incredible volunteers! You braved the heat, offering wayfinding and assistance to visitors, and ensured everything ran smoothly before, during, and after the event. We couldn’t have done it without you.

We also want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our vendors, artists, performers, and community partners. Your booths and businesses added vibrant energy to the block, making it a welcoming space to discover new foods, art, and community initiatives.

Unfortunately, the event site was broken into and all of our generators were stolen the next morning. While this is disheartening, we are reminded of why events like Celebrate Little Saigon and our work to improve the Little Saigon community are critical for maintaining a vibrant and safe neighborhood.

Thank you again for being part of Celebrate Little Saigon! We can’t wait to see you next year!

to 2011 and the very first Celebrate Little Saigon! Pictured here is Friends of Little Sài Gòn Executive Director, Quynh, (then the Event Coordinator) reading off raffle prizes with a volunteer.

In 2011, Celebrate Little Saigon took place in the Lam’s Parking Lot – the current site of the completed Hoa Mai Park! The community celebrated with 4 vendor booths, food from local businesses, live entertainment, and provided feedback on the Little Saigon Streetscape improvement plan.

The event’s goal was to invite the neighborhood to gather and share outdoor space together and today – thirteen years after the very first event – we invite all of our community to come and be in this irreplaceable neighborhood with us.

Join us on Saturday, August 10th from 10am - 4pm!

📍Nisei Veterans Memorial Hall Parking Lot | 1212 S King St, Seattle, WA 98144
⌛Saturday, August 10th | 10am - 4pm

Learn Vietnamese with us! Friends of Little Sài Gòn (FLS) and Van Lang are back with our Level 1 virtual 10-week course for adults (age 18+) of Vietnamese descent who want to enhance their understanding of Vietnamese language and culture.

The course will start on September 14 and will end on November 16, 2024. Classes will be every Saturday from 9:30am - 12:00pm on Zoom. At the end of this Level 1 course, students will increase confidence in daily conversations, decode tonal marks in the Vietnamese alphabet, improve pronounciation, write simple sentences, briefly describe their life and job, and more.

Applications for the Vietnamese Language Level 1 Course are open now and will close Wednesday, August 14 at 5:00pm. Spots are limited.

Click on this link to apply: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdZmcczfKTargE3KpEjLjhnX_XSzEDAjlcGjUbrChNB3a_Jdw/closedform

Get the latest news from Little Saigon! Be the first to learn about community events, career/volunteer opportunities, and updates from Friends of Little Saigon executive director, Quynh Pham!

Sign up for our newsletter here: https://flsseattle.myflodesk.com/flsseattle

Hoa Mai Park officially opened on Saturday, July 27th!

Spaces like Hoa Mai Park are extremely valuable and become key assets in creating a healthy community. It was amazing to see community members come out and enjoy the space with speeches from project partners including artist Kalina Chung Art who created the amazing art installation at the Jackson Street entrance to the park. Guests enjoyed crafts, the new children’s area, and music and dance from Mak Fai Kung Fu.

Friends of Little Sài Gòn has been involved in the Hoa Mai Park process since 2010, when we first discovered that Little Saigon was identified as having the least amount of green space per capita.

This was one of our first projects and an opportunity to bring physical investments into the neighborhood. Our vision for this park, and Little Saigon, continues to be about establishing this place as a hub for the Vietnamese community where all families and businesses thrive. This park is another step closer to that vision.

The completed Hoa Mai Park is just the beginning. We want to work with our city and community partners to keep it safe and active for all the employees, residents, children, families, seniors, and visitors of Little Saigon.

A huge thank you to the Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Office of Arts & Culture Seattle for their support of Little Saigon’s newest green space.

We invite all to come visit Hoa Mai Park!

Photos courtesy of Seattle Parks and Recreation

🌳💚

✋ more days!

Join us for the Community Ribbon Cutting Celebration of Hoa Mai Park!

Seattle Parks and Recreation and Friends of Little Saigon - Seattle invites you to celebrate the opening of the new Hoa Mai Park in the Little Saigon neighborhood on Saturday, July 27, 2024, from 12:30 to 3 p.m.

We're excited to activate this new urban park space for the Little Saigon community with an afternoon filled with music, activities, food, and a Lion Dance performance by Mak Fai Kung Fu!

Thank you to the Office of Arts & Culture Seattle and artist, Kalina Chung for your incredible contribution to the park!!

Don't miss out! Celebrate with the community and the beautiful new addition to the neighborhood. We can't wait to see you there!

Support the artists and small businesses vending at Celebrate Little Saigon 2024 on Saturday, August 10, from 10am to 4pm!

Make new neighborhood memories and be part of preserving and enhancing Seattle's cultural hub of the Vietnamese community.

Learn more and RSVP here: https://partiful.com/e/xe7Mv6vFOgwgglRYziB1

Join us for the Community Ribbon Cutting Celebration of Hoa Mai Park!

Seattle Parks and Recreation and Friends of Little Saigon invite you to celebrate the opening of the new Hoa Mai Park in the Little Saigon neighborhood on Saturday, July 27, 2024, from 12:30 to 3 p.m.

We're excited to activate this new urban park space for the Little Saigon community with an afternoon filled with music, activities, food, and a Lion Dance performance by Mak Fai Kung Fu!

Don't miss out! Celebrate with the community and the beautiful new addition to the neighborhood. We can't wait to see you there!

🎉Celebrate Little Saigon is back this summer on Saturday, August 10th, 2024! Friends of Little Sài Gòn’s annual block party celebrates Vietnamese cuisine and culture in Seattle’s Historic Little Saigon. Join us for a day highlighting local businesses, artists, creators, and performers.

📅Saturday, August 10th
⏰10am - 4pm
📍Nisei Veterans Committee Memorial Hall Parking Lot
🎫free, all-ages
📩RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/1961786097604876/?rdid=ss1orvcOVvZ0TZrD&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2FuHEnScFF2aTPHJkg%2F

📷by Sunny Martini

Thank you to our sponsors: Amazon, BNBuilders, Edge Developers LLC, The Inatai Foundation, Mithun, Pacifica Law Group, and Side x Side Architects.

UPDATE: Clarification on scope of work included. Edits to the RFP are in blue.

——

Friends of Little Sài Gòn is looking for a video production team to produce a short documentary!

April 30, 2025 will mark 50 years since the end of the war in Vietnam. To commemorate this date, FLS is dedicating our arts and culture program efforts towards collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories of Vietnamese refugees and their families through an oral history project titled Saigon to Seattle.

The project will result in the production of a short bilingual English and Vietnamese documentary film chronicling the past, present, and future of the Vietnamese refugee and immigrant experience in Seattle and King County.

To view the RFP and for instructions on how to submit a proposal by Thursday, July 11 at 5pm, visit https://tr.ee/wfCFgNZP3b or click on the link in our bio.

Friends of Little Sài Gòn is looking for a video production team to produce a short documentary!

April 30, 2025 will mark 50 years since the end of the war in Vietnam. To commemorate this date, FLS is dedicating our arts and culture program efforts towards collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories of Vietnamese refugees and their families through an oral history project titled Saigon to Seattle.

The project will result in the production of a short bilingual English and Vietnamese documentary film chronicling the past, present, and future of the Vietnamese refugee and immigrant experience in Seattle and King County.

To view the RFP and for instructions on how to submit a proposal by Thursday, July 11 at 5pm, visit https://tr.ee/-QvRTaBnFm or click on the link in our bio.