Archived exhibitions are no longer available for booking but are maintained as a virtual record of past Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) programs.

“We came to America not for material gain but for freedom.”
— Vietnamese Buddhist nun

Imagine living amidst decades of devastating war. Do you stay and face your fate, or do you flee, perhaps never to see your home, your family, or your friends again? Ask the many Vietnamese Americans who have started their lives over in the United States.

Produced by the Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Program and SITES, Exit Saigon, Enter Little Saigon recounts a journey more than 30 years in the making. Images of overcrowded refugee camps across the Pacific Rim provide a visual starting point, conveying the profound sense of displacement experienced by war-weary people en route to the United States. When the U.S. government opened its gates to thousands of Vietnamese in 1975, migrants faced the idea of permanent resettlement with a mixture of survivors’ guilt and overwhelming relief. Once here, equality and acceptance were not always guaranteed, but Vietnamese Americans have adapted to life in the United States while maintaining their linguistic, cultural, and religious traditions.

A celebration of cultural diversity, Exit Saigon explores civic and political issues as well as the intergenerational tensions experienced by families as they negotiate new lives in a new country.

The national tour of Exit Saigon has been made possible by Farmers Insurance.

Contents	93 panels with text and photographs, 14 life-size contour cut-outs
Supplemental	Educational and promotional resources, 2 videos (venue provides equipment)
Participation Fee	$1,500 per 10-week booking period, plus outgoing shipping
Running Feet	150 running feet
Crates	7 (largest measures 37 x 88 x 54”)
Weight	3,200 pounds
Category	History & Culture
Security	Limited
Shipping	Outgoing
SITES Contacts	Ed Liskey, 202.633.3142 (Scheduling) Jeff Thompson, 202.633.3115 (Content)
Toured Through	December 2010: Fully booked

Dates		Host Institution	Status
9/22/2007	12/24/2007	California State University, Fullerton/Viet Art Center, Garden Grove, CA	Booked
3/7/2008	6/1/2008	San Jose City College, San Jose, CA	Booked
8/20/2008	11/30/08	Houston Community College System, Houston, TX	Booked
12/20/2008	3/1/2009	Georgia Highlands College, Rome, GA	Booked
3/21/2009	5/31/2009	Utah Cultural Celebration Center, West Valley City, UT	Booked
6/20/2009	8/30/2009	Eden Center, Falls Church, VA	Booked
9/19/2009	11/29/2009	West Plains Council on the Arts, West Plains, MO	Booked
12/19/2009	2/28/2010	State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines, IA	Booked
3/20/2010	5/30/2010	Grout Museum of History and Science, Waterloo, IA	Booked
6/19/2010	8/29/2010	Grout Museum of History and Science, Waterloo, IA	Booked
Tour Extension
9/18/2010	12/5/2010	Community Center Programs of Cornell/Downtown Ithaca Alliance, Ithaca, NY	Booked

None listed at this time. Please check back later.

None listed at this time. Please check back later.