A Terraced House in 2024
Curated with the help of participants from the Vietnamese community
Funded by Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association
Located in Saigon Court, a development run by the Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association, this house is typical of those built in the low-cost housing boom of the 1990s and 2000s.
Background
Resettled spaces
Throughout the 1980s, Vietnamese community members established organisations such as the An Việt Foundation & Housing Association (now Lien Viet HA) which served to remove cultural and language barriers, and help Vietnamese people access vital services and information to make home in the UK.
Cash only
From the mid-1980s Vietnamese-owned businesses began to pop-up across Lewisham and Hackney, from supermarkets, restaurants and beauty salons to logistics and textile companies. In turn, this enabled employment for the wider Vietnamese community.
Working from home
Propelled by technological advancements and the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘WFH’ has blurred boundaries between work and personal life, as home becomes the new office. Homes have become more multifunctional, emphasising comfort, flexibility, and adaptability to accommodate remote work requirements.
Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebration
‘Tết’ (Vietnamese Lunar New Year is celebrated widely across the UK by the Vietnamese community. The largest annual event in Deptford is organised by Vietnamese Family Partnership, with the celebrations attracting thousands of visitors.
Personal stories
Chú Nguyễn
"The garden has so much meaning to me, I can enjoy the taste of my homeland, that’s why I like it most. The winter Melons are extremely good, they can keep fresh all year round and don’t spoil. This is why I like to grow them."
Erica Pham
"My mum has always been a bit of a seeker, she turned to Buddhism later. There is a whole room dedicated to the altar; she just changes the incense, changes the tea in the pot, and the flowers in there, so my mum actually does it daily."
What's happening
It is Sunday afternoon and the Nguyễn family are spending quality time together. Nhung is visiting her parents for lunch and karaoke.
Hoa is showing her daughter how to prepare her special chicken phở, nudging her to pick some coriander and mint from the herb garden. Between dicing and chopping Hoa shares memories from her childhood in Vietnam, speaking a blend of Vietnamese and English.
Their father Tiết is in the living room watching his favourite programme Paris by Night on his iPad, and is enjoying the warming smells of star anise, cinnamon and ginger emanating from the phở broth in the kitchen.
Things to look out for
The bookshelf
Visitors are welcome to delve into a growing selection of books curated by the Museum and donors around Vietnamese food, gardening, and home.
Weighing Scales
Thanh’s father worked as a Dim Sum chef in one of Chinatown’s first Chinese restaurants. Her father would take out these weighing scales and begin making an endless supply of dumplings and Char Siu (barbecue pork) buns. These were sold to close family and friends only; Thanh refers to this as the ‘underground dumpling network.’
Industrial sewing machine
Tiết and Hoa obtained this sewing machine from a textile factory, where they worked as tailors when they settled in the UK. The job was accessible to them as they had learnt sewing skills in Vietnam, and the role only required a basic level of English. The couple used the machine for mending clothes and making textiles for the home.
Curating this space
Through workshops, events, and interviews, this room has been curated in direct consultation with the British Vietnamese community.
In 2022 Julia Thanh and Dan Vo facilitated workshops exploring what domestic spaces to show and how to best represent the diversity and nuances of Vietnamese identity and experiences of home. Together, they decided on the kitchen, living room and conservatory as significant spaces.
A timeline that honours the rich tapestry of Vietnamese history and heritage was co curated with archivist and artist Cường Minh Bá Phạm, community members, and the Museum.
With the help of community researchers Hannah Vu and Julia Thanh, the Museum has expanded its collection to include regional objects and stories that paint a vivid picture of the British Vietnamese experience across the UK.
Collecting
Objects and oral histories in our collections were collected from different regions of the UK including Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham and London. The project has seen the acquisition of objects and a significantly expanded collection from the British Vietnamese community, developing a rich resource for learning at Museum of the Home. For other archives on British Vietnamese history in the UK, see An Việt Archives and Tower Hamlets Library & Archives.
This space was created in collaboration with Vietnamese restaurant Viet Hoa Café on Dalston Kingsland Road and Viet Rest on Deptford High Street. Through our ESEA programme we have intentionally sought opportunities to collaborate with our neighbouring Vietnamese restaurants.
We are proud to have worked with Viet Hoa, Sen Viet and Mien Tay on the Uncovering Vietnamese Archive residency, No Place Like Home launch event, Sonic Pho and our Real Rooms community event.
Looking for more?
Come and immerse yourself in the rooms, and discover the personal stories and social history behind them, at the Museum.