As previously scheduled, the organizers of VAALA‘s “FOB II: Art Speaks” exhibit held a panel discussion. Titled “Slant or Slander?: Community, art, and media coverage,” the panel instead got entangled in arguments over freedom of expression and a photograph that includes images of the current Vietnamese flag and a bust of Ho Chi Minh (read here).
One audience member, Bui Kim Thành (standing and speaking in the picture – see also here) drew hearty applause when she managed to spontaneously give in one breath a description of the government of Vietnam as, and the Bolsavik paraphrases from memory: “the hoodlum terrorist atheist barbaric hooligan mafia communist VC.”
While she’s at it, Mrs Thành also said that President Bush had been conned by the “terrorist mafia communist Nguyen Tan Dung” the Vietnamese prime minister.
Cal State Fullerton journalism professor and panelist Jeff Brody at one point cited social science studies showing that people’s tolerance of differing viewpoints tends to depend on three factors: education, religious devotion, and age. According to these studies, conducted starting in the 1950s, the highly educated tend to be most tolerant, the highly religious tend to be least tolerant, and the degree of tolerance tends to decrease with age. Not sure why he brought it up, but that made some members of the audience really unhappy.
In the picture, that’s Brody in the light blue shirt listening to protestor and fellow panelist Trong Doan (read here) in the dark blue shirt.
One audience member took Ham Tran (seated at left) to task, asking the director of Journey from the Fall (in Vietnamese: Vượt Sóng) how he could side with the display of communist symbols after making his movie which spoke so deeply to the South Vietnamese experience. Tran in his response almost said that he’d been back to Vietnam several times after Journey was out, but danced right around that fact.
So on and so forth. A dialogue thus was had, but mostly people just said their pieces and talked right past each other.
No surprise there. Communication is a learned skill, and this community is just beginning to practice peacefully discussing differences of political opinions.
And so sparks flew. But, as far as fireworks go, it was mild, by Bolsavikland standards.
Later in the evening, one right-winger named Rambo Pham (see his picture here) sent out an email claiming that a protest would take place at 10am on Monday morning; that’s today. In the email, Pham called the exhibit organizers the “sh*t-carriers for the mafia communists.”
*** UPDATE *** UPDATE *** UPDATE ***
No protests on Monday morning. Apparently people are regrouping and trying again for Saturday morning.
Major surprises :
1.Mrs. Bui Kim Thành stated that President Bush is the biggest supporter of Vietnam communist regime. It is anti-communist groups that have been conned and deceived by the Bush’s republican party.
2. The director of the movie “Journey from the Fall” was there in support of the exhibit.
3. The exchange was quite civil.
4. Word of advice : opposing groups should have their own art exhibit, right now, or learn quickly how to become an art critic.
My concern ……..is some of liberal youths/factions have vague and incomplete understanding of communist ideology.
The miscalculation with hasty presumption that some how political ideology is inferior to economic value on these regime can be detrimental.
A food for thought.
Mr. Jung Kim,
That is the beauty of democracy in America :
* Those who lived in World War II period went through a tremendous period of turmoil and then rejuvenation.
* Those who lived in the Vietnam era, experienced turbulence of racial segregations and Vietnam War.
* Those who lived in the Reagan era witnessed a period of zenith of democracy over communism.
** While older generations might have better knowledge of the past,
** The youth have BETTER understanding of the presence.
** We, many generations, have been making so many hasty mistakes for the past 30 years.
Democracy provides a platform for all ideas.
It is our task to explain better. The target of our message is actually not those artists, but the general public.
The most immediate agenda for our community is to build the strong inner core with unyielding democratic principle …..powerful enough to over -shadow communism by practicing/teaching of love.
The communist ideology is based upon dominance by psychological/physical strength. The winner takes all theory… and they call it a “liberation of working class”.
The real winner is the dictator(s) of the communist party leadership members and they hold the absolute power with presumption that all public residents are completely ignorant ( sealed by fear).
Are there any good communist dictators? Maybe… but the problem is there is no check and balance system in place to monitor anything due to it’s centralized power structure. It’s a big gamble( of your life) to live under such system if you have any desire to succeed .
Oh !
Given the fact that the current communist regime is “the hoodlum terrorist atheist barbaric hooligan mafia communist VC”.
What the heck is Bush doing supporting them ?
What is in it for him or America ?
Come on, sadly we don’t have any control over what leaders of this government do either it maybe a Bush or Obama… due to lack of our influences/political clouts.
