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News and Upcoming Events for Vietnamese in Cleveland

2024

Bishop Malesic celebrates Tet at St. Boniface Church

Bishop Edward Malesic and St Boniface pastor Father Mark Dao Quoc Minh concelebrated a Mass on February 11 with the the Vietnamese Apostolate.

Bishop Malesic at St Boniface Church

Bishop Malesic at St Boniface Church
Photos courtesy of the Catholic Diocese

Bishop Malesic at St Boniface Church with women

Bishop Malesic at St Boniface Church with family

After Mass, he posed for photos with some of the community who were wearing native Vietnamese dress, including ao dai - long, split tunics worn over trousers - and traditional headpieces. Then bishop also enjoyed a variety of homemade, traditional foods and entertainment.

Bishop Malesic with Vietnamese food


See more from the Mass and celebration


Friendship Foundation of American Vietnamese 11th School Built for orphans and needy children in Vietnam

The Friendship Foundation of American Vietnamese is a Cleveland Ohio based non-profit with the mission "to build bridges of friendship between the people of Vietnam and people of other countries." The Friendship Foundation has built schools and orphanages and assisted in many other ways in their numerous trips back to Vietnam and in fundraising and leadership from Cleveland. Their most recent achievement was their eleventh school and education construction project completed with the help of attorney Margaret Wong.

New school in Vietnam built by Friendship Foundation

New school in Vietnam built by the Friendship Foundation


Photos and more about the Friendship Foundation School in Vietnam


2023

Vietnamese Lady Statue Installed in Cleveland Cultural Gardens

Over 20,000 lbs. of marble in the base and statue were installed in the Vietnamese Cultural Garden in Cleveland Ohio. The statue and marble came from Vietnam. This video was sped up 5 times the real time as the workers place the base and then the 9' tall statue. Then Gia Hoa Ryan looks as her dream finally came to fruition.




The Lady is here!

After many years and tens of thousands of dollars, monuments for the Vietnamese Cultural Garden have arrived. The centerpiece will be the statue of the Vietnamese Lady which will be mounted on a huge block of marble weighing many tons. These and other works were commissioned by the Friendship Foundation under the leadership of Gia Hoa Ryan and Joe Meissner.

Joe Meissner and Gia Hoa Ryan with block of marble

Joe Meissner and Gia Hoa Ryan with block of marble


The marble was hewn from Marble Mountain in Vietnam. It's been a long journey as several years ago the statue broke during the trip from Vietnam and then shipping issues from Covid prevented another trip. But the monuments have arrived in Cleveland and soon will be set up in the Vietnamese Cultural Garden on MLK.

Here's a tease of the Vietnamese Lady statue. Wait till you see her standing up!

Vietnamese lady statue on forklift


Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day 2023

One World Day has been the official event of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation since 1946. Over 50,000 people visited the gardens on One World Day 2023. The Vietnamese community participated in the Parade of Flags which had 1500 people from over 53 countries.

Vietnamese Cultural Garden in the Parade of Flags on One World Day

Cleveland Vietnamese Community in the Parade of Flags at One World Day


After the Parade of Flags they welcomed visitors to their Garden.

Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day

See more of the Vietnamese community on One World Day 2023.


Veterans remember the end of the Vietnam War

The official dates for the Vietnam War are Nov. 1, 1955, to April 30, 1975. It totaled almost 20 years and was the longest war in the history of the United States. Every year for the past 34 years, the Vietnam Veterans of America Greater Cleveland Chapter #15, the Vietnam Veterans of America West Shore Chapter # 249, South Vietnam Veterans, and the Vietnamese Community have recognized April 30TH with a memorial ceremony marking the end of the war and to honor those who didn't come home.

Speaking at Vietnam War memorial event


Photos and more from the Vietnam War event


Friendship Foundation of American Vietnamese 10th School Built for orphans and needy children in Vietnam

The Friendship Foundation of American Vietnamese is a Cleveland Ohio based non-profit with the mission "to build bridges of friendship between the people of Vietnam and people of other countries." The Friendship Foundation has built schools and orphanages and assisted in many other ways in their numerous trips back to Vietnam and in fundraising and leadership from Cleveland. Their most recent achievement was their tenth school and education construction project completed with the help of attorney Margaret Wong.

New school in Vietnam built by Friendship Foundation

New school in Vietnam built by the Friendship Foundation


Photos and more about the Friendship Foundation in Vietnam


2022

Vietnamese Cultural Garden on 2022 One World Day

The Cleveland Vietnamese community was out in full force at the 76th annual One World Day on the site of the upcoming Vietnam Cultural Garden. There was music, entertainment, food and fun as members of the Vietnamese community shared their culture with thousands of visitors on One World Day.

Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day 2022

Vietnamese Cultural Garden in Parade of Flags

Ms Gia Hoa Ryan

Ms Gia Hoa Ryan in the Vietnamese Garden


More from the Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day 2022


Friendship Foundation scholarships in Vietnam

The Friendship Foundation of American Vietnamese is a Cleveland Ohio based non-profit with the mission "to build bridges of friendship between the people of Vietnam and people of other countries."The Friendship Foundation has built schools and orphanages and assisted in many other ways in their numerous trips back to Vietnam and in fundraising and leadership from Cleveland. Their most recent achievement was helping orphans and needy children with scholarships.

