Thursday, February 12, 2026
Friday, February 6, 2026
Dr. Truong Duy Nong
March 13, 1958 - January 20, 2026
In Memoriam of Trường Duy Nông, PhD
The passing of our ICEVN founder, president and board member, Trường Duy Nông, on January 20, 2026, has undoubtedly left an emptiness in the hearts of all who knew him. Though we were aware of his long struggle with cancer, his congenital intestinal illness, and the many health challenges he endured throughout his life, his death still felt sudden and unreal. He had always seemed to overcome adversity with saintly resilience and determination. We were optimistic that he would be well enough by February to celebrate the Lunar New Year with his family and colleagues. Even in his final hours, as cancer aggressively spread to his lungs, his thoughts remained steadfastly focused on others - he was still asking about preparations for the upcoming youth leadership camp.
Born in Vietnam and grew up in a
devastating war that tore families and nations apart, Trường Nông carried
within him a restless sorrow intertwined with a deep passion for the human
condition, the fate of the Vietnamese people, and the destiny of his homeland.
This enduring compassion was also shaped by his family’s legacy of military
services fighting for freedom against communism, and Vietnam’s long history
shadowed by colonialism, exploitation, and independent wars.
These experiences did not harden
him; instead, they deepened his empathy and strengthened his sense of
responsibility. He spent his professional life as a math educator,
but like many Vietnamese of his generation and those before, his mind
never ceased asking how he could help create a better future for the Vietnamese
people. With unwavering perseverance and resolve, he anchored his life’s work
in the social vision of the great patriot Phan Châu Trinh: “Enlighten
the people’s mind, strengthen the people’s spirit, and improve the people’s
being.”
ICEVN was born with these goals
- to expand knowledge, awaken moral courage, and nurture a sense of
responsibility that would allow individuals and communities to develop economic
independence, and political self-determination.
In his quest to help rebuild
Vietnam, the ICEVN journey with his devoted and loving partner, Anh Lan Nguyễn,
PhD, that began in Houston gradually expanded in scope and purpose. ICEVN’s
mission to promote social responsibility, civic rights, engagement, and duty
evolved beyond national boundaries, becoming relevant to global communities
striving to advance the common good. Through this work, his legacy
transcends geography, reminding us that service, conscience, and compassion
know no borders.
We sometimes reflected on how our
lives came together by circumstance, walking on the boundless, never-ending
road of Vietnam, a road filled with torn lives and shattered hearts. Like
generations before us, our footsteps carry burning resolve to help rebuild home
and homeland for we know that this road will lead us to a time and space where
Vietnamese people will rise proudly in tranquility and carry forward the will
of its glory history.
Trường Nông lived a full life of
quiet strength, clear purpose with humility, and compassion for humankind. His
legacy endures not only in the institution he built, but in the countless lives
he touched, inspired, and guided. He
left the earthly bonds that constrained his physical being and touched the face
of heaven, but his spirit continues to walk with us on that Vietnam road as we
follow his indelible footprints. And as of now, the wind would have
carried his heart across all corners of the earth, allowing his selfless love
and passion for humanity to take root and continue to grow.
ICEVN Board
Tưởng Niệm Tiến Sĩ Nông Duy Trường
Sinh ra tại Việt Nam và lớn lên giữa
cuộc chiến tàn khốc phân chia đất nước , Tiến sĩ Nông Trường mang trong
mình một nỗi ưu tư không nguôi, hòa quyện với niềm trăn trở sâu sắc về thân phận
con người, thân phận của người dân Việt, và vận mệnh dân tộc, tương lai của quê
hương thần thoại. Lòng trắc ẩn bền bỉ ấy
còn được hun đúc từ truyền thống gia đình phục vụ quân ngũ, chiến đấu cho tự do
chống lại chủ nghĩa cộng sản, và từ lịch sử dài đau thương của Việt Nam dưới
bóng thực dân, áp bức và những cuộc chiến giành độc lập.