This is the reason why I am calling for the formation of united coalitiont to support our viet/american leaders to serve the intersts of our community principles/needs.
Mr. Jung Kim,
I take my hat off to you, for recognizing Bush is just another commie supporter.
Why didn’t this show go to Viet Nam. In America, we have too much freedom. Nobody needs a lecture on Freedom of Expression here. Anybody can say anything he/she wants. No big deal. Commies would love to take advantage of any opportunity to expose their God, Ho Chi Minh, to public. Who cares. But these people who want to fight for their freedom of expression, should advocate their activities in Vietnam, or on the internet website. Don’t go the Vietnamese communities and lecture them about freedom of expression. Holy smokes
“Some of the worst human tragedies happening in the world today go on because we don’t really see them. We rarely make eye contact with people who are suffering, so we act sometimes as if the people don’t exist.” Bill Gates.
Perhaps it would be much easier to just walk away from the confrontation, and I have done that so many times for the 33 years as a refugee living aboard. However, sometimes it is an obligation to make sure that I have at least tried my best to discourage such an act. If I just ignore and walk away from such a group of young Vietnamese who intentionally acting out their madness as it is appeared now, as an older Vietnamese, I would owe the community and myself an obligation. And the worst of it is that such foreseeing madness will soon be imposing upon another person, at their will.
Thirty three years, yes, so quickly but it has already been that long for some people since the day they left home. It is also the exact number of years that some Vietnamese have been living a life as a foreigner. Yes, you are now already nationalized as an American, but the question is, are you still a Vietnamese???
And, yes, do touch your heart before answering that question.
Country First, I would not designate Bush as a commie supporter per se with one particular decision he has made during his presidency.
The “insensitive” decisions are often made by the world government leaders at any given time. However, we need to remember the official stance of this nation is still anti- communism.
We all miss President Reagan!
Mr. XYZ,
Your reflections are thoughtful, your questions are sincerely, and your motives are compassionate.
I humbly listen to your recollection many times. Thank you !
Ten years later, some things never change.
“Museum Pulls Painting After Picket Threat by Vietnamese”
Archive for Thursday, June 24, 1999
Museum Pulls Painting After Picket Threat by Vietnamese
By Tini Tran
June 24, 1999 in print edition B-1. Los Angeles Times
Bowers Museum officials have removed one painting from a planned exhibit of Vietnamese art and may pull others after anti-Communist activists threatened to picket the show when it opens Saturday.
Mindful of massive demonstrations organized by Vietnamese activists earlier this year to protest a Communist flag in an Orange County video store, officials at the Santa Ana museum say they are trying to balance community concerns with the 1st Amendment.
“We’re not allowing [the Vietnamese community] to dictate what we display. We were giving them an opportunity to voice their views so that we could make an informed decision,” said Janet Baker, curator for Asian art and director of public programs at Bowers.
But 1st Amendment advocates and museum experts say Bowers Museum officials are wrong for letting political pressure influence which paintings they hang.
“I think it’s incredible that the Bowers Museum would even consider yanking a piece because somebody disagrees with it,” said Ron Talmo, a Santa Ana attorney.
Talmo said removing works would hurt the exhibit in the end.
“The more art pieces, the more variety, the more different views we have, the better off we’ll be,” said Talmo. “That’s a principle of the way we live in this country.”
He has clashed with Vietnamese activists before, having served as a lawyer for Truong Van Tran, the video store owner who sparked weeks of protests in Westminster earlier this year by displaying a Communist flag.
The same activists who protested against the flag say the Bowers show of contemporary paintings from Vietnam, a traveling exhibition displayed at museums across the country in the last 18 months, has the feel of Communist propaganda. The group plans to have protesters at the museum until the show ends Sept. 30.
The Vietnamese activists are largely immigrants who, along with their families, suffered under Communist rule.
Although they acknowledge that the art does not explicitly support communism, activists say the exhibition–assembled by a panel of artists in Vietnam and the United States–allows the Vietnamese government to present a false impression to Americans.
“We only want Americans to understand that we fear the Vietnamese government is trying to manipulate things,” said Tuan Anh Ho, head of the Committee for Just Cause of Free Vietnam.
“The art itself is not the problem,” said Westminster attorney Van Thai Tran. “It’s the intent here. The whole idea of passing over the American community that Vietnam is a country that is flourishing in free expression of art and culture is a big lie. That’s Hanoi trying to do a soft sell.”
After weeks of meetings with activists, museum officials said this week they will withhold at least one painting, “Young Woman Forging Steel,” because the tempera-on-canvas work depicts a young girl dressed in the uniform of a North Vietnamese soldier.