Friendship Foundation Scholarship Graduation

Graduation


See more of the Friendship Foundation's work in Vietnam


2021

Vietnamese Cultural Garden at One World Day 2021

Cleveland's Vietnamese community was well-represented at the 75th annual One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. They marched in the Parade of Flags and attracted hundreds of visitors to their Cultural Garden to learn about the culture.

Vietnamese Garden in One World Day Parade of Flags 2021

Vietnamese Garden in One World Day Parade of Flags 2021

Vietnamese Garden in One World Day Parade of Flags 2021

Group photo at Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day 2021

Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day 2021


See more of the Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day 2021


Friendship Foundation building schools in Vietnam

The Friendship Foundation of American Vietnamese is a Cleveland Ohio based non-profit with the mission "to build bridges of friendship between the people of Vietnam and people of other countries."The Friendship Foundation has built schools and orphanages and assisted in many other ways in their numerous trips back to Vietnam and in fundraising and leadership from Cleveland. Their most recent achievement was helping to complete their Seventh Educational Building construction project in Vietnam.

Vietname kids thanking Friendship Foundation for new school

The children each drew up their own "Thank-you" message


See more of the Friendship Foundation's work in Vietnam


2020

Vietnamese Holiday Traditions by Gia Hoa Ryan

We asked community leaders of various ethnic heritages to share some holiday traditions of their culture. Miss Gia Hoa Ryan, leader of the Friendship Foundation, shared some memories.

Nativity creche in Hanoi in Vietnam

Nativity creche in Hanoi in Vietnam


See Miss Ryan's Christmas memories


Vietnamese Cultural Garden Groundbreaking

The Vietnamese community of Cleveland hosted a groundbreaking event on the site of the Vietnamese Cultural Garden on May 30, 2020. Because of the Covid-19 virus, masks were worn and social distancing was practiced.

There were remarks from Friendship Foundation of American Vietnamese leaders Joe Meissner and president Gia Hoa Ryan as well as Councilman Matt Zone, Judge Marilyn Cassidy, Dr. Wael Khoury, Brunswick Mayor Ron Falconi and many others.

Joe Meissner and Gia Hoa Ryan

Joe Meissner and Gia Hoa Ryan


See photos and videos of the historic Vietnamese Cultural Garden event


CWRU Vietnamese Students Association Tet Celebration

On February 8, 2020, members of the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) Vietnamese Students Association (VSA) held their first ever Tet Celebration, a cultural show to celebrate the Lunar New Year, on campus. The event aimed to share Vietnamese cultural with the campus community while creating the festive atmosphere of the New Year that many international students miss while studying abroad.

CWRU Vietnamese students at Tet celebration

Photos and more from the Tet celebration at CWRU


Vietnamese Theme of Orchid Mania at Cleveland Botanical Garden

Cleveland Botanical Garden celebrates one of the world’s most exotic and beautiful flowers at their annual flower show, Orchid Mania. The theme of the 2020 Orchid Mania is Vibrant Vietnam.

This year Orchid Mania celebrates the natural beauty of Vietnam, and the Vietnamese culture that cherishes nature and plants. From the warm tropical forests and expansive coastline to rolling hills and mountains, plant diversity thrives throughout Vietnam. Orchids grown in the region are diverse and celebrated throughout the year. Orchid Mania explores four highlights of plant culture in Vietnam – natural areas, agriculture, food, and flowers.

Ms. Gia Hoa Ryan, a leader of the local Vietnamese community and Vietnam Cultural Garden, assisted with the design and items in the presentation such as food items, bicycles, musical instruments and more.

Vietnam street display at Orchid Mania

Vietnam street display at Orchid Mania

See photos and videos of Vibrant Vietnam at Orchid Mania


2019

Vietnamese Cultural Garden on 74th annual One World Day

The Cleveland Vietnamese community was out in full force at the 74th annual One World Day on the site of the upcoming Vietnam Cultural Garden. There was music, entertainment, food and fun as members of the Vietnamese community shared their culture with thousands of visitors on One World Day.

Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day in Cleveland

Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day in Cleveland


See photos and video of the Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day


10th annual Cleveland Asian Festival

The 10th annual Cleveland Asian Festival was held on the weekend of May 18 and 19 in Cleveland's AsiaTown neighborhood on Payne Avenue. It has become a not-to-miss annual event with great entertainment, food, shopping and fun.

MC Jennifer Luu with Hawaiian dancers

MC Jennifer Luu with Hawaiian dancers

See photos and videos from the 2019 Cleveland Asian Festival

John Cosma and OCA Dragon Team

OCA Cleveland Dragon Team at CAF


2019 CAF Photo Page - who do you recognize?


2018

Vietnamese community at International Cleveland Community Day

International Cleveland Community Day at the Cleveland Museum of Art is a celebration of the rich diversity of our region’s multiethnic communities, featuring traditional music and dance performances, cultural displays, and ingallery experiences. During this vibrant afternoon, visitors enjoyed presentations from more than 50 community groups expressing the continued vitality of the global cultures and arts that enliven our city.

The Vietnamese community was represented with a banner of the Vietnamese Cultural Garden.