Những trải nghiệm ấy không khiến
anh trở nên cứng cỏi; trái lại, chúng làm sâu sắc thêm lòng nhân ái và củng cố
ý thức trách nhiệm của anh. Dù dành phần lớn cuộc đời cho nghề giáo dạy toán,
anh vẫn luôn trăn trở—như bao người Việt cùng thế hệ và những thế hệ trước—làm
thế nào để góp phần xây dựng một tương lai tốt đẹp hơn cho dân tộc. Với sự kiên
trì và quyết tâm không lay chuyển, anh đặt nền tảng cho sự nghiệp của mình dựa
trên tư tưởng xã hội của nhà chí sĩ Phan Châu Trinh: “Khai dân trí, chấn dân
khí, hậu dân sinh.”
ICEVN được hình thành từ những lý
tưởng - mở rộng tri thức, đánh thức dũng khí đạo đức, và nuôi dưỡng tinh thần
trách nhiệm để mỗi cá nhân và cộng đồng có thể xây dựng nền tảng kinh tế độc lập
và quyền tự quyết chính trị.
Trong hành trình tìm cách góp phần
tái thiết Việt Nam, ICEVN bắt đầu từ Houston cùng người bạn đời tận tụy và yêu
thương của anh, Tiến sĩ Anh Lan Nguyễn, dần mở rộng về quy mô và mục tiêu. Sứ mệnh
thúc đẩy trách nhiệm xã hội, quyền công dân, sự tham gia và bổn phận công dân của
ICEVN đã vượt khỏi biên giới quốc gia, trở nên có ý nghĩa đối với các cộng đồng
toàn cầu đang nỗ lực vì lợi ích chung. Qua công việc ấy, di sản của anh vượt
lên mọi ranh giới quốc gia, nhắc nhở chúng ta rằng phục vụ, lương tâm và lòng
nhân ái không hề có biên giới.
Đôi khi chúng tôi cùng suy ngẫm về
cách cuộc đời đưa đẩy chúng tôi đến với nhau, cùng bước trên con đường Việt Nam
vô tận, một con đường chất đầy những tan vỡ và tổn thương. Như bao thế hệ trước,
bước chân chúng ta mang theo ngọn lửa quyết tâm xây dựng lại quê hương, bởi
chúng ta tin rằng con đường ấy sẽ dẫn đến một thời khắc mà dân tộc Việt Nam sẽ
đứng dậy trong bình yên và tiếp nối hào khí của lịch sử.
Tiến sĩ Nông Trường đã
sống một cuộc đời trọn vẹn với sức mạnh thầm lặng, mục đích rõ ràng, sự khiêm
nhường và lòng nhân ái dành cho nhân loại. Di sản của anh không chỉ tồn tại
trong tổ chức mà anh đã xây dựng, mà còn trong vô số cuộc đời anh đã chạm đến,
truyền cảm hứng và dẫn dắt. Anh đã rời bỏ những ràng buộc trần thế từng kìm hãm
thân thể anh và chạm đến cõi trời, nhưng tinh thần anh vẫn tiếp tục đồng hành
cùng chúng ta trên con đường Việt Nam, tiếp nối những dấu chân không thể phai mờ
của anh. Và giờ đây, gió chắc đã cuốn mang trái tim anh đi khắp bốn phương trời,
để tình yêu vô ngã và niềm đam mê dành cho nhân loại của anh tiếp tục bén rễ và
lan tỏa.
Friday, December 19, 2025
Loc Vu, IRCC and Viet Museum Founder, Passed Away at 92
Over the past week, the Vietnamese community in San Jose, and across the United States, has come together in writing and reflection to mourn the passing of Vũ Văn Lộc (Former Colonel of Republic of South Vietnam), a man whose quiet resolve and lifelong dedication helped shape the Vietnamese community in San Jose, and whose influence continues to be felt across generations and across the Vietnamese diaspora.
