Little Saigon

Community Partners

  • Mimi Luong

    Mimi Luong is an entrepreneur, small business owner, and cultural advocate who co-owns Truong An Gifts and manages the Far East Center in Denver’s Little Saigon. As a passionate community leader and event coordinator, she organizes large-scale cultural celebrations like Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, Saigon Azteca Night Market, and Mile High Trunk or Treat to uplift small businesses and preserve Asian traditions. Mimi is deeply committed to building bridges across communities, empowering others through cultural connection, and leaving a legacy of unity and resilience.

  • Hannah Tran

    Hannah Tran is a Vietnamese-American documentary filmmaker and Senior Social and Digital Media Specialist at Colorado State University. Whether at CSU or within her freelance work under her production company, Lionheart Motion Works, Hannah is particularly drawn to stories of cultural preservation and adaptation within displaced and diasporic communities, and the journeys of future BIPOC change makers who challenge dominant frameworks and advocate for underserved groups. Currently, she is directing and producing There’s a Lane for Us Here, a documentary honoring Denver’s Little Saigon Business District in partnership with History Colorado and CAPU.

BIG DREAMS IN DENVER’S LITTLE SAIGON

In partnership with History Colorado and our community partners, Big Dreams in Denver’s Little Saigon, is a co-curated exhibition that showcases the experiences and memories that make the neighborhood unique. Visitors can appreciate the sights, sounds, and smells that define Little Saigon and see how this neighborhood created a sense of belonging for Asian Americans in Colorado.

The exhibit features 36 oral histories collected from the community, original pieces about Little Saigon from local Asian American artists, a trailer from our ‘There’s a Lane for Us Documentary,’ and a variety of interactive experiences to immerse attendees into the spirit of Little Saigon in the past, present, and future. 

‘There’s a Lane for Us Here’ Documentary

After the Little Saigon community shared that they wanted to see their stories displayed through film, CAPU hired local Vietnamese filmmaker, Hannah Tran, to capture the spirit of this neighborhood. "There’s a Lane for Us Here" dives into the history and legacy of Denver’s Little Saigon Business District. As the first immigrant generation ages and longtime businesses face uncertainty, the next generation is left to wrestle with what it means to carry forward memory, identity, and belonging. 

The film explores the tension between preservation and change, and permanence and impermanence. The idea of "forever" isn't only etched in stone and concrete but about the act of remembering, of carrying history forward through stories, traditions, and the next generation.  With urban redevelopment and the refugee generation aging, we ask, how do we ensure their memories live on as the next generation takes the lead?

This feature-length documentary is slated for release in early 2027.

  • Little Saigon Museum of Memory

    In collaboration with History Colorado, CAPU collected over 36 personal oral histories from Denver’s Little Saigon community and co-hosted two community memory workshops over two years. The oral histories are hosted on History Colorado’s website, making these powerful narratives available to the public and preserving them for generations to come.

    We extend our deepest gratitude to the dedication and hard work of our community navigators who helped gather oral histories: Ivy Ha, Joie Ha, Jadyn Nguyen, Jane Ly, Joseph Tran, and Leo Trinh.

  • Community Needs Assessment

    In 2024, CAPU partnered with History Colorado’s Museum of Memory to create an oral history archive that documents the stories of those who helped shape Denver’s Little Saigon District.
    During the collection, we noted recurring themes of significant concerns about the legacy of the district and dreams of the future. This led to a further conversation with stakeholders about the threats currently facing Little Saigon. In 2025, with support from the City of Denver and Asian Chamber of Commerce, we completed a targeted needs assessment with property and business owners in the Little Saigon district through one-on-one conversations focused on their concerns, desires, and future plans. 

    The results of the community needs assessment were not surprising: people want to stay, they just can’t afford to. We hope that this report will help further identify the issues facing Little Saigon, as well as create the framework needed to implement community-driven solutions. 

    The report will be released for public view by late 2025.

Share your story!

CAPU needs your help to document our API heritage in Colorado. If you have a story to share, please let us know by emailing us at: contact@coloradoasianpacificunited.org

Back to Storytelling Programs

Partners

Far East Center

Denver Mayor’s Office

Asian Chamber of Commerce

Denver DEDO

Denver Foundation

History Colorado Museum

Bonfils-Stanton

Office of Economic Development and International Trade- Traditional Folk Arts

Community Center for Wealth Building

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