RESIGNATION, FIRING OVER REPRESENTATION OF REFUGEES By Cecilia Kang A Vietnam War exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California is again roiled in controversy -- and it hasn't even opened yet. Just two months before the exhibit's debut, the resignation of the museum's only Vietnamese-American staff member has reignited complaints that the exhibit, which examines the war's impact on California , inadequately represents Southeast Asian refugees. Ben Tran's resignation follows the firing of a Vietnamese-American staff scholar who had made similar complaints about the exhibit and sparked a statewide petition by Vietnamese-Americans protesting her dismissal. As the museum tries to repair relations with Vietnamese-Americans around the state, the complaints point to perspectives on the war and its legacy that continue to clash nearly three decades after its end. ``As the exhibit stands now, I wouldn't feel comfortable taking my parents to it,'' said Ben Tran, who resigned June 11. He said that the story of Southeast Asians, who are among the state's fastest-growing ethnic groups, is an integral part of how California has been transformed by the Vietnam War. In telling those stories, Tran and Vietnamese-American advisers said the exhibit should explain how certain events have helped shape California . For example, the mass migration of Northern Vietnamese to the south in 1954 and the Tet Offensive in 1968 were part of a series of events that led many refugees to the United States and ultimately to hubs such as San Jose and Orange County. Southeast Asian voices should be weaved throughout the exhibit, but they represent less than 20 percent of the oral histories, he said. Museum spokesman Richard Griffoul said exhibit organizers agree with Vietnamese-Americans about their impact but disagreed on how much space they could dedicate to the history of Southeast Asians overseas. ``There are a lot of other constituencies involved, and the museum has to balance all those perspectives,'' he said. The museum has tried to mend ties with Vietnamese-Americans by hosting two community meetings this week in Oakland and Westminster . But with the exhibit scheduled to open Aug. 28, followed by a national tour, Tran and a group of community advisers for the museum said the meetings contained little substance. ``It became clear that they weren't sincerely taking in our suggestions or perspectives, and that was when I decided that I needed to leave, because I didn't want my name associated with it,'' said Tran, a post-graduate student in comparative Vietnamese, English and French literature at the University of California-Berkeley. Tran joined the museum in January to replace Mimi Nguyen, who was fired after sending a critical memo to the museum staff about the exhibit. Deputy Director Mark Medeiros said she was dismissed for performance issues that occurred before she sent her memo. After Nguyen's dismissal, hundreds of Vietnamese-Americans complained to the museum. Ngoc Nguyen, a computer engineer in San Diego , began an online petition that collected more than 500 signatures. Ngoc Nguyen then joined a committee of advisers for the museum who have helped gather artifacts and include more oral histories from Southeast Asians. She said the exhibit has improved, but she agrees with Tran's complaints. ``I wanted an exhibit that can explain to the younger generation how we got here,'' said 45-year-old Ngoc Nguyen. ``I'm sure most of those kids will leave the exhibit still asking that same question.'' |