Vietnamese Cultural Garden banner in Cleveland Art Museum

Vietnamese Cultural Garden banner in Cleveland Art Museum



Vietnamese Cultural Garden in Cleveland - 73rd annual One World Day

The Cleveland Vietnamese community was out in full force at the 73rd annual One World Day on the site of the upcoming Vietnam Cultural Garden. There was music, entertainment, food and fun as members of the Vietnamese community shared their culture with thousands of visitors on One World Day.

Raising a Vietnamese Flag on One World Day in Cleveland

Raising a Vietnamese Flag on One World Day in Cleveland

The opening ceremonies featured singing of the Vietnamese and US national anthems and remarks from Vietnamese Garden leaders Gia Hoa Ryan, Joe Meissner, Brunswick Mayor Ron Falconi and others. Cleveland Councilman Matt Zone also spoke and presented a proclamation from the City of Cleveland.

Gia Hoa Ryan and statue

Gia Hoa Ryan and proposed center piece statue of the Garden

Photos and videos from the Vietnamese Garden on One World Day


Cleveland Vietnamese Community in Parade of Flags

Members of the Cleveland Vietnamese community marched in the annual One World Day Parade of Flag.

Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day 2018

Getting ready for the Parade of Flags


Photos and videos from the 2018 Parade of Flags


Asian Pacific Heritage Day Celebration

The annual Asian Pacific Heritage Day Celebration was held in the Cleveland City Hall Rotunda on May 30, 2018. Chia-Min Chen, Asian Liaison for the City of Cleveland was the MC for the evening. Besides food and networking the offical program included remarks from Chias and Gia Hoa Ryan, Community Relations Board Member and leader of the Vietnamese community.

Gia Hoa Ryan, Community Relations Board Member

Gia Hoa Ryan, Community Relations Board Member


The keynote speaker was Peter Paik, Teacher & Debate Team Coach of University School who told stories showing how is truly a wonderful thing to be a teacher.

Amit Ghose, a Cleveland Metropolitan School District teacher from Joseph M. Gallagher School, spoke about the culture and history of Nepal and Bhutan. He introduced a few of his students who performed Nepalese cultural dances.

Amit Ghose and students

Amit Ghose and students


See photos and videos of Asian Pacific Heritage Night 2018


Cleveland Asian Festival 2018

The 2018 Cleveland Asian Festival was another huge success. The 9th annual Cleveland Asian Festival was held on the weekend of May 19 and 20 in Cleveland's AsiaTown neighborhood on Payne Avenue. It has become a not-to-miss annual event with great entertainment, food, shopping and fun.

Posing at the Cleveland Asian Festival

Posing at the Cleveland Asian Festival


See many pages full of photos and videos from the 2018 Cleveland Asian Festival


2017

Vietnamese community at Cleveland Multicultural Holiday Celebration

The Cleveland Vietnamese community was well represented at the 8th Annual ICC-WIN Cleveland Multicultural Holiday Celebration on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at the Global Center for Health Innovation in Cleveland.

Gia Hoa Ryan and Joe Meissner are on the board of ICC-WIN and helped organize the event.

Gia Hoa Ryan and Joe Meissner

Gia Hoa Ryan and Joe Meissner at the
Friendship Foundation table

Gia Hoa Ryan, Oahn Loi-Powell, Evan Powell and Madi Harris Posing with a map of Vietnam

Gia Hoa Ryan, Oahn Loi-Powell, Evan Powell and Madi Harris
representing Vietnam



Joe Meissner, Gia Hoa Ryan, Debbie Yue and Vincent Cononico

Joe Meissner, Gia Hoa Ryan,
Debbie Yue and Vincent Cononico

People enjoyed food from Dragon Light

Dragon Light

Evan Powell helping serve food from Dragon Light


See more from the Cleveland Multicultural Holiday Celebration


Ohio Asian American Economic Summit

The Ohio Asian American Economic Summit took place November 14, 2017 at Ariel International Center in Cleveland. Ariel International and Margaret Wong & Associates LLC were the event sponsors. Ariel CEO Radhika Reddy had worked toward this event for years and with the support of Margaret Wong was able to fill the room with people interested in doing business in and with Asia and a stellar group of speakers and panelists including the Consul General of India who flew in from New York and the Consul General of Japan who came in from Detroit.

Le Cong Tien, Counselor/Economic Affairs from the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington DC spoke about doing business in Vietnam.

Watch the video of his presentation.



People of Vietnam slide

Economic reforms in Vietnam slide

Le Cong Tien, Counselor/Economic Affairs from the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington DC

Le Cong Tien, Counselor/Economic Affairs from the Vietnamese Embassy

Thanks to Ms. Gia Hoa Ryan and attorney Joe Meissner for bringing Mr. Tien to the Summit.

See photos and videos of the entire Ohio Asian American Economic Summit


Vietnamese Cultural Garden at Cleveland Museum of Art

The Vietnamese Cultural Garden was represented at International Cleveland Community Day at the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2017.

Vietnamese ladies with Cultural Garden banner

Gia Hoa Ryan, Oanh Loi-Powell and sisters
with Vietnamese Cultural Garden banner


Photos and videos from International Cleveland Community Day


Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day

The Vietnamese Cultural Garden in Cleveland Ohio hosted a flag-raising ceremony on the 72nd annual One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.