For more than five decades, Vũ Văn Lộc committed himself to
a singular purpose: to help a displaced people rebuild their lives with
dignity, and to ensure that their history would not be forgotten. The institutions he envisioned and
founded—most notably the Immigrant Resettlement and Cultural Center (IRCC) and
the Viet Museum—stand today as enduring pillars of San Jose community. At a time when refugees arrived with little
more than memory and hope, these institutions provided not only material
assistance, but also something far less tangible and far more enduring: a sense
of belonging, and the assurance that their experiences mattered.
Shaped by two wars that defined the fate of the nation, he
carried within him a quiet yet profound anguish over the human condition and
the fractured fate of the Viet people divided by civil conflict. Vũ understood that survival alone was
not enough. A community, he believed, must also remember. Through his
writings—marked by human compassion and historical witness—he recorded the
painful refugee journey, the struggle of rebuilding in exile, and the determined emergencof a diasporic
identity. In doing so, he gave voice to stories that might otherwise have been silent,
stories of loss and perseverance, of assimilation and resilience, and of lives
shaped by the long aftermath of war
Many regard the Viet Museum in San Jose as Vũ Văn Lộc’s
most impactful legacy. Built nearly from nothing but humility, sustained by
conviction rather than resources, it stands today not merely as a collection of
artifacts and documents, but as a living space of collective memory. It is also a bridge between past and future shaping identity and historical awareness of the diaspora journey.
The Legacy of Viet Museum Is Under Threat
In recent online discussions, some opinions have suggested that the disputes surrounding the Viet Museum, which began during Advent of 2024 (Christmas 2024), caused profound emotional distress to Vũ during the final months of his life.
During the Advent season of 2024, the community was deeply shocked when Nguyễn Đức Cường and Phan Quang Tuệ publicly made accusations against Vũ, alleging “impropriety” and the theft of IRCC funds, while simultaneously calling for his expulsion from IRCC and the Viet Museum. So far Nguyễn and Phan offered no proof of such accusations. The conflict started when Vũfound out that Cao Hồng who was hired by him to help manage Viet Museum had tried to undermine his authority and wanted to take over IRCC.
Subsequently, Nguyễn Đức Cường, Phan Quang Tuệ, Phạm Mỹ
Linh, and Hồ Quang Nhựt , acting in the name of the Board of
Directors, assumed control over the administration of the Viet Museum and IRCC.
These developments caused Vũ great sorrow and adversely affected his health;
not long afterward, he suffered a cerebrovascular stroke. Within 8 months, he passed away from complications.
During this same period, Bill Schroh, Director of History
Park San Jose—the entity contracted by the City of San Jose to manage History
Park—issued a decision, at the request of the board, prohibiting Vũ from continuing to access the Viet Museum premises, while granting access and
operational authority to Cao Hồng.
Vũ sent a letter to Schroh protesting the unlawful denial of
his right to access the Viet Museum, and asserting that the IRCC Board of
Directors led by Nguyễn Đức Cường lacked legitimacy. In light of the ongoing dispute, Schroh
decided to temporarily close the Viet Museum until the conflict could be
resolved.
According to the IRCC Bylaws, IRCC is the legal entity that
owns the Viet Museum. The IRCC Board of Directors is established through annual
elections conducted by its paid members
in accordance with prescribed procedures. The board represented by Nguyễn Đức
Cường and Phan Quang Tuệ did not undergo this electoral process; therefore,
this contested board is neither recognized nor legitimately constituted.
At present, based on public records from the California
Secretary of State, IRCC has a newly elected Board of Directors chosen by the
organization’s members by an election in early 2025. It has assumed governance responsibilities
since then.
The current Chair and President, Quinn Trần—elected by the
IRCC Board of Directors, has repeatedly requested intervention from the San
Jose City Council to facilitate the reopening of the Viet Museum. Trần was former high-tech executive as well
as former Executive Director of the Bay Area Red Cross.
However, the museum has remained closed for nearly a year,
preventing it from participating in commemorative activities and from
continuing to provide communal space during the 50th anniversary of the Fall of
Saigon.
