Welcome to VAYA's Official Blog. This exciting new blog provides an opportunity for VAYA to engage in a dialogue with our members, the community, and those interested in our organization. This blog will feature commentary and observations from VAYA Executive Board Members, contributions by VAYA Staff and members, as well as approved guest bloggers from outside of VAYA. This blog will only be a true community if you participate, so please send your thoughts to eboard@vayasd.org. Please be respectful and considerate when posting comments and thoughts. All comments will be reviewed and approved prior to publication. Thank you for visiting this blog!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Dear Members and Supporters,

Today is a glorious day not only for Vietnamese-American everywhere in general, but for the VAYAnese of San Diego in particular. Today, a young immigrant has become a Vietnamese-American citizen by naturalization. Today, our community has gained a new Voter, new Voice, and a new Power.

Citizenship is a privilege, not a right. As a citizen, one enjoys many more opportunities than non-citizens. One gains access to more secure and better-paid governmental jobs; wider ranges of travel, and greater protection against enemies foreign and domestic. But more importantly, a citizen also acquires certain responsibilities. Besides pledging one's allegiance to the Star Spangled Banner, and defending the constitution of the United States, a citizen has a greater burden of ensuring the effectiveness of our government, the fairness of our justice system, the equality of our society and the well-being of our people. As one becomes a citizen, one's Voice takes on a greater meaning; one's Vote becomes a powerful tool to shape one's life and the lives of others. All the new powers, privileges and responsibilities will go into making our young friend a better person as he becomes a man and perhaps even a leader of men.

Without further ado, please join me in congratulating Long (last name) Tuấn Lương (first name) on his becoming a citizen of our adopted motherland, the United States of America.

About the Author: Frank H. Vuong serves as President for VAYA.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

VAYA Logo/Seal

The organization shall have a seal which shall be in the following form:

(a) The seal consists of five symbolic elements. The initials V.A.Y.A. represent the short name of the organization.The bamboo represents the sturdiness and flexibility of the Vietnamese people as well as that of the VietnameseAmerican youth. The sun symbolizes the tropical climate of agricultural Vietnam which shapes the lives of theVietnamese people since ancient time. The migratory sea-swallows represent the flight of the Vietnamese peoplein search of life and freedom. The birds also represent peace and the coming of spring which is associated withyouthful fervor. The three red stripes represent the bloodlines of the three main geographical, dialectical, andcultural regions of Vietnam.

(b) The Vietnamese American Youth Alliance adopted this group of symbols as the seal of the organization becauseof their many layers of meanings. It was chosen to reflect the connection between the Vietnamese Americanyouths and their culture and identity.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Dear Members and Supporters,

Many thanks to those who came out to our "Annual Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner" on Sunday 11/23/08 at the Santa Fe Room in Balboa Park. The event was a great success and we hope that you can join us again in future "VAYA Thanksgiving Potluck Dinners".

As a reminder, two major VAYA Tet-related events this week will be the Cultural Village Kick-Off Event and the VAYA 2009 Tet "Golden Voice" Final Audition, BOTH taking place this Saturday on December 6th. More information can be found under the "Upcoming VAYA Meetings & Events" section. Please note that If you would like to help out and/or join a Tet committee, it is NEVER too late. Feel free to contact me for details or come to our weekly meetings and get involved. We are ALWAYS looking for new talents and fresh ideas.

Lastly, Protégé Insurance Brokers, Inc. is currently searching for a part-time student intern or worker at their San Diego Office. More information can be found under the "Job Announcement" section of this newsletter. Details about the company can be at www.protegebrokers.com. On behalf of VAYA's Executive Board and Staff, thank you for your continual support.

About the Author: Anthony (Vinh) T. Nguyen serves as Secretary for VAYA.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

My Entrepreneurial Life - The Death

The story I am about to tell will probably relate to you in one way or the other.

"If someone told you they do not have a dream, they are lying"

When I was in high school I had always dreamed of running a business. Everyone has a dream. This was my dream. I had tried to start a few from high school to college that only got me a buck or two on the side. In college I rubbed shoulders with people that were soaring high. Business owners with mansions, pent houses, Ferrari and Lamborghinis. Some of them were in their late 20s. Some who bought new cars every other month like money ain't a thang. This was my motivation to push myself harder.