The Garden was decorated beautifully and Vietnamese food, drink and culture were shared with visitors.

Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day 2017

Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day 2017




Later in the day representatives of the Vietnamese Cultural Garden marched in the Parade of Flags.

Vietnamese Cultural Garden marching in the One World Day Parade of Flags


Photos and videos from the Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day


Vietnamese Cultural Garden Cleanup for One World Day

A hard-working crew spent time in the beautiful weather on Saturday getting work done in the Vietnamese Cultural Garden preparing for One World Day which will be Sunday August 27 from 11 AM to 7PM.

Gia Hoa Ryan, Joseph Meissner and Oanh Loi-Powell

Gia Hoa Ryan, Joseph Meissner and Oanh Loi-Powell


More photos from the Vietnamese Cultural Garden cleanup


Toan Huynh warns about Communism in Vietnam

Joseph Meissner received the Freedom Award at the American Nationalities Movement of Ohio's 56th annual Captive Nations Dinner on July 20, 2017. Meissner called up Toan Huynh who has been a Cleveland school teacher for the last 36 years. During the Vietnam War, Huynh was kept prisoner in a communist concentration camp and he warned of the evils of communism.

Toan Huynh

Toan Huynh




Toan Huynh


More photos and videos from the ANM event


Vietnamese Cultural Garden in Cleveland

Joseph Meissner received the Freedom Award at the American Nationalities Movement of Ohio's 56th annual Captive Nations Dinner on July 20, 2017. Joe Meissner called up Gia Hoa Ryan and Oanh Loi-Powell to tell about the new Vietnamese Cultural Garden in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens chain.

Gia Hoa Ryan

Gia Hoa Ryan




Oanh Loi-Powell

Oanh Loi-Powell


More photos and videos from the ANM event


Vietnamese Cooking demonstration by Pho Thang Cafe

New to the 2017 Cleveland Asian Festival was a demonstration of Asian cooking. Nancy and Susan from Pho Thang Cafe presented two dishes. They prepared Vietnamese Chicken Cabbage Salad and then Vietnamese Summer Rolls.

Susan and Nancy from Pho Thang Cafe

Susan and Nancy from Pho Thang Cafe


See the recipes, photos and videos of Pho Thang Cafe's demonstration


Vietnamese history, soldiers and Cultural Garden in Cleveland

Lt. Colonel Joseph Meissner served with the Green Berets in Vietnam. He connected with Miss Gia Hoa Ryan who came from Vietnam in 1971 and formed the Friendship Foundation. Joe tells some of the history of the Vietnamese people (like the Trung Sisters) and Miss Ryan explains the plans for the Vietnamese Cultural Garden which will be part of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.




Escape from Vietnam - A Refugee's Journey to Reach the American Dream

Loi Dang-Nguyen, Ph.D. was the keynote speaker at the 2nd annual ASIA, Inc. Friendraiser at Ariel International in Cleveland. She told how her family, which included 12 siblings, had to suddenly flee the communists in 1975. She told of being part of the boat people and how they arrived in a refugee camp in Florida and eventiually settled in Akron, Ohio.

Loi Dang-Nguyen, Ph.D.

Loi Dang-Nguyen, Ph.D. giving her keynote speech


Dr. Dang-Nguyen told of the cultural issues her family had in their new country and how they have given back to their community.

See photos and videos of the keynote by Loi Dang-Nguyen


Call me Father Joseph

After completing some educational charity work in Dien Bien Phu Province in Vietnam, Joe Meissner and his group journeyed to the city of Binh Duong. They became involved in several weddings with some memorable stories.

Read the story of "Father Joseph" and the Vietnamese weddings


2016

Health Disparities in Asian Populations
November 10, 2016

Margaret Wong and Associates and Case Western Reserve University joined together to create an evening reception to promote health, education, and awareness to the Asian community in Cleveland. The event featured an educational seminar by Li Li, MD PhD, Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Professor and Director. Dr. Li spoke about Acculturation and Health Disparities in Asian Population.

Dr. Li Li explaining health disparities

Li Li, MD, PhD speaking on Asian Health

Photos and videos of Dr. Li's presentation on Asian Health


Healthy Asian Cooking by Rose Wong
November 10, 2016

Rose Wong founded Pearl of the Orient restaurant in 1978. It was the first to offer Northern and Szechuan cuisine in Cleveland Ohio and continues to be a favorite among Chinese food cognoscenti.

Rose created two healthy dishes and answered questions about woks, soy sauce, MSG and more.

Rose Wong with Ginger Root

Rose Wong with Ginger Root

Photos and videos of Rose Wong's cooking demonstration


Battle of Dien Bien Phu, Psychological Operations, and the Thai People
by Joseph Patrick Meissner

An eleven year old boy kneels beside his bed and studies the pages and maps of the Cleveland Plain Dealer laid out on the bed spread. The ongoing media story for several months has been the titanic struggle at Dien Bien Phu in Northwestern Vietnam. Daily, the Viet Minh Communist forces have tightening their trench line noose around these gallant French forts manned by French foreign legion troops, other French soldiers, Moroccan and African French forces, Vietnamese units of Emperor Bao Dai, and local Thai and tribal groups. The Communists were called the Viet Nam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi (League for the Independence of Vietnam)-- or the Viet Minh, as it became known colloquially.

