Viet Nam, Nebraska

Collectively, the images in Viet Nam, Nebraska present a self-portrait of Lincoln’s Vietnamese community, one that is multi-dimensional. Through his photography, artist-in-residence Binh Danh explores how the Asian body has fit into the landscape of Nebraska after the Vietnam War, and the desire of the first refugees to preserve the heritage and traditions of their homeland. Portraits of the community share space with collected family photographs to present an open-ended narrative about what it means to be Vietnamese American. It is our hope that the images will encourage dialogue from one generation to the next about our shared history and the rich cultural fabric of our ancestry.
Support for this project has been made possible through a grant from the Lincoln Community Foundation on behalf of the Edith Madden Fund. Special thanks to Sheldon’s project collaborators the Asian Community and Cultural Center, UNL’s Asian World Alliance and Sigma Psi Zeta.