Much of Southeast Asia was colonized by the French in the 1850s. The Indochinese Union (French Indochina) consisted of what we know today as Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. This ended in 1954 when the Geneva Conference established Vietnam as an independent country but divided into North Vietnam and South Vietnam. North Vietnam was controlled by communists, and South Vietnam was supported by the United States and other western nations. The Geneva Conference also established the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Kingdom of Laos as independent states.

North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam with the goal of uniting the two countries as a communist nation. The United States became actively involved in support of South Vietnam with the goal of stopping the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. In the United States, the war became known as “The Vietnam War.” But in Vietnam, many call it “The Resistance War Against the United States” or “The American War.” During this time, conflict also raged in other parts of Southeast Asia.

The Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975 when North Vietnam captured Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam (now Ho Chi Minh City). Having played a major role in the war, the U.S. government coordinated several operations to evacuate Southeast Asian allies. U.S. bombing raids devastated Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Many people were wounded, traumatized, and displaced. About 130,000 Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, and Hmong refugees fled to the United States right after the war. From 1975-2010, about 1.2 million Southeast Asian refugees came to the United States.

In the coming years after the war, the U.S. government passed several laws to facilitate the resettlement of Southeast Asian refugees. Resettlement centers (also called refugee camps) were quickly set up. Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California was the first camp to open. Over 50,000 refugees came through Camp Pendleton, leading to overcrowding and harsh conditions.The Governor of California, Jerry Brown (born 1938), was vocal about being opposed to resettlement in California, fearing economic burdens which reflected a common sentiment at the time. Upon hearing this, Dan Evans (born 1925), the Governor of Washington, sent his special assistant Ralph Munro to Camp Pendleton. According to Munro, Evans urged him to “remind Governor Brown of what it says on the base of the Statue of Liberty.” Munro invited some of the refugees to go to Washington. Washington officials turned Camp Murray, a military base, into a resettlement camp. Camp Murray thus became a temporary home for 500-600 Vietnamese refugees for 133 days from May to October of 1975.

Governor Evans hired Vietnamese refugees to work for the state government. He urged state agencies, churches, and other organizations in Washington to support the refugees by offering jobs and matching refugees with sponsors. For example, the Washington Army National Guard Aviators worked with former Vietnamese air force pilots to help them pass their aviation exams to become federally licensed pilots. State agencies hired young Vietnamese women as interpreters to process paperwork. The State of Washington also helped to fund a newspaper called “Dat Moi” (“new land”), the first Vietnamese language newspaper in the United States. “Dat Moi” helped Vietnamese refugees across the country access important information and also provided a sense of belonging.

Refugees faced discrimination and xenophobia. Throughout the country, there were anti-refugee sentiments. Many Americans saw the refugees as an economic threat at a time when unemployment was already high. Some saw them as outsiders who could not assimilate or speak English. Others made unfounded assumptions that the refugees would spread disease and communist ideas.

Nonetheless, as Southeast Asian refugees began to settle in Washington, they worked to support each other and build community. They established their own “mutual assistance associations” to provide services and support with jobs, health, housing, and counseling. In 1985, a group of resettled refugee women founded the South East Asian Women’s Alliance (SEAWA) to support refugee and immigrant women and mothers. (The organization is now called the Refugee Women’s Alliance, or ReWA.)

As they began to settle, Southeast Asian refugees formed ethnic enclaves in Washington. For example, many Vietnamese residents settled in Seattle’s Chinatown. Over time they opened shops, grocery stores, and restaurants. This area eventually became Little Saigon, one of three neighborhoods in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District. In 1981, a Vietnamese refugee named Duc Tran opened Little Saigon’s first grocery store, Viet-Wah Supermarket, which soon became a community institution. Viet-Wah closed in 2022, reflecting the larger challenges faced by Little Saigon, including vacant storefronts, lack of housing options, and crime. Nonetheless, Little Saigon remains a cultural hub for the Vietnamese community. Community members and groups like Friends of Little Sài Gòn have been actively working to revitalize the area.

Another Vietnamese community in Washington is the Lincoln Business District in Tacoma, which is home to many Vietnamese shops, businesses, and community centers. Every year they host a Lunar New Year Festival in which many Vietnamese businesses, cultural groups, and residents participate. Cambodian Americans have formed a community in the White Center area near West Seattle, an ethnically diverse area with a large immigrant community. White Center has held a Cambodian New Year Festival since 2003.

As of 2020, Washington is home to the third largest population of Cambodian Americans and the fourth largest populations of Vietnamese and Laotian Americans in the country. These include refugees from the Vietnam War, their descendants, and others who came later to join their family and the growing Southeast Asian community in Washington. The growth rates of the Southeast Asian American populations in Washington are higher than the state average of 14%, with the Hmong growth rate at 62%, Vietnamese 50%, Cambodian 38%, and Laotian 23%.

Migrating to the United States as refugees has led to a distinct experience compared to other Asian American immigrants. Refugees face many barriers including language and culture, post-war trauma, poverty, anti-Asian discrimination, mental health issues, and more. Like in other parts of the country, Southeast Asian Americans in Washington face disparities in educational attainment, health care, and income. At the same time, many refugees have shared that the strong support system in Washington has been instrumental in navigating the resettlement process. With the support of families, religious and community organizations, and more, Southeast Asian immigrants have made a home in Washington.