Programs & Services
Our programs and services only have one goal: to foster a sense of belonging because we believe when a person feels belonged it also leads to a strong sense of self-confidence and self-worth--a foundation for a healthy being. Not finding what you're looking for, please send us a quick note to share your concerns.
Self-defense classes for Kids
Free self-Defense classes for children and youth to promote healthy self-esteem, confidence, and self-control. Class is open every Saturday - Join anytime.
Tai-Chi - Chinese or Vietnamese
Free weekly tai-chi classes for seniors to foster healthy habits, physical strength, and friendship. Each session will include educational and discussion on various topics focusing on building compassion, lovingkindness, and empathy. Chinese Tai-Chi classes are on-going; Vietnamese Tai-Chi class will start again in April.
Kids Play Group
Provide monthly outdoor gathering for children to promote health & wellbeing including fostering creativity and curiosity.
Outdoor Family Gathering
Provide bi-monthly outdoor gathering for family, children, and seniors to promote outdoor activities, reconnect to nature, and healthy behaviors.
General Meetups
Provide monthly gathering for adults and seniors, a safe space for individuals to come together to share stories, poetry, songs, music, concerns, and life's challenges such as parenting, jobs, healthcare, travel advices, retirements, etc.
Music & arts for children & youth
Provide weekly piano and guitar lessons for children and youth. Arts & design classes are available for children & youth.
General Services & Resources
Provides translation and interpretation services to seniors and families to access to community programs and services they need and empower them to advocate for themselves in order to achieve greater self-sufficiency, economic independence, and increase community participation.
Current & Upcoming Projects
Lovingkindness. Compassion. Empathy.
Anticipated completion date: June 2024
Boat People Garden
Converting an under-utilized private property and integrated with existing pedestrian pathway for an innovative public space complete with sitting areas, resting benches, and landscaping garden. The garden will include an interactive sculpture of Vietnamese Boat People dedicated to the courage, determination and willpower of the many Vietnamese refugees who never yielded to suppression and to honor those refugees who perished while still holding onto the dream of freedom.
Anticipated completion date: June 2024
Public Art Benches
We envision combine public arts and outdoor furniture into an innovative artistic piece. These outdoor furniture will be designed and implement by local high school students who reside or attending school within the neighborhood. The main goal of this project is to encourage high school students to create a practical piece of art to be used in their community. Through this process, we hope to increase a sense of community/social responsibility, belonging, and promote self-identification, and cultural appreciation for students.
Designing Stage
Urban Street Planters
Inspired by the sculpture of umbrella tree in Little India in Singapore, we envision bring these sculptures onto the street of San Diego. Little Saigon SD is in the planning process of having approximately 20 of these umbrella tree sculpture to be placed within the 6-block stretch of Little Saigon District. We envision the branches will be removable so we can dress up with not only umbrellas, but also with lanterns, cone hats, fans, and more.
Designing Stage
Tangibilizing the intangible cultural assets
The Little Saigon District of San Diego is enriched with intangible cultural assets such as the journey, history, their hardship and contribution of the Vietnamese/ Chinese/ Indochinese community in San Diego. We wish to tangibilizing these history and stories so can get to know and appreciate our family, friends, and neighbors on deeper level. Through this process, we hope to increase a sense of belonging, and increase community lovingkindness, compassion, and empathy.
In the making
I was there: History through the eyes of those who lived it.
A project seeks to record and preserve human experience, memories, and stories from not only those were directly effected by the war such as boat people, prisoners of re-education camps, Amerasian children, Vietnamese American Veteran and families, but also those who witnessed and lived the post-war mass migration of the Vietnamese such as feelings of someone when they first saw a Vietnamese immigrant walking down the street or the reaction of the neighbor who just learned that their new neighbor was a non-English-speaking Vietnamese immigrant family.
On-going
Be Kind
For years, we believed that it is wise to cover our eyes and ears to see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. But if a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Evil still exists even if we turn off our TV and do not follow the newsfeed. More importantly, evil can be conditioned, and so can love and kindness. If we spread kindness, start with ourselves by being kind with the words we take in (hear), the words we speak out, and be kind in our thoughts and through our actions, then a community filled with lovingkindness and harmony will not be far. The kindness seed has always been present within our hearts—let us be kind.