History

Since 2000, VLAC has reached over 50% of the approximately 60,000 Vietnamese Americans in the Washington Metropolitan area including DC, Virginia and Maryland (Wiki) and half of the most vulnerable, including seniors, children, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness and those with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). To achieve its goals, VLAC brings together Vietnamese Americans for art and cultural activities, learning opportunities and volunteer contributions. VLAC also honors and promotes Vietnamese culture by bringing together writers, artists and folklorists and others for cultural study and events, and provides information, articles on Vietnamese art and culture to the public.

VLAC embraces all writers, artists and everyone who loves the arts and culture, as well as those who would like contribute through their time or financial resources.

VLAC has gained trust from the community, and received requests to serve even more of the community with Vietnamese culture and art, particularly population culture for younger generation. Based on our recent assessment, VLAC is developing an expanded strategy to meet the needs of vulnerable Vietnamese Americans in Maryland.

This paper presents the general strategy that VLAC has implemented in Maryland since early 2019. To distinguish it from the overall, umbrella, organization (www.vnlac.org), we are calling it VLAC, Maryland (Nhà Việt Nam, Maryland).