May 2005 - Graduation

"Sometimes you feel like school was in the way of something better"

I had recently graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Arts and Sciences Art (graphic design in short). I was excited to finish school. Towards the end of school I felt as if school was in the way of me making it big. It was two weeks after I had walked when I got a phone call from an old friend to meet on starting a new business. I was called upon because I had web development skills and matched a position in the business plan. The business I helped created was internet marketing for mortgage brokers.

Start of a new challenge

"Have you ever been in a situation where you thought back a month prior and would never thought you would ever be there?"

This was the beginning of the largest challenge of my life. The business sprinted and started within its first month. We had a 1800sq ft office space with 15 employees over the summer of 2005. We had recruited some of the best salesmen from top companies to work for us. They saw our product and was very enthusiastic about it. I was the Chief Operating Officer overlooking the business. Everything felt great.

It was about a year into the business and we had around 200 clients across the nation each paying us a monthly fee. We had residual income. Our phones were ringing off the hook. I started working 10-16 hour days staggered. Sometimes I would not sleep. We were making our competitors look bad. Clients were switching over to our business. Everything was all good in the hood. It felt good to build something from ground up and see it soar.I had flash backs of hanging out at mansions with nice cars. I had a feeling I was going to be there. I was constantly eating at nice restaurants. I started drinking wine a lot. Actually, this was the start of my wine drinking. I wanted to be classy and fancy with everything I had gained.

Mo money mo problems

But with a steady flow of income and sales every month, things started getting hairy. It seemed as if the more money we made the more trouble we run into. Every dollar that came in was tagged with trouble. It was then that every dollar I helped the company earned went out the door.

I had dealt with law suits from bigger companies trying to stop us from rising in the market. Their tactic was to put us through a lawsuit and try to bleed us out until we had no money left to fight. I had dealt with clients making threats to the business. Some of these clients had a lot of money and a lot of time on their hands. I had dealt with employees stealing from within and taking our business away. Employees who causes emotional stress to other employees to make a stand.

Stress relieversIn 2006, I joined the Vietnamese American Youth Alliance. I needed a break from all the stress i was going through. I met new friends and volunteering helped get my mind off of business. I wanted to change the swing of things and started getting more involved with them. I had dedicated too much of my time working and I needed to get out. They kept me sane.

Image is deceiving

"What you see isn't what you get"

When I was out hanging with my friends and meeting new people they thought I had it all good and gravy. Only those who were really close to me knew what I was going through. It was the image I presented that hid everything else. They saw me in my Mercedes and tagged me as successful. My Mercedes was part of the business marketing plan. Some would ask me why I drive an expensive car.

I said to them, "Would you rather work for someone driving a bucket or someone driving a Mercedes?"

If I wasn't running the business I wouldn't have bought such an expensive car. I would probably still be driving my civic hatchback, the $3k car that got me from point A to point B twice as less money in gas than what I have now.

The collapse of the mortgage industry

Our business's income was from mortgage brokers. No mortgage brokers no money. These guys knew how to sell loans and didn't know how to market themselves on the internet. That was what we were for.It was the beginning of 2007

"How does it feel to have someone you know leave and take advantage of what they know about you and take away what you have built?"

We saw the beginning of the end. Not only was I dealing with business getting taken away from competitors (who use to work for me), I was also dealing with mortgage brokers who went out of business. My business partner had recently gotten married and had a baby coming. He had his plate full.

Money was going out the door. I saw nothing but bills. IP phones, fax lines and internet $600+, insurance $400, rent $3500, loans, servers etc. Cost of running the business was more than $12,000 a month. It was like a ship trying to make it to land but was struck by a cannon ball with gas leaking.

The ship was sinking. On the outside. I looked like I was steering it as if I had just bought it.

"Have you ever looked at someone smiling and was curious if that smile was hiding how they truly feel?"

The dream of making it big was turning bleak. I thought back about all those people I ran into in high places. I would wonder what the other side of the image they presented was like.

It was towards the end of summer 2007. I was struggling.

"The guy behind the McDonald counter was better off than I was"

I had to jump ships. I landed a new job at the beginning September of 2007 right away. I had a job as a 3D graphics designer. I was titled as a "Senior Interactive Designer". I had worked there for almost a year. During the time there it felt like a huge break from everything I was going through.

I was rebuilding myself both mentally and financially

I had carried my entrepreneurial mindset over to the new company. I had downgraded to just a regular employee with a huge leadership aurora. The leadership was a bit disoriented from the transition of the two different environments. Sometimes I felt that the employees there didn't like it. I had to change. I had to blend into the new environment. It is not the same anymore.

