Saigon, U.S.A. is a documentary portrait about struggles over identity in the heart of the Vietnamese American community, Southern California’s Little Saigon. Saigon, U.S.A. starts with an explosive political conflict - fifty two days of protests over a shopkeeper's display of the communist flag and Ho Chi Minh. The film then delves into the passions underlying the protests by following members of the older generation who still suffer from the loss of their homeland and members of the younger generation who are chasing the American dream.
From a deeply personal perspective, families describe the 1975 fall of Saigon, the challenges of losing their home and starting over in a strange country. The younger generation also comes to terms with the distance between themselves and the anger that erupted in the anti-communist demonstrations at the video store. By tracing the effects of the protests on the personal lives of Vietnamese Americans, Saigon, U.S.A. connects their stories to the larger historical and cultural landscape and provides a deeper understanding of the Vietnamese American community, American history and the changing face of America.
Saigon, U.S.A. was produced and directed by Lindsey Jang and Robert C. Winn in conjunction with KOCE-TV. Major funding was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting through the Independent Television Service and the National Asian American Telecommunications Association, and the California Council for the Humanities. Visual Communications served as the fiscal sponsor.