The museum also is considering taking out others from the collection of 75 pieces, including one titled “Love,” which depicts a woman with a red water buffalo. Another work under pressure to be removed is called “Mother’s Heart,” which shows pictures of young soldiers in the background as a woman prays before an altar.
Critics say the paintings advocate the Communist cause.
Bowers officials say they are not compromising their artistic standards, though they acknowledge that protesters played a role in their decision. Vietnamese community members were given a preview of the show two weeks ago.
“We sensed we could move into an area where a large number of people might be quite hurt,” Baker said.
“If you had a showing of German art, would you put something with Nazi symbols in it? These are sensitive issues where there is no right or wrong answer,” she said.
The controversy spotlights the rights of museums to display provocative art with their responsibility to local sensitivities, say museum experts.
“Museums are in danger of being criticized in either direction, regardless of what they do,” said Teri Knoll, executive director of the California Assn. of Museums.
In this case, the Bowers decision is appropriate, given that museums are “first and foremost there for the community they serve,” she said.
Others argue that museums should not censor art because of public pressure.
“It’s a slippery slope. Once you begin to acquiesce to public pressure, then where do you stop?” said professor Mike McGee, head of the exhibition design and museum studies program at Cal State Fullerton.
Museums can preserve artistic integrity while responding to a community’s concerns, McGee said, by setting aside exhibit space for alternative works or creating a forum for the public to speak out.
The Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, for example, answered outrage over sexually explicit photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe in 1990 by showcasing the objectionable works separately, with warnings to viewers.
Not everyone in the Vietnamese American community believes the exhibit should be boycotted.
“I’m as anti-Communist as anyone, but people have to realize you can’t undo the past,” said Quang X. Pham, a businessman and former U.S. Marine Corps pilot who was invited to the preview. “I think everyone should come see and judge for themselves. Otherwise, it’s censorship.”
The exhibition, titled “A Winding River,” was put together by Meridian International Center, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit international relations group that attempts to foster understanding among countries.
The drawings and paintings, chosen by an independent panel of American and Vietnamese art experts, date from the 1940s to the present, with most from the last five years, said Curtis Sandburg, the group’s director of exhibitions.
“We’re well aware there’s a lot of pain and suffering from the Vietnam War experience and we’re sympathetic. But we’re hoping the show becomes a point of discussion for the whole community,” he said.
Ron Talmo is clueless as to our U.S social political fabric/context during the cold war era…then the communism was symbolized(ie. soviet union) by the picture of hammer and sickle dressed in red color . Read my lips “communist symbol/art was tabooed from both private and public view” from this very nation and no one has raised the daunting question about the breach of one’s first amendment rights then.
Let’s reel back to only about 5 years ….hence we can all remember this one event that has completely redefined the meaning/price of the freedom in modern history of America.
For instance, if completely innocent, Ron Talmo had happened to dressed in a muslim clothing in one smoggy day in N.Y….only days after the 9-11 attack…he can do his last prayers in the front of bloody lynching mob(aka people who have lost their loved ones in the attack)
Will he be still grumbling about his first amendment rights through blood squirting mouth?.
The blatant hatred and unforgiveness is not always the best answer ….but still we are the victims/or at least, by products of this horrible and often deadly communist regime.
I pray time will heal the wounds and there will be a true new light shining in vietnam with love and yes, peace!
as long as commies are still in power, anti-commies won’t go away
I have a non-Viet friend who comes from an Eastern European country whose country was once under communist control, and this person feels as strongly about communists as Viets protesting against communism. This person’s description of communism is similar to what the Viets who have suffered under communist control.
The complete social control under communism was so dehumanizing that any view left of American conservatism is a slippery slope to communism. After hearing that, I realized the across the board brutality of this political system. I am sure the VN version of communism was much more severe given the Russian communism had time to refine its governance.
I empathize these people’s experiences and wish that there were informed leaders and services to explain to the people that The United States offer personal freedom but do not accept communist belief. People are allowed to think differently in a socially constructive manner as long as one’s view does not interfere the lifestyle of others.
Certain elements in the Viet community have taken this anti-communist platform to further their personal agenda. Their action is that of a child in a fine china shop swing his/her bat at objects he/she does not appreciate.
Let’s use the example of the Rose parade float a VietNamese woman who fronted her own money years ago. She was accused of being a communist. I thought that these anti-communist individuals would eventually out do this “claimed communist” woman with their own Rose Parade float. Since then, there has been nothing but empty talk.
