Page 48 - South Mississippi Living - June, 2025

LEISURE
story by Lynn Lofton photos courtesy of Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum
“We are so proud to present the Gulf Coast Vietnamese Narratives: A Story of Refuge and Resilience! The journey of so many from the fall of Saigon in 1975 to settling along the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” says Robin Krohn David, executive director of the museum. “These immigrants, just like many others before them, have shaped our seafood industry.”
David adds that local culture and heritage are rich from this melting pot of diverse individuals who persevered and formed a new way of life along the Gulf Coast. “We hope to find funding to make this a permanent exhibit in the Museum because this story truly needs to become part of our history,” she said. “I was so excited when Emma and Jen came through the doors at the museum. They were the perfect storytellers to bring this part of our history alive.”
Both To and Le are from fishing families and were born on the Coast after their parents immigrated. Their parents were traumatized from the war and coming to a country where they couldn't speak or read the language. Through social media the ladies found other Vietnamese wanting to tell their stories. More than 30 families were interviewed for the exhibit.
A key part of the exhibit is photos taken by former Sun Herald photographer Tim Isbell, who years ago took photos in the Vietnamese community. Many
48 | June 2025
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Emma Phuong To and Jennifer Le.