Courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, Florman, Jean, “Strong Ties,” The Goldfinch, Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 24-25, April 1991

Description

This Goldfinch article focuses on the journey of the Tai Dam (pronounced “tie dom”) of Vietnam, who began to arrive in Iowa in 1975. The Tai Dam refugees had been invited to resettle in Iowa by Governor Robert Ray. They originally were from northwestern Vietnam. Between 1954 and 1975, war in Vietnam forced many of them to flee to the nearby countries of Laos and Thailand.

Full Transcript of “Strong Ties” Article from The Goldfinch, April 1991

Source-Dependent Questions

When arriving in Iowa, who and how did people help the Tai Dam people?
Why do older Tai Dam immigrants want their children to learn the Tai Dam language and customs, and to keep alive the stories of their parents' struggles?