First Thursdays - Southeast Asian American Journeys

Join us for a collection of short films from the diverse range of underrepresented voices from the Southeast Asian American diaspora.

As a result of 20th-century imperialism, the Southeast Asian diaspora largely springs from refugees escaping violence and political persecution. After leaving their homelands, displaced families across the U.S. worked to build new lives from scratch. Today, new generations are finding ways to preserve their elders’ stories of trauma, grief, and resilience—especially those of Southeast Asian marginalized communities, whose journeys are rarely highlighted.

These six short films are all about honoring cultural tradition while fighting for a better future, whether that’s through local activism, community spaces, storytelling, art, or culinary practices.

Filmmakers Quyên Nguyễn-Lê and Pader Xiong in attendance for a post-screening audience Q&A.

October 1st, 2026
6PM - Doors Open
6:30PM - Begin Program

Haibayo Cafe
1132 W Argyle St, Chicago, IL 60640

Admission is free! Donations appreciated.

RSVP HERE

FAAIM First Thursdays:
Southeast Asian American Journeys

The Market

Directed by Oanh-Nhi Nguyen
Produced by Quyên Nguyễn-Lê
https://www.oanhnhinguyen.com
IG: oanhnhi.nguyen

The journey to the Southeast Asian Market in south Philadelphia’s FDR Park, founded by refugees who carved out their own space of nourishment and belonging.

Threads

Directed and Produced by Quyên Nguyễn-Lê
https://www.quyennl.com
IG: smellydurianface

A sprawling portrait of indigenous Montagnard Dega refugee community in North Carolina, threading intergenerational storytelling and history-making in the aftermath of the Viet Nam War.

Teb Chaw (The Land)

Directed by Joua Lee Grande
Produced by Quyên Nguyễn-Lê
https://www.joualeegrande.com/
IG: joualeelens

An immersive portrait of Hmong refugee farmers transforming local foodways in a diversified Minnesota–home to one of the largest populations of the Hmong diaspora built in the aftermath of the Secret War in Laos.

Muoz-doic Mixtape

Directed and Produced by Quyên Nguyễn-Lê

Muoz-doic Mixtape (pronounced: moo-ah thoy) is an offering of intergenerational storytelling from the Mien community of Portland, Oregon: a brief glimpse into the collective work of culture-keeping in the face of historical displacement.

Between Us

Directed and Produced by Quyên Nguyễn-Lê

Between Us follows the multilayered stories of LGBTQIA+ Khmer and Vietnamese cultural workers in southern California as they contemplate the in-betweenness of belonging, healing, and carving out spaces of their own.

Southeast Asian American Journeys preceded by:

Home-land: Hmong American Women

Directed by Pader Xiong
https://pdxiong.cargo.site
IG: pd.xiong

Home-land: Hmong American Women features the stories of five Hmong women (Rosanna Yang, Sheng Elizabeth Lor, Emily Yang, Jouapag Lee, and Kho Lor) along with intimate imagery of the filmmaker being dressed in traditional Hmong clothing by her mother. Each Hmong woman shares her Hmong American experience, aspirations, and how she aims to make her own “Home-land” in America.

2025 | Documentary | USA | 6 mins | Hmong, English

FAAIM First Thursdays: Southeast Asian American Journeys