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Saint Anselm's Cross-Cultural Community Center Records
MS.SEA.027
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries
Title: Saint Anselm's Cross-Cultural Community Center records
Identifier/Call Number: MS.SEA.027
Physical Description:
1 Linear Feet
(1 box and 1 oversized folder)
Date (inclusive): 1986-2002
Abstract: This collection is comprised of ephemera, correspondence, reports, and newspaper clippings that document the history of Saint
Anselm's Cross-Cultural Community Center, located in Garden Grove, California. St. Anselm's provides services to Amerasians
and other Southeast Asian American communities in Orange County. The materials document the different types of services provided
to Amerasians, including employment, education, and medical care. Materials related to organizations that work with St. Anselm's
are also included.
Language of Material:
English
.
The collection is open for research. Access to files covered by California personnel records legislation is restricted for
50 years from the latest date of the materials in those files. Restrictions are noted at the file level.
Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and
their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Southeast Asian Archive Librarian.
Saint Anselm's Cross-Cultural Community Center records. MS-SEA027. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries,
Irvine, California. Date accessed.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this
collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.
Gift of Peter Daniels, Amerasian Coordinator for Saint Anselm's Cross-Cultural Community Center, 2003.
Processed by Julia Stringfellow, 2005. Processing was supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant.
Saint Anselm's Cross-Cultural Community Center, located in Garden Grove, California, was created in 1976 as St. Anselm's Immigrant
and Refugee Community Center. The organization was formed to provide English classes and other services to Vietnamese refugees
who arrived at Camp Pendleton. The services include assistance with housing, legal problems, physical and mental health, disabilities,
employment, family problems, and community education. Other services include mentoring, health education and advocacy, women's
issues, services for the elderly, and searches for lost or estranged fathers. The organization serves as an open door for
information and assistance. St. Anselm's hosts fundraising dinners, art exhibits, and silent auctions to generate funds to
keep their program going.
St. Anselm's was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1980 and expanded its programs to accommodate new waves of Southeast
Asian refugees, boat people, political prisoners from Vietnam, and Amerasians. St. Anselm's changed its name in 1993 to St.
Anselm's Cross-Cultural Community Center to reflect the broadening of its services to a more diverse clientele and the addition
of new services including citizenship classes.
The Amerasian program at St. Anselm's was one of sixty programs established by the 1987 American Homecoming Act to provide
services for children who were born to American fathers and Vietnamese mothers during the Vietnam War. The Amerasians faced
many challenges growing up, including being fatherless in a patrilineal society and being victims of cultural shame and extreme
social harassment. Most were denied education and a sense of identity and self-esteem. St. Anselm's Amerasian program was
one of the largest programs with a staff of seven to serve about 2, 000 Amerasians. The program offered by St. Anselm's attempts
to reduce these deficits with a holistic approach to services.
Collection Scope and Content Summary
This collection is comprised of ephemera, correspondence, reports, and newspaper clippings that document the history of Saint
Anselm's Cross-Cultural Community Center, located in Garden Grove, California. St. Anselm's provides services to Amerasians
and other Southeast Asian American communities in Orange County. The materials document the different types of services provided
to Amerasians, including employment, education, and medical care. Materials related to organizations that work with St. Anselm's
are also included.
This collection is arranged topically.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Refugees -- Vietnam -- Archives
Vietnamese Americans -- Services for -- California -- Garden Grove -- Archives.
Vietnamese Americans -- California -- Orange County -- Archives.
Refugees -- California -- Garden Grove -- Archives.
Vietnamese Americans -- California -- Garden Grove -- Archives.
Reports -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century.
Amerasians -- Services for -- California -- Garden Grove.
Clippings -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century.
Letters -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century.
Ephemera -- California -- Orange County -- 20th century.
Refugees -- California -- Orange County -- Archives.
Refugees -- Services for -- California -- Garden Grove -- Archives.
Amerasians -- California -- Garden Grove.
Amerasians -- California -- Orange County.
Online Archive of California