Just over two miles southeast of the modern skyscrapers and trendy shops of downtown San Jose lies a more familiar setting of sprawling strip malls, wide parking lots, and large retail stores. Within this classic American backdrop lies the Grand Century Mall, the heart of San Jose’s Little Saigon. While Vietnamese-American communities exist across the United States, San Jose’s Vietnamese ethnic enclave holds a rich history tracing back to the fall of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, known as Saigon.
With a current population of approximately one million, San Jose is the most populated city in Northern California. Among its population are roughly 143,000 Vietnamese residents, making up about 14% of the city’s total population. This represents one of the largest Vietnamese communities outside of Vietnam.
The roots of Vietnamese culture in San Jose trace back to the fall of Saigon in 1975, which marked the end of the Vietnam War. In response, the U.S. accepted around 130,000 refugees, many of whom were well-educated and skilled workers. These individuals were temporarily stationed in Guam, the Philippines, and Wake Island before setting foot on the U.S. mainland. When they arrived, many Vietnamese refugees were transferred to housing in U.S. military bases.
Around the same time, as San Jose was establishing itself as a major tech hub, many Vietnamese-Americans contributed to Silicon Valley’s booming tech industry. “We didn’t just live here. We helped build the landscape,” Betty Duong said in an interview with ABC 7 News. “So many of our parents worked on the assembly line of Silicon Valley.”
Over time, Vietnamese culture has become deeply woven into the fabric of San Jose’s identity, with Little Saigon and the Grand Century Mall serving as vibrant cultural and commercial hubs. The area is home to numerous restaurants, such as Duc Huong Sandwiches and PHỞ HÀ NỘI, and hosts community events for holidays such as Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.
The fall of Saigon is now remembered during Black April, a time that marks the end of the Vietnam War and the mass exodus of many Vietnamese families, often leaving behind loved ones. In San Jose, the Vietnamese American Service Center commemorates this history by interviewing local Vietnamese community leaders about their families’ experiences. The center also offers services to address health and social needs within the Vietnamese-American community.
The Viet Museum in Little Saigon is another important institution that documents the journey of Vietnamese refugees, particularly the boat people who fled Vietnam in small, dangerous vessels. The museum contains artifacts, documents, and oral histories that recount the personal experiences of refugees who undertook this dangerous journey.
One of those highlighted is Hà Cẩm Đường, an artist who has shared his experience on the boats. “I created all these artworks with all my heart and soul,” he said in an interview with the Viet Museum. “These are the things that guided me to my emotions so that I could create these paintings and sculptures that represent the painful and heart-wrenching feeling of leaving your homeland.”
2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, a moment to reflect on and honor the lives lost during the perilous journeys of the ‘boat people.’ While around 130,000 refugees made it to the United States, an estimated 400,000 Vietnamese refugees died along the way.
