REFUGE AFTER WAR (2023)

This 5-part series examines the experiences of Vietnamese and Afghan refugees forced to flee and resettle in Washington state after the falls of Saigon in 1975 and Kabul in 2021.

Through the eyes of director Thanh Tan, a daughter of Vietnamese refugees, this series is a personal examination of the power, the trauma and the challenges of refugee resettlement in the 21st century, and a reflection of America’s ongoing failure to learn from the past.

For more information:
https://www.kcts9.org/show/crosscut-origins/episodes

CREDITS

Director/Narrator – Thanh Tan
Executive Producer – Sarah Menzies
Producer – Shannen Ortale
Director of Photography – Bryce Yukio Adolphson
Editor – David Wulzen
Second Unit – Resti Bagcal, Shannen Ortale, Ryan Zemke, Justin Brown, Paco Sanchez, Viktoria Ralph, Roger Basquette, Andrew Nunes
Interpreters & Translators – Farid K Popal, Setara Wafa, Muska Sadat, Naimatullah Nesar, Ghulam, Rabani Sadeed
Art Director – Greg Cohen
Graphic Design – Madeleine Pisaneschi
Production Manager – Charlie Siddons 

Part 1: Parallel Paths (8:37)

What connects Vietnamese refugees to Afghan refugees? Although these two communities came to the U.S. at very different times, they face eerily similar challenges and have been on parallel paths for decades. We’ll talk to Afghan and Vietnamese voices to understand that history and shared lived experience.

Part 2: U.S. Allies (8:40)

This episode spotlights the Vietnamese and Afghan veterans who fought alongside U.S. forces. Some made it to the U.S. for safe refuge, but what happened to those left behind? What promise did the U.S. make to our Afghan allies – and how did we break that promise?

Part 3: Rebuilding (9:01)

Refugees are expected to become self-sufficient within 90 days, but they often struggle to make it on their own — dealing with housing, language, cultural and financial barriers. They also face the weight of uncertainty: Once they get here, can they stay?

Part 4: Women’s Journeys (8:44)

At Project Feast, an executive director who fled Vietnam as a child now finds herself in the position of helping Afghan refugee women rebuild their lives through a love of cooking. The journey to graduation is anything but simple, though, as the trauma of fleeing takes its toll.

Part 5: What’s Next? (9:00)

Nearly one year after their chaotic displacement and arrival in Washington state, we look ahead to some of the ongoing challenges Afghans will face on the policy and advocacy front, and look back at the Vietnamese refugee experience to mine it for lessons that must be carried forward.