The following call to the community is written by Chi Hoang, Xin Chao Section Editor:
With over 3,400 copies of the first edition of Xin Chao magazine reaching families all throughout Washington, Seattle’s first English publication for youth and young adults of the Vietnamese American community made its well-received debut in Spring of 2014.
Since it’s inception, sprouting from the kernels of a community engagement venture of the Vietnamese Community Leadership Institute in 2012, the project has serviced as a platform for voices to enrich the community and to inspire dialogue. As its mission had intended, conversations have sparked all sorts of powerful, honest, and encouraging discussions through various mediums, from print and social media to mixed generation house hold dinner tables.
A handful of young, committed, local professionals from diverse backgrounds were brought together by the vision of connecting the local community to the Vietnamese culture. Their efforts have grown this project into a beautiful branch blossoming with stories from the greater networks of community voices. It has shown that the 1.5+ generations of Vietnamese Americans are hungry not only for knowledge of their culture, but to engage and keep alive a piece of Vietnam in themselves and their community.
Meaning “Hello” (formal) in Vietnamese, Xin Chao 2014 was welcomed with positive responses from the young and old. Since gaining rising support from the community, another ambitious team has coalesced time, talent, and tender passion to publish the magazine’s second edition, expected to be out by late Spring 2015.
This edition desires to be especially meaningful for the Vietnamese community as it seeks to be “the 40th commemorative edition of a dark time for the Vietnamese in America,” says Trysteen Tran, editor in chief. The magazine will explore the past, present, and future of the local Vietnamese people from both the insider and outsider perspectives.
Without the same seed money as in its prior year, Xin Chao is currently fundraising to cultivate the capacity to distribute over 3,000 copies to the community for free.
The project is both looking for locals to act as support and to share their stories as well as be a support for the preservation of Vietnamese heritage, culture, and people here in WA.
Readers can view more information about Xin Chao at facebook.com/XinChaoSeattle.