While recognizing the suffering of Viets and non-Viets under communist control, where do we draw the line with this communist labeling when it harms society (both Viet and non-Viet) in a very demoralizing way by discouraging inviduals to think and carry out constructive action without being labeled communist?
One lesson learned is the communists and the people using the anti-communist platform share the same psychopathic/tyrannical triat.
Mr. Nathan Nguyen,
Your thought are much appreciated. I am afraid our democracy cause has long been hijacked by the fringe/radical elements within our own community.
Anti-communist now is for personal revenge, not for public justice.
Anti-communist now is for petty business competition.
Anti-communist now is for suppression of dissent.
Anti-communist now is for glorification of war.
Anti-communist now is for edging out opponents in local municipal election campaigns.
Communist and anti-communist are two sides of the same coin of tyranny.
Mr. bolsaer,
“as long as commies are still in power, anti-commies won’t go away”
It is called dual dependency. They NEED each other to exploit the people.
That is why the communist are now covertly funding those radical groups.
The right to freedom of speech is recognized as a HUMAN RIGHT.
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship or limitation. The synonymous term freedom of expression is sometimes used to denote not only freedom of verbal speech but any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used. Freedom of speech and freedom of expression is closely related to, yet distinct from, the concept of freedom of thought or freedom of conscience. In practice, the right to freedom of speech is not absolute in any country and the right is commonly subject to limitations, such as on “hate speech”. This is because exercising freedom of speech always takes place within a context of competing values. (wikipedia)
While we fight for human rights in Vietnam, please do not suppress it here.
On a personal note :
I wish to express my objection to Mr. Brian Doan’s artwork, which more political than aesthetic. His work is intended to provoke nasty response from the community, and hide behind the wall of freedom. His motive is to use the negative publicity to advertise and promote his business.
Evidently this art exhibition is becoming more political than how it was first advertised……ie.now we can see this is turning into nothing more than a pro communism exhibit propaganda!
This bogus communism worshipping ceremony must be stopped!
The “Art Project “sponsoring communist government has the IQ scorer of 90 …but then some dummy has an IQ of 60…. a little below chimps and following the line at this bogus art exhibit.
I don’t want to see Ho Chi Minh statue in the museum. Can these young liberals or communist agents bring the embalmed body of HCM here so I can see it?
Jung Kim/Bolsavik has it in the garage freezer for pickup. Stop by the office for arrangements.
Tram Le, VAALA President
Ysa Le, VAALA Executive Director
vaala91@yahoo.com
You and VAALA staff are cordially invited to join this forum for exchange of opinions. As you have requested on many different media interviews, that you would like to have a dialogue with the community.
I hope Mr. Hao-Nhien Q. Vu would act as a neutral moderator to ensure a civil discussion.
Funny, you already have spilled the milk and now you want to talk about it?
The forum should have taken place before the exhibit….otherwise it can add to the communist party’s bonus scoring card.
If they are so confident/proud of this kind of eye catching propaganda I challenge them to have a similar art exhibit promoting/representing “freedom of speech and human rights” theme in vietnam today. Let’s be fair .
My impression of their TV interviews: VAALA wanted to use this exhibit as a plat form to elevate their political point of view.
Yeah, they should elevate political point of view in vietnam..if they have real balls! In vietnam, if they are not part of the communist system.. they can raise/shout their opinions all day and all night in the jail cell!
@Jung Kim:
“If they are so confident/proud of this kind of eye catching propaganda I challenge them to have a similar art exhibit promoting/representing “freedom of speech and human rights” theme in vietnam today. Let’s be fair .”
Who’s “they”? Are you insinuating something about the protesters, Jung Kim?
No, the organizers for this exhibit.
the press notices more than 23 organizations. If each participating organization has 10 representatives, the demonstration would have the total of more than 250 peoples. Action speaks louder than words
I don’t believe any one had a ill intention (ie. pro commie agenda)… it’s just that we need a top notch elite leaders in dealing with communist entities/isms.
A point blank radical anti communist activists don’t hold the key to our soultion either however.
We need a comprehensive mechanism at work to introduce our freedom culture/advantages to the minds of today’s vietnam youth residents
“Divide and conquer” and the real communists are laughing with joy in vietnam.
Jung Kim, what meds are you taking today to make such bold statements? Is this a manufactured scare tactic perpetrated by freaks like Jung Kim?
Keep on taking those meds, Jung Kim!
I don’t need to scare anyone…just telling the facts.
Facts according to Jung Kim whose only experience with commies is his 4 four years goofing off at UCI.