This is concrete relief beside Col De Castries bunker showing brave French defenders. I salute them for their dedication and sacrifice

This is concrete relief beside Col De Castries bunker showing brave French defenders. I salute them for their dedication and sacrifice


Read the rest of the essay on Dien Bien Phu


Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day

The Vietnamese Cultural Garden and Vietnamese community participated in the 71st One World Day on August 28, 2016. They began with the Parade of Flags.

Vietnam in Parade of Flags

Vietnam in Parade of Flags

Throughout the day members of the Vietnamese community of Cleveland hosted hundreds of visitors in the Vietnamese Cultural Garden and shared Vietnamese food and culture.

Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day 2016

Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day 2016

See more from the Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day


Food Adventure to Pho Thang Vietnamese Restaurant

The Cleveland Food Adventurers Passport event in August 2016 was to Vietnam at Pho Thang Restaurant at 815 Superior Avenue East, Cleveland OH.

Owners Henry and Nancy Troung prepared a very special traditional Vietnamese dinner which included four courses: appetizers, soup (pho), entrees and dessert.

Vietnamese food from Pho Thang restaurant in Cleveland


Attendees also enjoyed seeing some of the colorful fashions of Vietnam.

Vietnamese fashion

And Vietnam Veteran Green Beret Lt Colonel Joseph Meissner told the story of 4 heroes of Vietnam. The heores were:

  • The Trung sisters
  • Trieu Thi Trinh, (Lady Trieu (Bà Trieu))
  • General Tran Hung Dao
  • Nguyen Thai

Photos, videos and more from the Vietnam Adventure


Cleveland's Asian Immigrant Communities
August 10, 2016

On Wednesday, August 10, 2016, Global Cleveland hosted a panel discussion at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage titled: Begin the Conversation: Cleveland's Immigrant Communities Today: Pan-Asian Community.

Four members of the Cleveland Asian community spoke and answered questions from moderator Jeffery Allen: Gia Hoa Ryan who came to the US from her native Vietnam in 1971, Asim Datta who came from India, Johnny Wu who has lived in Panama, Taiwan and other places and represented the Chinese community and Nupur Goel who is in the 11th Grade at Gilmour Academy. Her parents emigrated from India 20+ years ago.

Jeffery Allen, Asim Datta, Nupur Goel, Johnny Wu and Gia Hoa Ryan

Jeffery Allen, Asim Datta, Nupur Goel, Johnny Wu and Gia Hoa Ryan


Photos/videos of the Asian community panel

Here is a sample video of Gia Hoa Ryan who came from Vietnam in 1971 and told the story of the Cleveland Vietnamese community.




Vietnamese Cultural Garden Work Day

The August 7, 2016 project was to clean up the site for One World Day on August 28, Raise the proud Yellow and Red striped Flag of Viet Nam, and Prepare the Cleveland ground for a Beautiful Flower garden. The Morning began with a Salute to the flag by everyone standing at attention, a Review of the Day's Importance, and prayers for all who gave their lives in Viet Nam.

Vietnamese Cultural Garden work crew

Some of the Vietnamese Cultural Garden work crew


See more from the Vietnamese Cultural Garden Work Day


Vietnamese Cultural Garden Benefit Brunch

On Sunday June 26 the Vietnamese Cultural Garden Committee hosted a community event for everyone entitled "BRUNCH A LA VIET NAM" at the Sai Gon Plaza in Cleveland's Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.

Gia Hoa Ryan, Director of the Friendship Foundation which sponsored the event stated, "Our goal was to educate our entire community about the beautiful Vietnamese garden we are establishing on Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard. We will join the other gardens that foster appreciation of the many ethnic groups making up our Cleveland. Our garden will proudly display our national flag of the gold field with three broad red stripes symbolizing the North, the Center, and South of our motherland. Our garden will tell the story of the beginning of the Vietnamese people in the marriage of the Mountain Dragon King with the Fairy Princess of the Sea."

The event attracted some two hundred people, representing Cleveland's diversity.

Vietnamese chefs

Preparing the delicious food


See more from the Vietnamese Cultural Garden Benefit Brunch


2015

Traditional Vietnamese Clothing

A highlight of the 6th annual Holiday Celebration of Cleveland's Diversity held in the atrium of the Global Center for Health Innovation in the Cleveland Convention Center by the International Community Council-Worldwide Intercultural Network (ICC-WIN) was the multicultural fashion show.

Models: Lianana Powell, Marilyn Cassidy, Oanh Loi Powell, Uyen Dam, Michelle Zone and GiaHoa Ryan.

The Ao Dai (Ao Zai) is the iconic traditional clothing of Vietnam. It is fitted, full-length dress worn over loose fitting trousers and dates back to 1744 when Kung Vu Vuong of the Nguyen (Wynn) Dynasty decreed both men and women should wear an ensemble of trousers and gown that buttoned down the front. The modern version dates to the 1930's.

The Ao Dai (Ao Zai) still remains popular and influential in the modern day Vietnamese culture.

