Finding Home Again at the Library
July 16, 2019
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, ASC Culture Blocks and Photosynthesis Inc have teamed up to present a series of free photography classes at the West Boulevard Branch Library. Finding Home Again is open to photographers of all skill levels. You can use a cell phone camera or a professional level camera gear. No matter your past experience, you’ll learn techniques to enhance your photography skills.
This series is focused on the experiences of Montagnard first generation immigrants. The Montagnards, hilltribe people from Vietnam, were recruited by the U.S. Special Forces to serve as front-line fighters with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. After the United States withdrew from Vietnam, they were targeted by the Communist Vietnamese government as traitors and U.S. spies. Many Montagnards continued to fight the Vietnamese after the United States left, believing they were acting on behalf of the U.S. government. When they finally learned that the U.S. government no longer supported them, they were forced to flee as refugees.
In 1986, about 200 Montagnard refugees, mostly men, were resettled in North Carolina. A second group of about 400 came in late 1992. While these first groups of refugees faced considerable difficulties, most have adapted reasonably well. Since that time, additional families have come, especially relatives and persons released from re-education camps (prisoners of war). In 2002, another 900 Montagnards were resettled in North Carolina. This last group brings with them troubled histories of persecution, and few have family or political ties with the established Montagnard communities here. Their resettlement is proving to be much more difficult. There are about 5,000 Montagnards in North Carolina. More than half of these are in the Greensboro area, but there are significant populations in Charlotte and Raleigh, as well.
Join others in your community as we explore ways to use photography to document memories, reflect on the immigration process, and/or to share your experience of being in Charlotte, NC.
Register now for one of the classes by clicking on the date you wish to attend.
ASC Culture Blocks and Photosynthesis Inc. Presents: Finding Home Again - all sessions at West Boulevard Library:
Saturday, July 20, 2019 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday, August 17, 2019 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday, September 28, 2019 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday, October 19, 2019 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.