For Vietnamese St. Louisans, Lunar New Year is a time to come together for customary practices, like ancestral rites, and great company and food. The nonprofit St. Louis Vietnamese Community has held a Tết celebration in St. Louis for more than three decades. This year, it’s added another: a free, family-friendly event Thursday at the Missouri History Museum that will spotlight some of what makes Vietnamese New Year such a special time.
In this episode of St. Louis on the Air, we learn about the St. Louis Vietnamese Community’s history and its role in keeping multiple generations of Vietnamese Americans – immigrant, transplant and U.S. born – connected to one another and to significant cultural traditions. We also hear how the nonprofit collaborates with other AANHPI organizations in the St. Louis area and why it welcomes the chance to share how Tết is distinct from other cultures’ Lunar New Year observations.
Guests:
Kris Le, president of St. Louis Vietnamese Community
Tila Nguyen, director of events for St. Louis Vietnamese Community
Related Events
What: Celebrate Vietnamese New Year! | Thursday Nights at the Museum
When: 5-8 p.m. Feb. 8
Where: Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112
What: Lunar New Year 2024
When: 1-4 p.m. Feb.18
Where: St. Mary’s High School, 4701 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63111
To hear Kris Le and Tila Nguyen reflect on personal memories of Vietnamese New Year festivities and what people can expect at their organization’s two family-friendly Year of the Dragon celebrations, listen to the full St. Louis on the Air conversation on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or by clicking the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