The question of when the Viet Museum can reopen remains a major concern for the community, particularly in light of a recent email from Bill Schroh to IRCC, in which he indicated that another group may be appointed to manage the museum if the current conflict is not resolved.
The Mayor and City Council have chosen to be silent instead of taking responsiblity to open Viet Museum for the public. The staffing the museum were mostly IRCC volunteers and the political power that be has absolute influence to force History Park San Jose to open the museum. San Jose Park & Recreational Services is the agency that holds the contract with History Park San Jose, its management said that they can review its contract with Bill Schroh to see if he has the best interest in serving the community.
Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent, 2025
During Advent, the Catholic Church invites the faithful to
prepare their hearts in anticipation of Christmas, the coming of Christ, who
brings salvation to humanity. The Gospel according to Matthew reminds us:
“For I am gentle and humble of heart; take my yoke upon
you and learn from me, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew
11:29)
Jesus calls those who wish to follow Him into eternity to
live in love, gentleness, and humility. Those who learn from Him and live
according to His teachings will find peace of the soul, a peace that transcends the trials and
tribulations of our daily life.
Although not a Christian, Vũ’s humble and gentle manner
earned him widespread trust, forming the foundation for his tireless efforts to
build a precious legacy for the community.
That legacy is now being eroded by prolonged conflicts in
the final years of his life with individuals whom he once promoted their status in
the community and trusted to support his work upon retirement. Phan Quang Tuệ,
Nguyễn Đức Cường, and Hồ Quang Nhựt are in their mid-80s. Phạm Mỹ Linh, the youngest among them, is about
to turn sixty years old. Cao Hồng is in
his 70s and was an employee hired by Vũ to work for IRCC.
This writing reflects the opinions and sentiments currently
present within the community as they bear witness to a turbulent period of disputes
surrounding a communal symbol. While these assessments must be approached with
fairness and caution, they nevertheless prompt questions on moral and ethical
responsibility toward those who devoted their lives to preserving the shared
memory of the community.
His passing during the Advent season, therefore, is not
merely a loss, but also an invitation to pause and reflect—on how we safeguard
our heritage, how we treat one another, and how we continue the spirit of
sacrifice.
It should be remembered that the Viet Museum, is merely a name placed on physical facility owned by the City of San Jose. The artifacts and documents are the possessions of IRCC. What truly constitutes the Viet Museum does not lie in that physical space or the objects inside, but in the spiritual essence imparted through the quiet sacrifices and steadfast dedication of Vũ Văn Lộc to preserve the community’s heritage and carry it forward across generations.
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
"On Healing Land, Birds Perch" Film Screening in San Jose
The Vietnam War had produced many narratives in the forms of memoirs, historical accounts, military analyses, political assessments, and fictional novels. One estimate suggests something like 30,000 books have been written about the topic. From the fictional "The Quiet American" by Graham Greene, sandwich in between by the brilliant observations of the Vietnam War from the lens of Vietnam ancient history in "Fire in The Lake" by Frances Fitzgerald, to the Vietnamese diaspora and their postwar angst and gaslighting in "The Sympathizer" by Viet Thanh Nguyen, one can peruse every genre to find whatever interpretations that help make sense of the war and its aftermath.
But there are really only a few photographs that defined the war bookend by photojournalists Eddie Adam's " Saigon Execution" and Hubert van Es' photograph of a helicopter on a building in Saigon evacuating people.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, IRCC / Viet Museum in support of AANF and Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong is showing an award winning documentary directed by Naja Pham Lockwood about the postwar tribulations and triumphs of the victims of the iconic photo " Saigon Execution"
Thursday, September 4, 2025
David Duong Dropped Defamation Lawsuit Against Hai Huynh
David Duong, owner of California Waste Solutions, a major trash recycling company in the Bay Area, suddenly droppred his defamation lawsuit against Hai Huynh, a prominent businessman and community activitist in San Jose.
