Eden Center Historical Marker Ceremony To Honor Vietnamese Immigrants

FALLS CHURCH, VA — The Virginia Historical Commission is recognizing Vietnamese immigrants in Northern Virginia with an official Virginia Historical Marker at the Eden Center that will honor their contribution to the community.

A dedication ceremony to commemorate the event will be held on Tuesday, May 24 at Eden Center at 3:30 p.m.

Speakers at the ceremony will include Falls Church Mayor David Tarter; Trinh Nguyen Mau, chairman of the Vietnamese Senior Citizen’s Association; and Alan Frank Sr. vice president and general counsel of Capital Commercial Properties Inc.

The public is invited to attend Tuesday's ceremony.

Nominations for the historical marker were made by Oliver Hardi and Griffin Hardi, students at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School in the City of Falls Church. The students were participating in the 2021 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Historical Marker Contest, a contest that involved many students at the middle school.

“Awareness and education are among the best ways to guarantee the preservation of history. This designation is a tool that will increase public awareness of important cultural resources, like Eden Center," Douglas Ebenstein, president and chairman of the board of Eden Center Inc. and Capital Commercial Properties Inc., said in a statement.

The fall of the South Vietnamese government in the 1970s spurred a surge in immigration, with the D.C. area becoming the third-largest Vietnamese community in the country. Many of the immigrants opened up stores and restaurants in Arlington and Falls Church.

Virginia’s historical marker program is the oldest such program in the nation, beginning in 1927 when markers were erected along Route 1 between Richmond and Mount Vernon.

“It is vital that as we move forward, that we do not forget our past. Not only will this Virginia Historical Marker raise awareness of this important and fascinating culture and history, but it will become a building block for local tourism,” Tarter said in a statement.

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