Fashion of Vietnam

Fashion of Vietnam

Fashion of Vietnam

Fashion of Vietnam

Fashion of Vietnam

Videos and photos of the International Fashion Show


Vietnamese Fashion at Art Museum

Gia Hoa Ryan from Cleveland's Vietnamese community explained the Vietnamese clothing she and her group were wearing to Ken Kovach of ICC-WIN at the Cleveland Museum of Art's International Cleveland Community Day in the Atrium of the museum. This included male and female and young and old.




Vietnamese Cultural Garden

Members of the Vietnamese Cultural Garden Committee of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens met at the future site of the Garden. This historic meeting was captured in photos and video.

Vietnamese anthem in Cleveland


More from the Vietnamese Cultural Garden event


Anthem of Free Vietnam (Tieng Goi Công Dân) in Cleveland

Members of the Vietnamese Cultural Garden Committee of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens gathered around a flag at the future site of the Vietnamese Garden on MLK Blvd and sang Tieng Goi Công Dân, which was the national anthem of South Vietnam from 1948 to 1975. It is now called the "Anthem of Free Vietnam".



More from the new Vietnamese Cultural Garden soon


Tet Nguyen Dan and a new Morning of Hope
for the Vietnamese-American Community
by Joseph Meissner

This is a Tet Celebration morning. It is Tet Nguyen Danh, the huge festival season for Vietnamese all around the world.

Families will travel from all lands in order to return home at Tet. In Viet Nam they enjoy the warmth and sunshine, while on this Cleveland morning, all is gray with wet mushy snow everywhere. But all still celebrate here with the fruit baskets, the special candies of stringy white coconut, tasty dried fruits, nut-flavored watermelon seeds that you must crack open with your teeth, delicious banh chong cakes packed in the center with all sorts of fillings, "li si" of gaily decorated red envelopes containing new money gifts for the children, and the thin branches of the small flowering yellow buds that especially mark the coming of the New Year.

Read the rest of Joe's experience at the Tet event


2014

Vietnamese Fashion at Cleveland Multicultural Event

Representatives from the Cleveland Vietnamese community participated in the International Community Council - Worldwide Intercultural Network's (ICC-WIN) 5th annual multicultural holiday celebration at the Global Center for Health Innovation in the Cleveland Convention Center in Cleveland Ohio. They modeled Vietnamese costumes at the International Fashion Show which featured traditional costumes of dozens of countries.

Fashion of Vietnam

Fashion of Vietnam


Photos and videos of the International Fashion Show


Vietnamese at Cleveland Asian Catholic Gathering

About 1000 people celebrated the Annual Mass and Gathering on Sunday, October 5, 2014 at 12 noon at St. Clarence Church. This is the 17th year the event was hosted by the Asian Ministry of the Diocese of Cleveland. It was an afternoon of family celebration of Asian culture and spirituality beginning with the celebration of the Mass with the Most Rev. Roger W Gries, OSB along with priests from the different Asian Catholic communities.

The cultural and ethnic diversity of the Asian Catholic communities assembled at the Mass was reflected throughout the celebration. Members of the various Asian communities came together with their own traditions, dressed in colorful ethnic clothes: shimmering saris, kimonos, karawangs, hanboks, barongs, and ao dai. The entrance procession included Vietnamese drums. During the Mass there was an incense ceremony by the Vietnamese, and the Indian aarti. Hymns were sung by the choirs in various Asian languages: Tagalog (Filipino), Korean, Vietnamese and Hindi (Indian). The readings and the prayers of the faithful were also said in various Asian languages.

Offertory at Asian Catholic Mass in Cleveland

Offertory at Asian Catholic Mass


2 pages of photos and videos of the Asian Catholic Gathering


Asian Heritage Day Celebration

Cleveland City Hall Rotunda
May 28, 2014
The City of Cleveland Community Relations Board, led by Asian Liaison Chia-Min Chen, hosted an Asian Heritage Day Celebration on May 28, 2014 in the Cleveland City Hall Rotunda.

Over 60 Asian community groups and organizations participated. Chia-Min Chen called them up to the stage one at a time and each gave an elevator speech explaining their organization. The following Vietnamese groups were represented:

  • Quan Am Temple of Vietnamese Buddhists of Ohio

  • Vietnamese Community of Greater Cleveland

  • Vietnamese Friendship Foundation of Cleveland

Learn more about each organization (and the other Asian groups) including photos and videos of the group leaders at the Asian Organizations in Cleveland pages.


Gia Hoa Ryan and Joseph Meissner are currently on another good will trip to Vietnam to help teach and assist with other projects to help the people.

Joe sent this interesting tale from a wedding they attended. Joe said:

We were invited to a local wedding. Couples here consider it good luck to have guests come from afar to wish them well. So Gia Hoa was especially honored and we sat with the groom's family.

There is a wonderful time at a Vietnamese wedding when the couple and their attendants visit each table and they drink toasts and take special photos with the table guests.

So it came to pass that this couple with the bride in a beautiful white dress and her husband in a nice white tuxedo visited our table.

Gia Hoa had a great toast for the wedding couple: "Mot Cham Nam hanh phuc." That means "may you have a hundred years of love and happiness," or in other words, "Blessings forever"

It then came Meissner's turn. So he said, "Co mui hai cong gai va con giai, sau cong gai va sau cong giai."