The lawsuit was prompted when in an email trail in early March of last year, Huynh mentioned that Duong is a communist lackey and a pro-communist businessman. This was in reference to Duong and his many business ventures in Vietnam and close tie with Vietnamese government leadership. For further reading on the lawsuit -
On July 3, the law firm Buchalter APC sent a request for dismissal without any fanfare. Buchalter is one of the best law firms in US with over 540 lawyers and offices in major cities. They also represent Duong for his recent federal criminal bribery indicment.
https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-joses-recycling-hauler-criminally-indicted-on-bribery-charges/
In order to save face since he publicized the lawsuit against Huynh heavily for over a year now claiming that he would sue him for every penny, Duong went on Youtube and declared that he had second thought and did not want to further divided the community.
Huynh is currently countersueing him for legal fee costs in a frivolous case that many people in the community considered to be an act of intimidation by Duong who has always touted his poltical connection and influence with elected officials.
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Legal Complaints Against Deacon Nhut Ho and My Linh Pham (Valley Health Plan)
The Board of IRCC, the oldest Vietnamese-American nonprofit organization in San jose established in 1976, and its subsidiaries of Viet Museum in San Jose and Dan Sinh Media, just filed a legal complaint against retired Deacon Nhut Quang Ho at the Virgin Mary of La Vang Catholic Church, My Linh Pham, an educational specialist for Valley Health Plan and founder of a nonprofit, Asian American Community Center of Santa Clara County, for unlawful attempt to take over IRCC and trying to destroy Viet Museum by spreading misinformation that are undermining the IRCC's efforts of preserving Vietnamese refugee history of the last 50 years.
The complaint is also against Cuong Nguyen (owner of Pho Wagon), Hong Cao and Tue Quang Phan (retired administrative immigration judge).
 |
| Left to righ: Cuong Nguyen, Tue Phan, Hong Cao |
The legal complaint seeks permanent injunction against the "Gang of Five" as they are known in the community from claiming to be board members of IRCC because they were not legally elected by members according to IRCC Bylaws; and therefore, they should not act as representative of IRCC and conduct affairs of the IRCC. In the court filing, the evidence showed that Nhut Ho, My Linh Pham, Tue Phan, Cuong Nguyen were not elected by members of IRCC as required on an annual basis.
Moreover, there were attempts to remove the former CEO / President, Loc Vu by spreading misinformation to Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors including asking the county for financial fraud investigation against Vu. The complaint was determined to be frivolous without basis.
The legally recognized Board of IRCC as filed under Secretary of State had tried to go through mediation to settle the matter amicable. However, the"Gang of Five" could not agreed among themselves and decided to terminate the mediation.
Late last year, the illegal take over attempt of IRCC by the "Gang of Five" turned ugly as they failed. In a public display of rage, Tue Quang Phan wrote an open letter attack Vu, accusing him of stealing money from IRCC as well as nepotism despite the fact that their financial fraud complaint against Vu was rejected.
Deacon Nhut Ho is a controversial figure in the community and even within his own congregration https://sanjosespotlight.com/report-san-jose-festival-was-behind-the-scenes-nightmare/
 |
| Deacon Nhut Ho |
Some supporters of IRCC were disgusted and suggested such false accusations purposedly trying to damage Loc Vu's legacy should be taken to task with a defamation lawsuit.
The irony is Loc Vu, 92, spent more than 46 years building IRCC to support the resettlement of the Vietnamese refugees in San Jose. Along the way, he single handedly founded Viet Museum to help preserve the legacy of the Vietnamese-American experience in California.
Just last April 27th, in a show of community outpouring support, over 230 people gathered at Santa Clara County auditorium to honor him. Speaking at the event were Congressmembers Sam Liccardo and Zoe Logren, State Senator Dave Cortese, Assemblyman Ash Kalra, SCC Supervisor Betty Duong, Pulitzer Prize author Viet Thanh Nguyen, novelist Andrew Lam, and many other members of the community.
Press release by IRCC on the legal complaint.
Saturday, May 17, 2025
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