American Masters
Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore
Marlee Matlin, the first Deaf actor to win an Academy Award, looks back on her remarkable life, career, and the complexities of being the “first.”
Saigon, U.S.A.
A look at the changing identity of Little Saigon, a Vietnamese community in Orange County, California, and its struggles to reconcile the demons of the past with present life in America.
- Premiere Date
- April 11, 2004
- Length
- 60 minutes
- Funding Initiative
- Open Call
Producer
Lindsey Jang
Producer
Robert Winn
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The Film
Since the fall of Saigon in 1975, Vietnamese refugees have built the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam, in Orange County, California. In 1999, "Little Saigon" burst onto the national stage when a store owner displayed a poster of Ho Chi Minh, triggering protests by Vietnamese Americans struggling to reconcile their past demons with their present lives. Saigon, U.S.A. uses this moment to examine this community's changing identity and growing empowerment.
