Events › My Vietnam, Your Vietnam: A Conversation with Author Christina Vo (Virtual/In Person)

Join the San Jose Public Library for a special conversation with author Christina Vo on the verge of the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. Ms. Vo will introduce her latest book, My Vietnam, Your Vietnam. This program is moderated by Bebe Khuê Jacobs.

In My Vietnam, Your Vietnam, Christina Vo and her father, Nghia M. Vo, weave their distinct journeys of identity and heritage, offering an intimate portrait of Vietnam across two generations and continents. As we mark the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon this spring, this timely memoir bridges the past half-century with profound resonance.

When Nghia fled Saigon in April 1975 during the final U.S. withdrawal, he carried only the clothes on his back. After two months, he found himself in a refugee camp near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he began rebuilding his life and medical career while searching for his scattered family. Vietnam became too painful to discuss with his American-born daughter, Christina. Yet, as a young adult, Christina felt an inexplicable pull toward her heritage, ultimately leading her to Hanoi—a Vietnam transformed since wartime but still echoing with the ancient rhythms she recognized in her father.

Through alternating perspectives and lyrical prose, My Vietnam, Your Vietnam presents a nuanced exploration of a country that has profoundly shaped both father and daughter. Their intertwined narratives reveal how the shadow of war and the light of cultural inheritance ripple through generations, creating a memoir that speaks to the complexity of identity, the weight of silence, and the journey toward understanding across time and distance.

“Inherently fascinating, exceptionally thoughtful and thought-provoking, impressively well written, organized and presented, "My Vietnam, Your Vietnam" is an informed and informative read from start to finish and a brilliant, unreservedly recommended pick.” —Midwest Review of Books

Moderator's Bio: Bebe Khuê Jacobs was born and raised in Saigon, where she and her family lived under the Communist regime for ten years before escaping to the U.S. as a teenager. She holds a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Virginia and spent several years contributing to the development of Saigon South. A multidisciplinary artist, BeBe is a photographer, educator at the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto, and Artistic Director of the Áo Dài Festival, which celebrates Vietnamese heritage through the elegance of the traditional áo dài. Her deepest passion is writing, inspired by her grandmother’s poetry and storytelling. She is currently working on a memoir about her childhood in Vietnam, while also translating her grandmother’s poems into English and reimagining them through painting.

Free Admission. Free 90-Min Parking at the Fourth Street Garage Parking. 

SPECIAL FEATURE: Attendants will be entered into a raffle to receive a free copy of My Vietnam, Your Vietnam book (in English or Vietnamese,) toward the end of the event.

NOTE: This is an hybrid (Zoom and in-person) program. All registrants will receive a Zoom link. Attendants are welcome to join the program in-person. The presenter will appear in person at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Library, 150 E. San Fernando St., San Jose, CA 95112, in the Digital Humanities Center (First Floor).

ADA Accommodation Requests.