Almost a year later, August 2008, I got laid off along with 25% of the work force at that company.

Collecting unemployment

"This is where I am today"

My past came knocking on the door this morning

I am still untangling myself from the business I once ran. It still gets to me here and there. But I try not worry about what I can't control and look on the brighter side.

I think back

You are working so hard you leave out the more important things

What if you just disappear the next day. You are building this huge mansion on your hands and knees so you can be better than your neighbor. Maybe it's to feel good about yourself. Maybe you want to show off your hard work.

"What if one day it all went away?"

What if one day a hurricane knocks it all away. You were too busy building and had no time to enjoy life with your friends, family, and loved ones. Your neighbor was better off than you. Your neighbor's house was decent size and completed long ago. Your neighbor was enjoying his life while you were still building.

The dream I was living towards had its flip side. I was taking in more stress over enjoyment. I was working so hard I didn't socialize and enjoy life as much. Right now I'm on a huge vacation.

This life is too short. I'm not trying to discourage anyone from chasing their dreams. I didn't regret the experience I had. I am just telling you my story.

About the Author: Dang Tran serves as the Webmaster for VAYA.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Dear Members and Supporters,

As November dwindles down, we at VAYA are working hard in full preparation for our 2009 Tet Festival just months away. If you would like to help out and/or join a Tet committee, it is NEVER too late. Feel free to contact me or come to our weekly meetings and get involved. We are ALWAYS looking for new talents and fresh ideas.

As previously mentioned, the month of November will be an extremely busy month for many high school seniors as they apply for college. As most of us in VAYA are either current college students or college graduates, we are glad to assist those who need help with their college application(s) (which includes college application to UCs, CSUs, and various San Diego Community Colleges). Details about this opportunity can be found under the "VAYA Announcements & Other Information" section.

Please save the date for Sunday November 23, 2008. VAYA will be hosting our annual Thanksgiving "Potluck" Dinner that day and we would like for you to join us. Details about our "Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner" can be found under the "Upcoming VAYA Meetings & Events" section.

On behalf of VAYA's Executive Board and Staff, thank you for your continual support. Have a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday!

About the Author: Anthony (Vinh) T. Nguyen serves as Secretary for VAYA.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

A Letter from VAYA's 2008 Miss Vietnam of San Diego

This past summer I have had the opportunity to board the USNS Mercy to participate in a multi partner nations humanitarian mission in Southeast Asia. Vietnam was one of the destinations. For the first time in 12 years, I came back not only to visit my homeland but also with a meaningful purpose and that was to provide health care to the underserved Vietnamese. Along with the Navy personnel, I also welcomed the opportunity to work with Operation Smile International, Project HOPE, International Medical Relief Team, and doctors from all over the world.

Despite the fact that Vietnam is one of the fastest growing countries in Asia for the past decade, it is undoubtedly still one of the poorest in the world. The Vietnamese deserve and are in desperate needs of basic healthcare especially those in the suburban areas. Being born and raised in Vietnam until 9 years old, I was proud to be back and help the people in my country. What else connects healthcare providers with their patients better than words of encouragement and compassion? It is exactly what I did in Vietnam. My job as a translator in Vietnam proved to be extremely helpful as I was able to break the language barrier between doctors and patients. Being able to speak the language allowed me to have better interactions with the patients. Many Vietnamese though receiving healthcare for free, are nevertheless afraid of the sophisticated machines and the technology that the US Navy is providing. I made sure the patient understands their conditions as well as their options before they opt for surgery. Communication was imperative for this mission because without effective communication between patients and doctors, the mission would not have been as successful. Being able to communicate in the same language, I got the chance to meet people who touched my heart deeply.

When I was at Dien Son clinic, bac Sau, an 88 years old woman whom had lost one eye to cataract, came in with a broken pair of glasses tied together by a string. The glasses were badly broken in the middle with yellow stained on the rims. Bac Sau was a nice and mellow lady and was so poor that she could not even afford a pair of sandals. I liked her instantly because she reminded me of my dear grand mother whom I had the chance to visit a few days earlier before the mission started. The daughter took her to the clinic hoping to get a pair of glasses so her mother can see better. After the exam, the optometrist gave the proper prescription and despite needing this new pair of glasses more than anyone, Bac Sau declined with a simple explanation, "My daughter has been asking me to come and get new glasses for free even after I repeatedly declined. I know it's almost my time, please save it for someone else who needs more than I do. I've been using this broken pair of glasses for the past 10 years, so it makes no difference whether it's broken or not." I stood there feeling heartbroken as tears swelled up in my eyes. I began to realize how lucky we are to be living in the United States. Basic healthcares some of which are taken for granted such as removing a decayed tooth, glasses, medicines... are a luxury for these poor people.

