New historic marker honors Vietnamese immigrants

A new historic marker unveiled May 24 on Wilson Boulevard in front of the Eden Center honors Vietnamese immigrants as an important part of Northern Virginia history.

The marker was approved by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources in 2021.

Nomination for the historic marker was made by two students – eighth-grader Oliver Hardi and his brother, seventh-grader Griffin Hardi – at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School in the City of Falls Church.

The students had participated in a historical marker contest last year for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

They were at the dedication ceremony yesterday, along with Falls Church Mayor David Tarter; Alan Frank, senior vice president of Capital Commercial Properties Inc., the owner of the Eden Center; Trinh Nguyen-Mau, chair of the Vietnamese Senior Citizens’ Association; and Del. Marcus Simon.

“It is vital that, as we move forward, we do not forget our past,” said Tarter. “Not only will this Virginia Historical Marker raise awareness of this important and fascinating culture and history, but it will become a building block for local tourism.”

The Virginia historic marker program “helps bring attention to community treasures and the importance of their preservation,” said Douglas Ebenstein, president and CEO of Capital Commercial Properties.

“Awareness and education are among the best ways to guarantee the preservation of history. This designation is a tool that will increase public awareness of important cultural resources, like Eden Center,” Ebenstein said.

Here’s what the marker says:

“Thousands of Vietnamese refugees immigrated to the U.S. after the fall of the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon in April 1975. Proximity to Washington, D.C., made Arlington a popular location for settlement. A vibrant enclave of businesses, known as Little Saigon, arose in the Clarendon neighborhood and became a social and commercial hub for the community. Climbing rents in the 1980s displaced these businesses, and many relocated to Eden Center. Modeled on market districts in Vietnam, Eden Center grew to include more than 120 shops and restaurants. A regional gathering place for Vietnamese Americans, it became the largest source of Vietnamese goods on the East Coast.”