The Legacy of the Vietnamese Fishermen's Association v. Knights of the Ku Klux Klan

Please note that due to unforeseen technical difficulties, portions of Professor Thao Ha’s presentation are inaudible between 9:32 and 17:55. Her full slide deck with links to video clips can be viewed here.

APABA-DC was pleased to host a virtual panel on Wednesday, July 8th at 6pm ET on the legacy of the court case of the Vietnamese Fishermen's Association v. Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, which was successfully litigated by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in 1981 on behalf of the Vietnamese Fishermen's Association. Prior to the court decision, the KKK, at the invitation of local white fishermen in Galveston Bay, Texas, who were fearful of competition from the incoming Vietnamese refugees who had become fishermen after the Vietnam War, practiced guerrilla tactics to burn Vietnamese-owned boats and terrorized the Vietnamese American community.

The panel discussed the case itself, which signified an important win for the Asian American community against white supremacist forces that threatened its livelihood in the 1980s and thereafter, as well as its modern day implications, including current work on combating a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans and the importance and history of Asian American allyship with the Black community. The panel discussion was followed by a Q&A with the panelists.

The panel consisted of the following distinguished individuals:

• Dr. Thao Ha, Professor of Sociology at MiraCosta College, and Co-Producer of the documentary "Seadrift"
• Jiny Kim, Vice President, Policy and Programs at Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC)
• Joseph J. Levin, Jr., Co-Founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)
• Helen Zia, award-winning author, activist, and former journalist

Please contact Community Affairs with any questions.