Artist Biography
Linh Ha is a Senior at Endicott College and is expected to graduate Spring of 2024 with a B.F.A in Interior Architecture and a minor in Business Administration. During her time with Endicott College, she has been a Resident Assistant since her sophomore year and was promoted to Resident Coordinator for her senior year. Her accomplishments include getting Dean’s List every semester, achieving a cumulative 3.99 GPA, and being the Interior Architecture final nominee for the Senior Capstone Award. Linh had also been inducted into Kappa Pi International Art Honors Society and Tri-Alpha Honor Society for first-generation scholars.
Linh’s inspiration for her senior capstone project is from her identity as a first-generation Vietnamese immigrant and her initial struggle to integrate into the United States. She wanted to bring awareness to the challenges many immigrants face while sharing the Vietnamese culture she had to learn to love. She would like to thank her friends, family, professors, and mentors for their constant support and for helping her through the capstone project.
Thesis Abstract
The Vietnamese American Cultural & Art Center (VACA) explores issues within the Vietnamese community, focusing on second-generation immigrants who struggle to reconnect with their cultural identity and family. The history of immigration laws and diaspora reveals numerous challenges faced by the Vietnamese community. Cultural integration compared to assimilation has been shown to have a positive impact on immigrant families. It allows individuals to adapt and use their background to their advantage within the major culture, whereas assimilation forces minorities to be confined to the existing dominant culture. Expanding into intergenerational differences shows a conflict between Vietnamese family’s mindsets. For example, as first-generation immigrants become parents, they often struggle to meet their children’s needs while navigating personal hardships. U.S. born second-generations may feel distant from their culture due to miscommunication and lack of support for their mental health.
The VACA was created to help establish a foundation to lift second-generation Vietnamese Americans and create a safe space for them to express themselves. Strategies to support mental health and cultural identity for second-generation immigrants were implemented, including family counseling, community programs, and cultural activities. The VACA advocates and assists second-generation Vietnamese Americans in reconnecting with their heritage and strengthening familial and community bonds. It serves as a model for other cultures in the United States to support their minority communities.