Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California
The Union of the Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California (Vietnamese:Tổng Hội Sinh Viên Việt Nam Nam Cali) is a network of Vietnamese Student Associations at various Southern California universities and colleges. Its programs include the promotion and retention of Vietnamese language and culture among the Vietnamese youth community, especially through the inter-school support of the Vietnamese Culture Shows, fostering social networking among the different VSAs and participation in the philanthropic work of the Vietnamese community. UVSA, as it's commonly referred to, is most famous for organizing the largest Vietnamese Tết Festival in the United States each year.
Contents
History
UVSA was founded in 1982.
Members of the Union (year founded)
- VSA - California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
- VSA - California State University, Fullerton
- VSA - California State University, Long Beach
- VSA - California State University, Los Angeles (1976)
- VSA - California State University, San Bernardino
- VSA - California State University, Northridge
- VSA - Golden West College
- VSA - Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC)
- VSA - University of California, Irvine (1979)
- VSU - University of California, Los Angeles (1977)
- VSA - - University of California, Riverside
- VSA - University of California, San Diego (1976)
- VSA - University of California, Santa Barbara
- VSA - University of Southern California
Tet Festival
UVSA's Tet Festival is organized each year to celebrate the Lunar New Year. With as many as 100,000 attendees joining this 3-day celebration, it is the largest Vietnamese New Year festival in the world. The festival usually includes many cultural booths, carnival rides, a replica of a Vietnamese village and three days of entertainment programs ranging from famous Vietnamese celebrities, martial arts performances to pageant shows and contests. Throughout the years, the festival has taken place in various cities. From the year 2000 to 2013, the festival had resided in Garden Grove Park in the city of Garden Grove, CA . In 2014, the festival moved to its new home at the OC Fair & Event Center in the city of Costa Mesa, CA.
Non Song
Socal UVSA produces a free annual Tet magazine called Non Song. Electronic versions of this student-run magazine are made available on the organization's website, while hard copies are passed out for free at the Tet Festival.
See also
- Vietnamese Student Association
- International Vietnamese Youth Conference
- Mid-Atlantic Union of Vietnamese Student Associations
