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A new Vietnamese mural brings East San Jose residents agency.
The mural’s three panels — which depict Vietnamese people fleeing their homeland, a woman in cultural dress and the beauty of Vietnam — is a first for the East San Jose Asian American community. The artwork evokes the history of the Vietnamese American community in a city with the greatest number of Vietnamese residents outside of Vietnam. It also claims to be the largest Vietnamese mural in the San Francisco Bay Area, according to District 5 San Jose Councilmember Peter Ortiz.
The unveiling on Dec. 18 moved former members of the Vietnamese military to tears. Thuan Nguyen, president of the Vietnamese Business Association, said 2025 marks 50 years since the Vietnamese people fled their country due to the Vietnam War. Many resettled in San Jose, making the mural even more meaningful. It lets people know they’re part of the city, he said.
“Every time I look at the mural and I see the list of people who made it happen,” he said, “it shows the spirit of community as a whole, working together, making each other feel comfortable and understood and appreciated.”
Nguyen said it’s impressive to see funding for the mural come from outside the Vietnamese American community.
Painted by artists associated with 1Culture Gallery, the mural is located at 1737 Alum Rock Ave. on the side of laundromat Wash America. Ortiz’s office and Alum Rock Santa Clara Street Business Association collaborated with 1Culture Gallery on its creation. The Sobrato Organization, Community Housing Developers and residents also provided funding, including Hai Huynh, Hoàng Mộng Thu, Hannah Nguyen, Thuan Nguyen and Ha Trieu.
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Philip Nguyen, executive director of the Vietnamese American Roundtable, said the emotional response of older residents to the mural can facilitate conversations around healing. He said more public art is needed to celebrate the rich cultural history of San Jose.
“I feel a deep sense of pride and belonging when I see the mural,” he told San José Spotlight. “Art, like this mural, allows children of refugees and immigrants opportunities to engage with their own families about their migration and resettlement histories, as well as to the shared, yet diverse experiences of what it means to be from East San Jose.”
Ortiz said although District 5 boasts the second highest Vietnamese American population in San Jose, the community historically hasn’t had representation in his district.
“I wanted to make sure they were able to see themselves in the story and the social fabric of the East Side,” he told San José Spotlight. “It makes people feel seen and heard. It shows them you are a member of this community. We welcome you and we’re going to work together.”
Ortiz described Alum Rock as a living, breathing reflection of the rich cultures, dreams and entrepreneurial spirit of its diverse residents. He said adding more murals will help establish a sense of identity and portray the rich history of its people, as well as promote cross-cultural harmony and the Alum Rock business district.
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District 7 Councilmember Bien Doan sees the mural as a celebration of the Vietnamese American community’s vibrant culture, which is deeply rooted in San Jose.
“It’s a beautiful mural that tells a story through art of the Vietnamese immigrant community,” he told San José Spotlight. “The journey we made from Vietnam, the struggle and the triumph and establishing a new home far away from our homeland.”
Contact Lorraine Gabbert at lorrainegabbertsjspotlight@gmail.com.
This story originally appeared in San José Spotlight.
The post ‘It makes people seen and heard’: East San Jose mural honors Vietnamese community appeared first on Local News Matters.