The couple did not quite understand his Vietnamese, so he repeated it again. "May you have twelve children, six girls and six boys,"

"Oh My God," said the bride in her best English.

We learn later that the Bride's mother was number nine in a family of eleven. Of course Gia Hoa herself is Number One in a family of twelve brothers and sisters.


2013

Vietnamese community erects shrine to Our Lady of La Vang

To understand the importance of this shrine to the Vietnamese Catholics, one must only understand that Our Lady often appears when needed most, to provide comfort to those persecuted for their faith as she did in the forest of LaVang in 1798. As Vietnamese Catholics were escaping the onslaught of the communists seeking their destruction, it was their Catholic faith and their belief in Our Lady of LaVang that brought great comfort.

Our Lady of La Vang statue in Vietnam

Our Lady of La Vang statue in Vietnam

More on the new shrine


40 years after the Vietnam War
Saigon Plaza
September 26, 2013

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) (Newton D. Baker Chapter) and Joint Veterans Commission of Cuyahoga County hosted a special event titled: The Vietnam War: A Presentation and a Conversation.

It featured a presentation by Colonel David W. Taylor (USAR-Ret) who is the author of the book: Our War the History and Sacrifices of an Infantry Battalion in the Vietnam War. The event was held at Saigon Plaza in Cleveland and hosted by Lt Colonel Joseph Meissner and Gia Hoa Ryan.

Ron Schwachenwald and Gia Hoa Ryan

Ron Schwachenwald, president of the Association of the U.S. Army - Newton D. Baker Chapter and Joint Veterans Commission of Cuyahoga County, and Gia Hoa Ryan



2013 Cleveland Asian Festival


May 18-19, 2013

The 4th annual Cleveland Asian Festival attracted 38,380 attendees over the weekend of May 18-19, 2013. They spent over $2 million in the AsiaTown neighborhood. There were dozens of performances from local, regional, and national performing groups including headliner Cheesa from NBC's The Voice.

People enjoyed Asian cuisine from over 20 different restaurants and shopping in the World Market which was filled with merchants of Asian themed products while sponsors had informational displays at their tent.

10 pages of photos and videos of the Cleveland Asian Festival

Vietnamese Friendship Foundation

Vietnamese Friendship Foundation



Vietnamese Cultural Garden Plot Selection
Cleveland Cultural Gardens
February 11, 2013

Debbie Hanson, Joe Meissner, Gia Hoa Ryan and Sheila Crawford

Debbie Hanson, Joe Meissner, Gia Hoa Ryan and Sheila Crawford



2012

Congratulations to Le Nguyen, Asian Liaison, City of Cleveland Community Relations Board, who was given a proclamation of appreciation by Mayor Frank Jackson at Asian Pacific American Heritage Day in the Cleveland City Hall Rotunda on May 17, 2012.

Le Nguyen speaking at City Hall

Le Nguyen


More from the event


Asian Pacific American Heritage Day
Cleveland City Hall Rotunda - May 17, 2012

A diverse group of Asian Americans (Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian and others) gathered in the Rotunda of Cleveland City Hall to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Day. In addition to the speeches, entertainment and food, Mayor Jackson gave a proclamation of appreciation to Le Nguyen, Asian Liaison, City of Cleveland Community Relations Board.

Lt. Colonel Joe Meissner, Mona Alag, Margaret Wong, Mayor Jackson, Blaine Griffin, Le Nguyen, Lisa Wong and Grady Stevenson

Lt. Colonel Joe Meissner, Mona Alag, Margaret Wong, Mayor Jackson, Blaine Griffin, Le Nguyen, Lisa Wong and Grady Stevenson

2 pages of photos and videos from the event


Beyond the Rice Paddies - Book Review
by Linda West
(born Tran Thi Bach Yen Oanh )

The 111 pages of Beyond the Rice Paddies are organized into a series of 3 or 4 page stories. You will keep saying to yourself 'Just one more' until you realize you have read the entire book.

It is a fascinating look into the world of a young girl in Vietnam in the mid-1960's. Tran Thi Bach Yen Oanh (the author, now known as Linda West) lived with her paternal grandmother, the beloved Ba Noi, in the village of Bien Hoa near Saigon.

The vignettes describe the joys (some American chewing gum, a doll with yellow hair, etc.) and hardships (a toilet comprised of two rickety slats over a maggot and fly infested area) of life in that historic place and time.

The war affects the villagers but not always directly. For example, Young Oanh wakes up one day with 'bubbles' over her one side that they determine were caused by a powder that came from a plane. Bodies are left in the market square to be claimed. Her hut has a dugout area so she and her Ba Noi can hide from the bullets when firefights erupt.

The author tells of the joy of the parade as the "giant-sized" American GIs marched into town to go "Beyond the Rice Paddies' and fight the Viet Cong. She then describes the fear and confusion when only a handful of them limp back a few days later, sans the fanfare.

Her mother worked as a 'bargirl' in Saigon and eventually marries an American who takes Oanh and her brother to the US in 1970. The author is now a real estate broker, a mother of three children and lives in Tucson, Arizona.

It's a fascinating yet humbling book that will make you count your blessings and perhaps look at war and the world in a different way.