I left Vietnam with a promise to myself to come back on more humanitarian missions in the future not only as a translator but a dentist as well.

Having gone to Vietnam, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, and Micronesia, I choose to focus on Vietnam because I felt it made the greatest impact on me in terms of patients' interactions and also my role in Vietnam as a translator was unique. My responsibility in each country was different whether it's renovating schools and hospital in Micronesia, and putting fluoride varnish on the Timorese children in Baucau, assisting in extracting root tips in betel nuts land (PNG). I personally learned they all had one thing in common and that was just lending a hand to a stranger in need of help halfway across the world is very satisfying and rewarding.

Overall, the ship provided health care for over 90,000 patients, 1,600 surgeries, 14,500 dental works, in a five months long mission in 5 different countries. However, this once-in-a-life time experience would not have been possible without my family, U.S. Navy, UCSD Pre-Dental Society, and Miss Vietnam of San Diego hosted by VAYA. During last year's Miss Vietnam of San Diego, part of the top 5 question asked, "What would you do after you win the pageant?" I will be joining the US Navy on a humanitarian mission this summer in Southeast Asia and will be providing healthcare and dental work for the underserved," I answered with confidence. Today I am proud to say that having participated in Miss Vietnam of San Diego provided me the opportunity to fulfill my dream and look at the world from a different perspective. I would like to share my gratitude to VAYA and I hope the next Miss Vietnam of San Diego winners will continue this tradition by doing something meaningful regardless of how big or small it is.


About the Author: Van Nguyen was the winner for VAYA's 2008 Miss Vietnam of San Diego.
Dear Members and Supporters,

The month of November will be an extremely busy month for most high school seniors as they apply for college. As most of us in VAYA are either current college students or college graduates, we are glad to assist those who need help with their college application(s) (which includes college application to UCs, CSUs, and various San Diego Community Colleges). If you're a high school student and would like to get some help or advice on your college application, please RSVP to VAYA's External Vice President, Nikki Lam, at collegeinfo@vayasd.org. In the RSVP email, PLEASE SPECIFY WHAT YOU SPECIFICALLY NEED HELP WITH. If you're CURRENTLY a college student and would like to help a high school student out with his/her application, contact Nikki to get involve. FROM NOW ON, Application Assistance is provided EVERY SATURDAY IN NOVERMBER (starting on 11/1/08) @ Tea N' More (Clairemont Mesa Blvd, next to 99 Ranch Supermarket) at 1:00 PM. PLEASE NOTE that there will be NO "College Application Assistance" workshop on Saturday 11/29/08 due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. For more information or if interested in participating OR helping out with this event, please contact VAYA's External Vice President, Nikki Lam, at collegeinfo@vayasd.org.

Please save the date for Sunday November 23, 2008. VAYA will be hosting our annual Thanksgiving "Potluck" Dinner that day and we would like for you to join us. VAYA Thanksgiving "Potluck" Dinner will be Sunday 11/23/08 from 6:00 - 10:00 PM at the Santa Fe Room at Balboa Park. Please be on the lookout for a special eVite which will include further details and an option to let us know what you'll be bringing to the Potluck Dinner. Location: Santa Fe Room (Balboa Park Club) - President Way / San Diego, CA 92101. For more information, please contact VAYA Internal Vice President (VAYA Thanksgiving "Potluck" Dinner Coordinator), Michael Thai, at ivp@vayasd.org.

On behalf of VAYA's Executive Board and Staff, thank you for your continual support.

About the Author: Anthony (Vinh) T. Nguyen serves as Secretary for VAYA.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

My Fellow VAYAnese,

First and foremost, I would like to thank those of you who took part in the VAYA 5th Annual Street Clean-up. You are the future; and you have empowered yourself to take on the great challenge of making your community a cleaner and better place. In particular, I would like to congratulate the organizing committee (Toni, Kristiana, Reinhart, Nick, Duy) for all their vision, hard work, and outstanding achievement in making this year's event one of the best Street Clean-up ever. A few volunteers even asked me, "Why don't we do this more often than just once a year?" This goes to show that your effort and sacrifices have instilled a greater sense of community engagement and responsibility in the heart of the youths today.

