DVAN sponsors a project at San Francisco State University’s College of Ethnic Studies titled [email protected] The project is designed to advance mutual educational goals and the promotion of Vietnamese American diasporic literary arts and other cultural productions through the mentorship and support of SFSU undergraduates in the humanities and the arts.

DVAN was invited to launch [email protected] in Fall 2019 to enrich students’ lives with robust educational and professional opportunities ranging from internships, scholarships, mentorship opportunities, and a lifelong network of Vietnamese artists, academics, and organizers.

Read about the [email protected] SFSU event: Pulitzer Prize winner comes to campus, celebrates new University milestone →

We are thrilled to develop the [email protected] project, designed to address the intergenerational gaps within the diaspora caused by cultural, racial, and social rifts enhanced by a history of war and migration. Through our academic and community service programs, we create collaborative space for students to be empowered and learn about their history and identity while providing scholarship opportunities and skill sets to enhance their academic experience, prepare them for graduate school, and enter the job market. [email protected] is a hub of collectivity and collaboration for diasporic Vietnamese students, artists, academics, and community organizers of the next generation to imagine and build new global cultural and creative legacies.

Curriculum Development

The Asian American Studies department in the College of Ethnic Studies at SFSU has the largest curriculum of Vietnamese American Studies and Southeast Asian American classes in the country. The following faculty in the Asian American Studies Department and in Race and Resistance Studies use and/or generate DVAN materials as part of their curriculum:

Kiều Chinh Scholarship Endowment

[email protected] administers the Kiều Chinh Scholarship Endowment named after legendary Vietnamese American actress Kiều Chinh.

The scholarship supports undergraduate students in the College of Ethnic Studies who have an interest in the humanities and the arts and are committed to engaging with the socio-political complexities of the Vietnamese American community and working for peace and justice in global solidarity with people of color.

The Kiều Chinh Scholarship Endowment affirms for our community that Vietnamese American culture is enriched by writers, poets, artists and community organizers who are aware that their experiences are connected to that of other people of color and are committed to practicing this politics of solidarity At now, the scholarships reward two students for $1,000.00 a year for the entirety of their undergraduate studies at SFSU. If you would like to help grow this scholarship endowment, please visit http://give.sfsu.edu/21kce.

Related read on SFSU website →

Scholarship Eligibility:

• Undergraduate students with a major or minor in the College of Ethnic Studies at SF State University
• Students with upper division standing during the award period
• Students with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their major
• Preference shall be given to first generation college students
• Preference shall be given to students with financial need

Apply for the Scholarship     

Applications will be accepted from September 1, 2021 – December 1, 2021

Facilitate Internships & Mentorship Opportunities

With internships and mentorship, students develop leadership and professional skills.

• Credits: Students can earn 3 units for volunteering to intern with DVAN or PIVOT
• Students are provided networking opportunities with companies, businesses, and mentors.

Based on students’ demands, we provide spaces and opportunities for them to be exposed to cultural producers and serve the community through organizing educational programs related to the arts.

Public Events

Readings & Discussions

Students are invited to free reading and discussion events with Vietnamese American writers, poets and artists.

Q-Call: Community Engagement

Students work with local grassroots community-based nonprofits to help organize public events that showcase emerging Southeast Asian American talents (on hold due to Covid-19).

Textures of Remembrance: Vietnamese Artists and Writers Reflect on the Fall of Saigon

Students help organize and promote an exhibit to explore the impact of April 30, 1975—the Fall of Saigon—on Vietnamese American artists of the new generation. These creative reflections toward personal struggles and memories demonstrate the effects of the Vietnam War on identity, family and community. The exhibit is oriented towards humanizing—providing texture to—the Vietnamese diasporic refugee experience from the inside-out.

Textures of Remembrance will be on display at the Global Museum at San Francisco State University from Oct. 23rd, 2022 to May 22, 2023. This exhibit will serve as a catalyst for students’ programming and educational activities.

To learn more about Textures of Remembrance, see this video.

Special Projects

Mapping the Diaspora

Students help develop a living, multi-use digital archive of Vietnamese diasporic production.
To address the marginalization of diasporic Vietnamese artists in society, [email protected] recently submitted an NEH grant titled “Mapping the Diaspora,” a proposal to implement a dynamic online database through which diasporic Vietnamese artists are gathered across time and space. We imagine a digital geographical map users could scroll and easily find diasporic Vietnamese cultural productions, such as literature, film, art and music. [email protected] extends appreciation for the support of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and the Surdna Foundation. We are sincerely grateful to have received a generous donation from Stephen CuUnjieng to launch this project in Spring ‘21.

[email protected] collaborates with the following organizations and groups:

[email protected] is supported by grants and donations from generous individuals who believe in our mission and value the impact of our work.
Gifts to [email protected] are tax deductible, and are acknowledged by San Francisco State University.

Make Online Donation

Donate by Check

To donate by check, please make it payable to “The University Corporation, San Francisco State” and note “[email protected] (48095) Donation” on the memo line. The mailing address is:

If you have questions or if you are interested in making a gift of securities, charitable IRA rollovers, or other types of gifts, please contact Alex Sanchez at [email protected] or (415) 338-1032.