Falls Church, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Vietnamese Immigrants in Northern Virginia

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 19, 2022

1. Vietnamese Immigrants in Northern Virginia Marker

Inscription. