Lam Huynh
Harvey Mudd College
Project
Vietnamese Diaspora: Counterspace through Dance
Netherlands, Germany, France, Singapore, Australia, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan
The Fall of Saigon, the refugee camps, the loss of one's nước—the traumas of the Vietnam War live on in every single family of the Vietnamese diaspora. While these events may fade away as "history" to the rest of the world, these traumas were passed down to the second generation of Việt Kiều in various forms, from the loss of language in interpersonal family dynamics to systemic oppressions like inaccessibilities to higher education. In my Watson year, I will explore how intergenerational trauma has turned the second generation of overseas Vietnamese towards dance, especially the styles of hip hop, street, and urban dance. I hope to gain deeper insights on how these dance styles form communities that go beyond just emotional outlets to become counterspaces—spaces that are liberatory and healing to the self and the community.