Join us for a new series of stories from the Center for Local History highlighting members of our community who made a difference in ways that helped shape our history and created positive change.
Their voices were not always loud, but what they said or did had a significant impact on our community.
Nguyen Ngoc Bich
Nguyen Ngoc Bich (1937-2016) was a pivotal Arlingtonian in commercial and community affairs alike. After his arrival in the U.S. in 1975, Bich became an educator in Arlington County, teaching adults at the Arlington Career Center as well as students at Key Elementary and Wakefield High School before teaching Vietnamese culture, literature, and civilization at George Mason University.
Little Saigon, date unknown
Bich branched out into endeavors such as authoring and editing works of both non-fiction and poetry, translating books into Vietnamese and English, and becoming Director of the Vietnamese Service for Radio Free Asia. Bich also played a crucial role in the establishment of the restaurants and shops in Clarendon known as “Little Saigon”.
He advocated and urged his fellow Vietnamese residents to take advantage of inexpensive short-term real estate contracts made available by vacancies from businesses that left as a result of demolition for Metro construction. It is estimated that at the height of Little Saigon’s heyday, it comprised as many as 70-80 establishments.
Little Saigon, date unknown
Despite often facing resistance as a result of tensions from the Vietnam War, Bich became the Multicultural Coordinator for Arlington County from 1987-1991. In his own words:
“I knew every single person, establishment in the area, and not just the Vietnamese…I knew the Hispanic… Cambodian… Ethiopian…the whole community, and that’s why they called me the deputy mayor of Arlington.”
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