Articles

Houston

Tuesday, April 16, 2024
7:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Asia Society Texas Center
1370 Southmore Blvd.
Asia Society Texas's parking lot is located directly across the street on Southmore Boulevard. Enter from either Caroline Street or Austin Street.

Galveston

Wednesday, April 17, 2024
12:00 p.m. (doors open at 11:30 a.m.)
Rosenberg Library
2310 Sealy Ave.
FREE LUNCH PROVIDED
Parking is available behind the Rosenberg Library and across the street on Sealy Avenue at Ashton Villa.

Beginning in April, Humanities Texas will hold six screenings of the award-winning documentary film Seadrift in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Galveston, Houston, and San Antonio. Following each screening, the film’s director, Tim Tsai, will respond to questions from the audience.

After the fall of Saigon, millions of Vietnamese "boat people" escaped their homeland by sea in a desperate attempt to find refuge. Many sought to build new lives along the Gulf Coast, finding available work and a favorable climate comparable to coast-rich, subtropical Vietnam. But the sudden influx of Vietnamese led to strained tensions in many fishing communities. In 1979, a fatal shooting in the small Texas fishing village of Seadrift ignited a maelstrom of hostilities against Vietnamese refugees along the Gulf Coast.

What really happened during this conflict, which was rife with rumors and false assumptions? How does a community recover and heal after a deep rift that erupted in violence? Seadrift examines this turbulent yet little-seen chapter of American history and explores the consequences that continue to reverberate today.

Details are available for the Houston and Galveston screenings in April. Stay tuned for more information on upcoming screenings in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, and a second North Texas location!

All screenings are free and open to the public. This film series is made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities's United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture initiative.