In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Journal of Asian American Studies 9.1 (2006) 55-85



[Access article in PDF]

PhƠ and Apple Pie

Eden Center as a Representation of Vietnamese American Ethnic Identity in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area, 1975–2005

Discovering Eden Center: An Introduction

Two stoic stone lions guard the entrance. Between them, a red arch frames the complex and calligraphic gold letters announce the name, "Eden Center." One might assume that the sign provides entry to a sleepy Chinese palace sitting on a hill outside of Beijing, or to a thriving Buddhist temple along the Mekong River in Laos. However, a glimpse to the left reveals a new Quizno Subs fast-food chain outlet and the Seven Corners junction that joins several major roads in northern Virginia.

The characters etched into the sign describe the buildings that make up the largest Vietnamese commercial center on the East Coast of North America.1 Despite the Passats and SUVs parked outside store entrances, Eden still feels like a miniature replica of a Vietnamese city. Young Vietnamese men gaze sleepily from behind café shop windows as mothers scold their children from across the parking lot in the multiple tones that characterize the Vietnamese language.

Set on the corner of Wilson Boulevard at Seven Corners in Falls Church, Virginia, Eden Center serves as the most visible point of interaction among the dispersed Vietnamese community in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area as well as for other Vietnamese Americans along the East Coast.2 The complex boasts throngs of shops selling ph&#x001A1 a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup flavored with anise and a signature dish in Vietnam. Vietnamese run and own the businesses that also include an [End Page 55] array of regional restaurants from Vietnam's numerous provinces, jewelry boutiques, bakeries, delis, music and video stores, travel agencies that offer transportation to and from Vietnam, and money-wiring offices. At each of these establishments, one can carry out all business in Vietnamese. The center houses over 120 stores, including an assortment of barbers, electronics outlets, nail salons, and two Vietnamese markets.

Eden's looming clock tower mirrors the design of its shopping center namesake in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon.3 The American center's building design, however, differs from the original. At Eden, five separate structures surround the parking lot in 1950s American strip-mall fashion, and two giant flagpoles demand the attention of every visitor. Perhaps most intriguing, flying from one are the stars and stripes of the United States and from the other are the red stripes and yellow background of the flag of the former Republic of Vietnam, or South Vietnam. The two flags add a political dimension to this seemingly innocuous place and suggest that Eden Center, with its multiple sources of identity, represents more than the standard United States outdoor mall.

The parking lot fills to bursting on weekends when Vietnamese from as far away as Tennessee and New York come to purchase rare ingredients for Vietnamese dishes, to visit with friends, or to sip cà phê súa, Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk. The atmosphere is multigenerational, although single men tend to dominate the coffee shops as they would in Vietnam.4 Amid the fish sauce, silk for traditional ao dai dresses, and camaraderie, Eden Center serves as a recreation of Vietnam in the United States, a place where Vietnamese Americans can come together to celebrate their Vietnamese roots in an American context.5

As of the 2000 census, 1,122,528 self-identified Vietnamese were residing in the United States and comprised eleven percent of the Asian American population, then eleven million strong.6 The broader Vietnamese community had the fastest rate of growth among the six largest Asian American groups, including Koreans and Indians, having increased by 134.8% since 1980.7 Over one million Vietnamese have settled in the United States since 1975. Today, the DC metropolitan area, a region that includes northern Virginia and suburban Maryland, boasts the...

pdf

Share