Damien Nguyễn

My Little Saigon (Summer 2025)

Black-and-white frame through a car window of a man loading groceries between palm trees Black-and-white scene under a café umbrella of older men gathered at outdoor tables Black-and-white photo of a vendor in a nón lá conical hat on a mobility scooter with a donation box outside a shop Black-and-white frame of an OC Bus at a stop as a rider loads a bicycle onto the front rack Black-and-white night-market crowd, an older man in a hood passing lit food stalls Black-and-white banquet-hall scene of men in suits greeting each other between tables Black-and-white view through a barbershop window of a client in a cape and stylist at work Black-and-white night-market performance, a singer holding the mic mid-song between stalls Black-and-white night frame of a lit arrow sign and Vietnamese restaurant signage
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Two men posing at the Lucky Corner jewelry counter, above a handwritten note offering true stories, facts and reasons

"Today, I tell the story of Little Saigon: the place that raised and supported me for the past 21 years. The Little Saigon I carry with me everywhere I go. The Little Saigon I'm still learning about, even after a lifetime here. The Little Saigon my family came to in a time of uncertainty, searching for hope and healing — the same place where I now search for identity and purpose. This is My Little Saigon."

Shopper in a white sun hat trying on a bracelet at a jade jewelry counter
Close-up of weathered hands threading a beaded necklace at a wooden table
Man in a hat playing a keyboard set up between cars in a parking lot at night Woman in a floral áo dài crossing the street among other guests, on film Man in a cap and leather jacket on his phone beside red-framed windows in low sun Customer at the red counter of Dragon Cleaners, garments hanging in plastic behind Figure in blue seen through a steamed, paint-smeared kitchen window Older man in sunglasses beneath 'No Soliciting' signs as a couple walks past white brick Men playing pool under red lanterns in a crowded billiards hall Hands moving pieces in a street game of cờ tướng beside iced drinks Man seated at a tiled café table beside an orange drink machine and pastry case Vendor in a white hat selling jewelry under a night-market tent Priest and elders praying at a home altar with a crucifix, candles, and framed icons Person stretching under a park gazebo between green picnic tables Men gathered with coffees along a plaza rail in late-afternoon light Banquet-hall ceiling washed in red and blue party light around a crystal chandelier Monk in robes outside Mi La Cay bakery as nuns tend a cart, cut flowers for sale beside Vendors in conical hats under blue canopies selling bags of dried shrimp at an outdoor market Girl's hair set in pink rollers, head bowed in warm lamplight High view of two men at a café table beside a freezer of sugarcane and juice Cyclist with a case of water on the rack pausing under the Westminster street sign Women in sun hats gathered on a plaza curb outside shops, a man walking past Crowd raising glasses around a cake at a banquet celebration Bicycle wheels and pink slippers over a faded green painted bike lane Young lion dancers practicing with a costume head under a park gazebo Three police officers speaking with a man seated on a lawn beside the sidewalk Monk in orange robes with a satchel standing before a reflective storefront Man tending a front-yard garden with a white arch and dense potted plants South Vietnamese heritage flag and US flag backlit against a clouded sun Two men talking at a table outside Lily's Bakery beneath lottery jackpot signs Waiters in vests presenting plates before a 'Welcome Lê Quý Đôn '65' banquet stage Watch repairman at his bench surrounded by tools, seen through the shop window Woman in a bucket hat wheeling a bicycle past red-carpeted stairs, two men resting behind Night-market lane with foam snow drifting over shoppers between stalls Choir in white robes singing from tablets, a sheet-music stand in the foreground Boys in practice pinnies celebrating mid-game in a school gym Young players talking at center court, a coach's hand reaching in
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