Tran (Paul) Files on Southeast Asian Refugees, 1975-2025

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Summary

Title:
Paul Tran files on Southeast Asian refugees
Dates:
1975-2025
Abstract:
This collection contains correspondence, audiovisual materials, publications of organizations, artifacts, artwork, and other documents related to Southeast Asian refugees. Materials from the refugee camps convey the struggles and issues faced by the refugees. Organizational materials focus on anti-Communist activities and the resettlement of refugees in the United States. All of the correspondence from refugee camps in Hong Kong, most of the audiovisual materials, and many of the publications are in Vietnamese.
Extent:
25.1 Linear Feet (30 boxes and 17 oversize folders) and 45 digitized images
Language:
Vietnamese .
Preferred citation:

Paul Tran files on Southeast Asian refugees. MS-SEA002. 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.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains correspondence, audiovisual materials, publications of organizations, artifacts, artwork, and other documents related to Southeast Asian refugees. Materials from the refugee camps convey the struggles and issues faced by the refugees. Organizational materials focus on anti-Communist activities and the resettlement of refugees in the United States. All of the correspondence from refugee camps in Hong Kong, most of the audiovisual materials, and many of the publications are in Vietnamese.

Biographical / historical:

Paul Tran is a Vietnamese-American community activist who has worked broadly with Vietnamese refugees. He was born Loc Hoang Tran in Vietnam and came to the United States in 1975, settling in Lexington, Kentucky. In 1977 he moved to Orange County, California, where he attended Santa Ana College and the University of California, Irvine. While in college he began working at Viet Nam Hai Ngoai magazine, where he adopted the pseudonym Tuong Thang. He graduated from UC Irvine in 1982 and a few years later purchased Viet Nam Hai Ngoa i magazine, where he remained editor-in-chief until 1996. In 1989 he participated in the International Conference on Indochinese Refugees, Geneva and traveled to Hong Kong eleven times between 1989-1995 to work with asylum seekers. He was elected vice-president of the Vietnamese Community in Southern California in 1992 and 1994. Tran founded the Tap Hop Cac Luc Luong Dan Chu and Nahn Quyen political organization in 1992, as well as the Voice of Vietnamese Radio program in Orange County, California.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Paul Tran, 1993-1995.
Processing information:

Preliminary processing by Tung Cao, who provided brief summaries in English on a number of folders. Processed by Howie Phan in 2000. Guide edited by Lynette Stoudt in 2001. Processed by Julia Stringfellow, and translation services provided by Quan Tran, 2003. Processing and translation conducted in 2003 was supported by a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant from the California State Library. Updated by Charla DelaCuadra, 2025.

Arrangement:

This collection is organized into 4 series:

  • Series 1. Vietnamese refugee camps files, 1976-2001. 13.8 linear ft.
  • Series 2. Subject files concerning refugee issues, 1976-2001. 2.8 linear ft.
  • Series 3. Refugee artwork, 1980-1995. 6.6 linear ft.
  • Series 4. Newspapers and clippings, 1975-1996. 1.4 linear ft.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Processed by Julia Stringfellow; updated by Charla DelaCuadra, 2025.
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-11-07 14:05:58 -0800 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection open for research. Access to correspondence, photographs, negatives, and audio cassette tapes of Vietnamese refugees from the Hong Kong Detention Center, many of whom were repatriated to Communist Vietnam, is restricted until January 1, 2049. Restrictions are noted at the file level.

Terms of access:

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 Head of Special Collections and University Archives.

Preferred citation:

Paul Tran files on Southeast Asian refugees. MS-SEA002. 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.

Location of this collection:
Southeast Asian Archive
The UCI Libraries, P.O. Box 19557
Irvine, CA 92623-9557, US
Contact:
(949) 824-3947
spcoll@uci.libanswers.com
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