V. Vo,
What crap are you trying to pass off against Jung Kim? Get lost and get a life. Let JK speak his mind without your petty pestering.
I do not hate communism for what it wants to represent per se …but it has a major flaw in implementation gear in long haul. I say too much sacrifices by many for few party members self induced indoctrination ideological pleasure.
Jung Kim, the staunch anti-commie who does not hate communism. Does that make sense?
V. Vo, until you take at least one course in political science class…we won’t be able to communicate.
Let me help you with 1st grade language!
Communism = chocolate coated poisoned apple.
Vaughn Viet,
Straight from JK, “V. Vo, until you take at least one course in political science class…we won’t be able to communicate.” That’s all he knows is text books and he’s offering advice. Don’t know if he is the root cause or solution to pacify the citizens.
JK, ready to create another city wide protest to stigmatize Li’l Saigon further? Keep on trucking, my friend.
Vo V. you had your chances and I don’t have 10 years set aside to teach you coomon sense/basic pol.sci 101……. If you don’t wish to listen,sorry but get lost!
There is one thing we do not have medicine for…. ignorant minds.
In recent years, the Oversea Viets have been represented De Facto by Ly Tong (questionable character), Ngo Ky (criminal), Doan Trong (criminal), Bui Kim Thanh (in-patient of a mental ward) in issues ranging from human rights to freedom of expressions to anti-Communists… and I wonder if those De Facto leaders represent us well…
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2009/01/van-tran-and-the-trannies-fan-protest-fires-in-santa-ana/
Just wanted to say that I’m an educated young Vietnamese American, who escaped from Vietnam by boat in 1979, and I agree with the protestors in Little Saigon. We risked our lives to escape from the VC and their images of Ho Chi Minh and those images have no right existing in Little Saigon. The protestors didn’t shut down the VAALA exhibit, the exhibit just wasn’t strong enough to stay open. That’s fair in terms of freedom of speech!
Good point.
JK and Sonny Tran,
My friend relayed a story regarding his B. Doan’s artwork to me last night. He got together with his folks last night and had dinner with them. During the course of dinner, the topic of B. Doan’s artwork came up being that they all live in OC but in different parts of town. His father went ballistic and complained how B. Doan could insult so many OC Viets to include the bust of Ho Chi Minh in the picture. His father was outraged by such insensitivity.
My friend countered his father’s statement by saying that we live the US and should be allowed to express our thoughts and feelings. How does this artwork offend anyone? His father said that he and his mother have protected my friend from constant turmoil caused by the communists and did not want my friend to know what communism is all about. Now that my friend is older, his father would tell one of the endless examples of the brutality of communists.
My friend’s grandfather and family were once rounded up in a field once back in VN half a century ago. They were stripped of all possessions and the local communist leader demanded that his grandfather come up with protection money, else something bad was going to happen to their family. While the grandfather was sitting down on a log waiting for their instructions because he had no more money, this one communist follower came up to the side of my friend’s grandfather. The communist looked away from the grandfather and whispered to the grandfather not to look in his direction. The grandfather asked about the secretive manner of the conversation, so the communist said that tonight we were instructed to kill all your family members by smashing your heads with hammers to save bullets.
The grandfather was shocked by the indiscriminate brutality towards the people, including himself, who had done nothing to anybody, especially to the communist community. He asked the communist why he was so kind to inform. The communist asked the grandfather if he remembered him. The grandfather said that he had met and known so many people in the course of his life and business dealing in the automobile and truck repair business that it would be impossible to remember everyone and the constant relocation from one part of VN to another to escape the communists did not help the friendship situation.
The communist said that he had once worked for the grandfather, and the grandfather treated him kindly, so he always remembered the grandfather. Had the grandfather been another guy he did not know or even hated, tonight would be his and his family’s last day. Later that night, the communist led the family into the jungle to escape and to live another day.
My friend’s father said the story is not to humanize the communists but to show that the immoral political system could change a normal human being into a killing machine at a flip of a switch without any hesitation, and that is what makes communism dangerous. Furthermore, these hardcore communists are not human beings but animals.
My friend’s father continued on to say that any symbol that conjures up any memory of the dark past created by any Viet, especially having any experience of the VN struggle, is up to the level of treason or complete disparage of the VN people as a whole. Had B. Doan been a non-Viet, the community would grant that person a pass because they don’t know the experience. However, B. Doan is 40 years old and therefore had some experience and knowledge of the struggle of the VN refugees. He should have known better not to include the bust of Ho Chi Minh.