Secondly, I commend those of you who have worked late on the same evening as the Street Clean-up and early the next morning in a last-ditch effort to register many Vietnamese-Americans to vote in the upcoming presidential election. You all have empowered the Vietnamese community by giving them a voice through the opportunity to cast ballot.

My dear friends and colleague, the future of the community is in our hand. Strong or weak, the choice is ours. Clean or Dirty, the choice is ours. Whether we register to vote in the upcoming election or bend down to pick up a cigarette butt on the street, the choice is ours. The little things that we do will leave a great impact on our community. This is why VAYA has chosen to attach to the Street Clean-up event a special message of community empowerment through voting.

Four years ago, our founding leaders and members registered some 6000 Vietnamese voters (half of the total Vietnamese registered voters). They also fought for and secured for our community the access to Vietnamese Language ballot materials. Today the Vietnamese Language program is still in place and the number of Vietnamese registered voters is over 13,000 strong. This is a great legacy that we can all be proud of. And we are still writing the pages of history with the annual Street Clean-up, the VAYA Lunar New Year Tet Festival, and many other projects.

Just as there is no nobler intention than keeping our democracy strong by voting; or keeping the election fair and effective by working the polls, there is no purer intention than the desire to keep our community clean and healthy by picking up trash. If every one of us does our little part on a regular basis, then our city will always be clean. By volunteering our own time to participate in this Street Cleanup event, we declare that "we will not stand for dirtiness", that our community's well being is our priority, and that we challenge all residents, all businesses, all visitors, and all government officials to take responsibility for keeping our environment green.

And finally, by registering people to vote, or volunteering to be poll workers, or working as ballot scanners or supply-pickup specialists, we declare that "we will not go silently into the night; that our voice will be heard because we are speaking not only with words, but with realistic, measurable actions, and that the Vietnamese community will remain strong for as long as there is a single Vietnamese youth picking up trash, or registering people to vote, or working the polls, etc..."

Yet there are still great challenges ahead...but to find out more, come to the VAYA Meetings and the Tet Community Forum this Sunday!


About the Author: Frank H. Vuong serves as President for VAYA.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Hey guys,

I just wanted to send out a thanks to all of you who managed to come join us for the VAYA staff retreat in Julian. I feel like we all came away with a deeper understanding of VAYA and the processes it takes to maintain such an organization. Thanks goes to Nikki (EVP) and Frank (President) for finding an awesome, not to mention spooky, house for us to crash in. If you just look around, I'm sure you'll be seeing pictures of the house we spent two nights in popping up on the web.

I'd also like to thank some of our special guest speakers/coordinators, Anh Bao, Anh Quoc, and Anh Su, on helping develop some great discussions on the future of VAYA as well as better defining our roles within the organization. Lots of inspirational talk and some compelling discussions occurred over the weekend, Let's not forget their role in spooking the heck out of us in the middle of the night.

And last, but not least, I'd like to thank Julian for the reminder that it really is Autumn now and for the warm and delicious apple pie. Hmmm... Pie...



About the Author: Michael H. Thai serves as the Internal Vice President for VAYA.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Dear VAYA Members and Supporters,

Many thanks to those who contributed and/or came out to support our Tet Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival) Event on 9/14/08 and the College Info Session on 9/20/08. We had an astounding turn out for both event and we look forward to providing even MORE cultural events and services to the San Diego Community in the near future.

As October approaches, VAYA is currently preparing for our Staff Retreat scheduled for the weekend of October 3-5, 2008. The goal of this retreat is to establish a stronger workmanship among our dedicated staff, especially those directly involved with the planning of our annual Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) Festival. October is also the month of the San Diego Asian Film Festival (SDAFF). This year, VAYA will be co-presenting two movies that we hope you will find interesting and will enjoy.

The first movie will we co-present is: OH SAIGON (USA/Vietnam): A refugee family faces its divided past to heal wounds of the Vietnam War. This movie will screen on THURSDAY, OCT 9 - 6:10 PM. The second movie will we co-present is: STORY OF SPIRITS (Vietnam): A woman connects with her mother's spirit to learn the truth about her death. This movie will screen on SUNDAY, OCT 12 - 5:20 PM. For more information about the 9th San Diego Asian Film Festival, please visit http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=9wphwrcab.0.0.6wp5dkcab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sdaff.org%2F&id=preview. If interested in purchasing tickets for these screening through VAYA, please contact info@vayasd.org.

