Vietnamerica: The Story of the Nation's Largest Refugee Group
November 18, 2025
5:00 pm
Rockefeller Hall, 374
Join SEAP and GETSEA for a simulcast film screening of Vietnamerica.
We will watch the film on the Cornell campus, then join an online discussion with audiences at universities across the US for a Q&A with the filmmakers.
Following the wars in Vietnam, over two million people fled to country with the collapse of the Republic of Vietnam. That exodus, referred to by many as “the boat people” resulted in nearly half dying while in flight, battling the elements, starvation, and pirates.
Vietnamerica follows Master Nguyen Hoa as he returns to former refugee camps in Southeast Asia after three decades abroad to search for the graves of his wife and two children. Having fled Vietnam in 1981 on a boat with his family and friends, Hoa was the only survivor.
Executive Producer Nancy Bui of the Vietnamese Heritage Foundation joins GETSEA and over 20 universities across North America to watch Vietnamerica together simultaneously and connect via Zoom for a discussion with the filmmaker about the Vietnamese diaspora, their struggle, and how Master Hoa’s story is a prism to see the larger group.
Additional Information
Program
Einaudi Center for International Studies
Southeast Asia Program
Migrations Program