2011

Gia Hoa Ryan - 40 years in the US
4 pages of pictures and video from the event
Saigon Plaza - November 5, 2011

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Gia Hoa Ryan

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Gia Hoa Ryan



Pride in Vietnamese Heritage



Giahoa Ryan was inducted into the Cleveland International Hall of Fame in a dinner ceremony on Wednesday May 11, 2011. Margaret Wong inducted Ms Ryan.

Should Asian-Americans change their names to make them easier to pronounce? Watch this eloquent reply from Lt. Colonel Joe Meissner on behalf of Ms Gia Hoa Ryan.




2011 Annual Cleveland Asian Festival
May 21-22, 2011
7 pages of photos and videos

Friendship Foundation Vietnamese Booth

Friendship Foundation Vietnamese Booth



Gia Hoa Ryan inducted into the Cleveland International Hall of Fame
May 11, 2011

Gia Hoa Ryan at podium

Gia Hoa Ryan at podium at Cleveland International Hall of Fame

Every year I return to my First Motherland of Viet Nam. I go back to see my Mother, visit with my many family still there, and pay honor at my Father's grave site. As the oldest of twelve children, it is my duty to guide and help all of my brothers and sisters, our children and grand children-both in Viet Nam and America-so they may all lead productive and happy lives.

I also go to Viet Nam to carry out the many activities of the Friendship Foundation. Our Foundation mission is "to build bridges of friendship" between the wonderful people of Viet Nam and the wonderful people of America.

In seventeen years of humanitarian work, our Foundation has sponsored over one thousand volunteers to Viet Nam where they have conducted educational, medical, legal, and charitable work. At the same time, we have hosted hundreds of people from Viet Nam--including students, lawyers and business people, and medical and governmental personnel-to come to my Second Motherland of America and to our great City of Cleveland. They come to work, learn, and enjoy time with us.

I thank all of you for this honor of inducting me into the Cleveland International Hall of Fame. I congratulate all the other inductees who richly deserve this achievement.

It is my great dream that we together will find many ways so that all of our diverse peoples can share their talents, traditions, and cultures with each other in peace and friendship.

..From Luong Thi Gia Hoa Ryan


2010

Giahoa Ryan

Giahoa Ryan at Cleveland Holiday Diversity Party


Joe Meisner, Giahoa Ryan and Le Nguyen

Joe Meisner, Giahoa Ryan and Le Nguyen at Cleveland City Hall for a Diwali celebration



Dr. Dieu Thuc Do named to Inaugural Class of Cleveland International Hall of Fame.

Dr. Do, a decorated veteran of both the U.S. Army and the Army of South Vietnam, has been the family doctor to Cleveland's Vietnamese immigrant community for more than 30 years. Dr. Do joins a stellar cast of inductees in the inaugural class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame.

Dr Dieu Thuc Do

Many more photos and videos


Cleveland Asian Festival

The first annual city wide Cleveland Asian Festival was a resounding success! Over 10,000 people attended the event held Saturday May 22, 2010 at East 30th and Payne Ave.

Gia Hoa Ryan at Asian Festival


See many photos and videos from the first annual Cleveland Asian Festival

ClevelandPeople.Com is proud to be a media sponsor of the Cleveland Asian Festival.

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CSU International Day 2009

CSU International Day 2009

Nguyen Bui at CSU International Day 2009

Nguyen Bui at CSU International Day 2009




A Glimpse of Vietnam - Dance by Nguyen Bui




Organizations and Resources for Vietnamese in Cleveland

Friendship Foundation of American Vietnamese
5400 Detroit Ave. Cleveland, OH 44102
216-961-6005
friendshipfounda@msn.com

The Vietnamese Community in Greater Cleveland, Inc.
6516 Detroit Ave. Suite 15
Cleveland, OH 44102
216-857-0200

Submit your Cleveland Vietnamese organizations and resources.

Business, Education and Employment Information



Provinces of Vietnam

Provinces of Vietnam



Submit your Cleveland Vietnamese jobs, classes and other opportunities.


Cleveland Vietnamese Feedback and Memories

Vietnamese History and Culture

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east.

With a population of over 86 million, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world.

Vietnam

The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by Communist forces under Ho Chi Minh.

Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the Communist North and anti-Communist South. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South reuniting the country under Communist rule.

Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies, the persecution and mass exodus of individuals - many of them successful South Vietnamese merchants - and growing international isolation. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries.

The country continues to experience small-scale protests from various groups, the vast majority connected to land-use issues and the lack of equitable mechanisms for resolving disputes. Various ethnic minorities, such as the Montagnards of the Central Highlands and the Khmer Krom in the southern delta region, have also held protests.

(facts courtesy of CIA World Fact Book)


Map of Vietnam


Tell us about the music, food, holidays, traditions, costumes, language and other qualities that make the Vietnamese so special.

Submit your Cleveland Vietnamese cultural items.


Profiles of Vietnamese in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio




If you know of a Cleveland Vietnamese who should be profiled,
please let us know.
ClevelandPeople.Com - Vietnamese Ambassadors

Gia Hoa Ryan
Gia Hoa Ryan

Read more about the Vietnamese and other Ambassadors. If you are interested in being considered to be an official ClevelandPeople.com Ambassador to the Cleveland Vietnamese community, please contact us.



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This page is sponsored in part by
The Friendship Foundation of American Vietnamese






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