Building bridges across differences; creating space for tough conversations
VìTÂM was founded in response to challenges exacerbated by cultural trauma and conflicts within Vietnamese communities. Our strategy is embedded in our organization’s name:
TRAINING community members to understand and confront collective issues; providing spaces that facilitate individual and collective ACTION; and activating community organizers and leaders to engage the domestic and global MOVEMENT for social justice.
Who we are
VìTÂM is a group of Vietnamese artists, scholars, activists, and professionals.
We came together after noticing a lack of knowledge, training, and dialogue in our communities that hindered our ability to support one another. We strive to break new ground, fostering a healthy global Vietnamese community capable of nuance and collaboration.
our work
Featured project:
SBTN x VìTÂM: Giữa Chúng Ta
Fostering courageous conversations within the Vietnamese community is a critical part of the community unity we strive for. We had the honor of collaborating with the Saigon Broadcasting Television Network (SBTN) on a program called Giữa Chúng Ta/Between Us as part of their Stop the Hate series. The program featured dialogue between 4 different generations of Vietnamese people, in both a full-group setting, as well as in intimate paired conversation.
Workshops & LABS
Our programs range from workshops covering the history of the Vietnamese community’s political development, to programs focused on the rampant political polarization of the community and de-escalation techniques, to “Labs” encouraging dialogue across Vietnamese communities that model intersectional approach to problem solving – all aimed at supporting leaders who shape our community’s civic presence and sustaining the ecosystem.
Past workshops have included titles like “Severed Ties: How the Vietnamese Community Buckled Under the Weight of 2020,” “Queersian Insights: Exploring the Intersectionality of Being Queer and Asian,” and “Mindset Matters / De-Triggering Conversations.”