VAYA is in the process of coordinating our "5th Annual Street Cleanup" event, scheduled for Saturday 10/18/08 from 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM. For more information or if interested in coordinating this event and joining this committee, please contact VAYA's 2008 Cleanup Event Coordinator, Toni Nguyen, at (619) 606-4228 or compatta@gmail.com. The committee meets EVERY Wednesdays from 7:00 - 8:30 PM at Broadway Coffee (4633 Convoy Street / San Diego, CA 92111). For general information, please email: streetcleanup@vayasd.org

VAYA will also be hosting the "VAYA Tet 2009 Pageant Mixer" at the Santa Fe Room (Balboa Park Club) on Saturday 10/18/08 starting at 5 PM (later on in the day after the "5th Annual Street Cleanup" event). Come to the "Pageant Mixer" to learn more about the 4th Annual Miss Vietnam of San Diego. For more information, please contact Kari Lam or Linda Nguyen / (858) 717-9901 / pageant@sdtet.com / http://www.sdtet.com/

Things are quite exciting as Tet approaches. Don't forget that if you have a Facebook account, please join our "VAYA 2009 Tet Festival" Facebook group and "VAYA" Facebook group to receive updates and annoucements. Come to one of our meetings and be involved, make a difference, and make new friends!

About the Author: Anthony (Vinh) T. Nguyen serves as Secretary for VAYA.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Hi VAYA,

Tet Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival) is around the corner and we want to know what you remember about this festival. Did you do anything special with your family during this holiday? I remember our parents will usually take us to an event where they passed out free lanterns and free candies. When it got closed to dark, we would light our lanterns, walk around in a BIG circle, and sing the popular Tet Trung Thu song. There was also a lantern contest and the kid with the biggest and prettiest lantern would win.

Unfortunately, with so many regulations these days, including strict laws against the usage of "fire" around children, I don't think the children in America will get the actual "Tet Trung Thu" experience as most of did when we were little. Enough said, please share your experience below. I've provided some information about "Tet Trung Thu / Mid-Autumn Festival" below for those interested.

All About Tet Trung Thu, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
By:
Erin Henderson

History and celebration of Tet Trung Thu, the Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.
Tet Trung Thu, as it is known in Vietnam, or the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival as we refer to it in America, is a wonderful, ancient festival that revolves around children.The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival (Tet Trung Thu) dates back as far as 15-20,000 years ago in Southeast Asia, and is traditionally held on the 15th day of the 8th Lunar Month. This year, the date of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is September 2, the same day as the full moon. The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is one of the two most popular festivals in Vietnam, and has been important to families in Vietnam for many years.

It is said that originally, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival came about as a way for parents to make up for lost time with their children after harvest season. The harvest was done by September, (August in the Lunar calendar) and the parents were anxious to spend time with their children and do something special with them, as well as celebrate the harvest, after spending much time working hard and away from the family. It was held under the full moon, which represents fullness and prosperity of life.

Tet Trung Thu is very much like a combination of our Halloween and Thanksgiving. Children parade on the streets, while singing and carrying colorful lanterns of different sizes. Some of the popular shapes include fishes, stars, butterflies and a lantern that spins when a candle is inserted, representing the earth circling the sun.

Dances are also traditional, and include the dragon dance and the flower dance.
It is customary to give Banh Trung Thu, boxes of moon cakes, which are traditionally very rich in taste. The cakes are filled with lotus seeds, ground beans and orange peels and have a bright yoke in the center to represent the moon.

Today, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, as well as encouraging affection for children, promotes education, poetry, dance and arts and crafts.

Many Vietnamese communities in the USA hold Mid-Autumn Moon Festivals, including Washington DC and San Jose. For families that don't live in an area with an organized Tet Trung Thu Festival, have your own! It is a wonderful opportunity to share and learn about your child's culture, and a great opportunity for family fun too!

To help children get ready for the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, parents can help children make their lanterns and costumes for the lantern procession and discuss the history and culture of Vietnam.

Showing our love for our children and teaching of Vietnam's love for their children is a wonderful reason to celebrate!

Credit: http://www.adoptvietnam.org/vietnamese/tet-trung-thu.htm

About the Author: Anthony (Vinh) T. Nguyen serves as Secretary for VAYA.