For children of immigrants living in the United States, reclaiming their family’s culture can be a long-awaited discovery. Such was the case for Kim Chinh, who didn’t see her father’s homeland of Vietnam until she was an adult.
Born to a Caucasian mother and a Vietnamese father, Chinh rejected her Vietnam roots for most of her life. She was coping with a sense of shame due to being “different.”
Chinh brought her one-woman stage performance, “Reclaiming Vietnam,” to SJC Brooklyn on Feb. 27. The show explores both the search for identity and the confrontation of a painful personal past.
Chinh with Associate Dean for New Initiatives Mik Larson, Executive Director of Student Life Jaime Vacca and students of SJC Brooklyn.
A story that resonated with the audience in Tuohy Hall — comprised of SJC students, community members and high schoolers — “Reclaiming Vietnam” was followed by a Q&A session. Chinh returns to campus on Monday, March 6, at Common Hour for another in-depth discussion with students.
“Reclaiming Vietnam” has been performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the NYC New Works Festival and the NY Fringe Festival.
