Debate over Communist symbols in Orange County art exhibit

A provocative art exhibit that opened on the outskirts of Little Saigon this weekend got a strong reaction from some Vietnamese Americans who were offended by the pieces of art that featured Communist symbols.

The exhibit, commissioned by the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Assn., displayed works that included Communist symbols, the flag of the fallen country of South Vietnam and artwork that has been banned in Vietnam.

The curators wanted to start a discussion in the Vietnamese community, where talk of politics other than staunch anti-communism is taboo and any hint of associating with Communists, whether perceived or real, can erupt in street protests.

Some Vietnamese Americans who viewed the exhibit on Sunday zeroed in on a photograph by Brian Doan that shows a girl in Vietnam wearing a red tank top with a yellow star, a representation of Vietnam's official flag.

On a table next to her is a small bust of former Communist leader Ho Chi Minh next to a vase of flowers.

The artist has said the photo is a commentary on modern Vietnamese life and the youth who grew up there after the Vietnam War.

But some Vietnamese Americans said the piece looked like Communist propaganda, and that they could not accept these images appearing in the Vietnamese exile community, even if it is in art. Some accused the organizers -- most of whom left Vietnam at an early age -- of not understanding the plight of the first generation of Vietnamese immigrants who escaped Vietnam or were thrown into "reeducation" camps after the war.

There were some heated calls to take the photo down. In the meantime, someone has spit on the artwork and made a scratch through the glass on top of the photo. But the photo did spark a discussion between the arts group and the members of the Vietnamese American community who saw the piece as hurtful. "We left our home country because of the regime of the Communists. This art brings back memories of the hurt and suffering of our people that still pains us today," Phuong Le of Canoga Park told exhibit organizers Sunday. "When you judge art, you have to view it in history and see that these images only open wounds that continue to hurt us."

The organizers have refused to remove the photo. "We considered what they had said, and we felt that this was still something that should be up for discussion," said Tram Le, one of the co-curators. Le said that some Vietnamese Americans who came to see the photo did not find it to be offensive.

Some Vietnamese community members have threatened protests if the photo is not removed. Vietnamese community leaders are meeting today to discuss what action to take next.

--My-Thuan Tran

Photo credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Janice Smith]

I am a student of Brian Doan’s and was deeply saddened when I saw the articles in the LA Times and the OC Register referring to Brian as a Communist. Whether or not you believe his photograph depicted a belief in Communism is not the issue that needs to be debated. The United States of America stands for freedom of speech and artistic expression. We have the right to express ourselves and when Brian came to America he was given that right. You may not want to be reminded that Communisum exists, now that you are in America, but you must not forget those who are still oppressed and can’t find a way to escape. You do not know what was in this man’s heart when he created this photograph so how can you judge him? Art that is meaningful often stirs the soul and regardless of your beliefs, that is just what this photograph did. Thank you, Brian.