Lookatvietnam - It seems that any Vietnamese who leave the country take away with them an unforgettable image of a village, a school or something else they love.

“They always keep their ancestors’ altar beside them when they live away from the fatherland,” as a Russian archeologist put it when he visited some Vietnamese families who take part in the Vietnamese Association, a group of 100,000 people in Russia.

At home, they worship their ancestors and maintain the Vietnamese traditional lifestyle.

Out in the community, they join diverse activities organized by Vietnamese associations, such as former students’ associations, professional unions and traditional art and cultural centers.

All of these organizations serve as a linchpin for Vietnamese communities outside the country.

The Vietnamese Association in Thailand has a venue for Vietnamese to gather, talk and share information. This is the Uncle Ho Memorial House, located in Noong On village, Udon Province.

This is a sacred place, said Le Van Hy, president of the Association.

During Tet or other holidays, many Vietnamese flock there to enjoy a cozy and friendly atmosphere, to give their best regards and show their spirit of solidarity.

The largest overseas Vietnamese community is in America, where they have established many community organizations whose activities are aimed at supporting Vietnamese living in the US.

Among them is the Vietnam Venture Group, which consists of 20 families that are engaged in social and charitable activities for the benefit of Vietnam.

An elderly man of the Binh Gia Association of Fellow-countrymen in the US said, “Of my children, some were born and grew up here. Some left Vietnam for the US when they were children. So they know little about Vietnam, let alone the tiny village of Binh Gia in southern Vietnam.

“Thanks to such social organizations, our children have opportunities to learn about fellow-citizens and difficulties in Vietnam, thereby contributing to help their fatherland.”

The Vietnamese community in Minnesota organizes a contest, ‘Poems of Native Land” every Tet, while in Portland Oregon the Inter-school Association conducts an intimate meeting every summer. It gathers former Vietnamese teachers and students not only from the US but also from other countries like Canada and France.

Another than Tet activities, overseas Vietnamese also meet in events organized to introduce new training courses, inaugurate cultural works, launch scholarship programs, or raise money for charity.

Meeting to embrace each other, share old memories, understand each other’s lives and give mutual support is one of the indispensable needs of Vietnamese expatriates in countries across the world.

VietNamNet/SGGP