Posted: August 25th, 2009 Crystal Dempsey

Text by Meaghan Clark

Video by Tonya Jameson

The Montagnard or “mountain people” of Vietnam are a quiet and peaceful group. Focused on family, community and maintaining their culture, Montagnard residents from Matthews' Crestdale community gathered Saturday, Aug. 22, to share their stories and celebrate their lives at a Cultural Learning Lunch.

The celebration at the Matthews Community Center was loud, proud and for some, a totally new experience.

Funded through a grant from Crossroads Charlotte and presented by the Arts & Science Council along with partners The Light Factory and Boat People SOS, the free event aimed to enlighten Matthews residents about this particular community, celebrate the Montagnard culture through food and stories, as well as provide a forum for open discussion.

Sharing stories within the Montagnard community is usually done at meetings or dinners. “A group of friends meet every Friday to collect and distribute foods and goods,” says Amy Nguyen, a volunteer within the Vietnamese community.

Nguyen and her husband host an all-Vietnamese radio program in Charlotte where news from back home, here in Charlotte and around the world.

But a different sort of broadcast was shared at the community center, as local residents got up in front of a large audience to tell their stories.

The Montagnard considers everyone family. “Uncle,” as Boat People SOS Director Linh Quach referred to one senior resident, told about the history of his people who farmed peacefully for centuries, but later fought alongside the Americans in the Vietnamese war. He spoke of sorrows that plague his people today back in central Vietnam, including discrimination, poverty and addiction.

But Uncle, along with other younger audience members, all said how grateful they were to be here in Charlotte where they are able to live freely, send their children to school and start new lives.

Light Factory staffers captured the event on film and provided free workshops on film-making and photography for community members.

Community member and artist Sunya Falayon was on hand to teach fiber arts workshops as well. Part of the larger Crestdale Community project, the culmination of these workshops and events will be presented in November at the Matthews Community Center.

Boat People SOS, a national organization with a Charlotte chapter, helps Vietnamese refugees and immigrants work toward self sufficiency. At this particular meeting, Linh brought supplies for Montagnard children heading back to school.

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