Second Wednesday Webinar Series
July 8, 2026: Songs of Little Saigon
Introduction & Registration | Abstract | About the Speaker
Introduction & Registration
In the inaugural session of MAARC’s Second Wednesday Webinar Series, we will screen the 53-minute Educational Cut of the 2021 documentary Songs of Little Saigon, directed by James Rael. The documentary profiles Vietnamese Americans whose musical talent, hope and resilience propelled the rebuilding of their lives in Southern California after fleeing a war-torn Vietnam. It explores how these refugees have gone on to become musically active leaders and role models in the Vietnamese community they now reside in. The documentary’s writer and producer, Dr. Tina Huynh, will introduce the film and take questions afterwards. MAARC Executive Director Eric Hung will moderate this session. To attend this screening and discussion, registration is required (see link below) and it is free.
Date and Time: Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 7-8:30pm ET / 4-5:30pm PT
Register here!
This webinar also marks the opening of the 2026 edition of MAARC’s biannual festival. Entitled “Amplify! A Festival of Asian American Music, Sound and Scholarship,” it consists of five Second Wednesday webinars (from July to November) and an in-person festival in Chicago from Sept. 24 to 26.
Trailer
Abstract
Over 1.6 million Vietnamese were resettled across the globe between 1975 and 1997 due to the Vietnam War. Over 700,000 left by boat, and others left by plane or by foot to neighboring countries. Approximately 189,000 refugees eventually resettled in and around an enclave community in Orange County, California, now known as Little Saigon. Now a bustling community full of culture, education and a strong economic presence, the residents of Little Saigon have found a place where they can live with joy and safety and ensure that their children and future generations can live rich lives.
In 2025, the United Nations reported that there were 30.5 million refugees worldwide. Now more than ever, it is important to tell the story of refugees and to bring awareness to this monumental human crisis. It is also important to share how refugees have overcome adversity and how it is possible to rebuild one’s life and create a new community in the aftermath of great hardship and trauma.
This project portrays the beauty of community resilience during times of struggle. When individuals in a community stand up and lead, in this case by music, they can not only start the healing process of post-war stress for themselves, but also help their entire community to cope and rebuild as well. This project shares with all people that if one community can overcome hardship and rebuild their community as refugees in another country, then there is hope for other communities.
About the Speaker
Tina A. Huynh is a music educator, author, scholar, musician, filmmaker, and Associate Professor at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. Her interests lie at the intersection of musical childhoods, cultural diversity, community music, and culturally responsive teaching. Tina is author of The Vietnamese Children’s Songbook (2023), Remembering Musical Childhoods in Vietnam: 1931-1975 (2024), and producer and writer of the documentaries Songs of Little Saigon, which has received 14 accolades internationally (2021) and The Resting Place (2022).