HUMBOLDT — The Humboldt Museum will host Hearts of Freedom: Stories of Southeast Asian Refugees on Sept. 24, at 7 p.m., sharing the refugee story of Nha and Dan Tran and highlighting Canada’s role in resettling Southeast Asian refugees.
The Humboldt and District Museum said, “In the late 1970s, Canada welcomed thousands of Southeast Asian refugees who were forced to flee their homes during times of war and political upheaval. Many local organizations across Saskatchewan, including in the Humboldt region, stepped forward to sponsor refugee families and help them begin new lives in Canada.”
Among them were Nha and Dan Tran, proprietors of Humboldt’s Tran’s Café.
In 1980, the Tran family fled Vietnam and were sponsored by the community of Watson. They later chose to settle in the Humboldt area, raising their family and building a business that became a community landmark.
The evening at the Humboldt Museum includes a community reception and a live Zoom presentation by curator Dr. Stephanie Stobbe, who will share insights from her work documenting refugee experiences.
Guests will also have the chance to view the story of Nha and Dan Tran and are encouraged to share their own memories or knowledge of refugees from Vietnam who came to the Humboldt region, according to the Humboldt and District news release.
According to the information from the Government of Canada, between 1979 and 1980, Canada accepted nearly 60,000 refugees from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
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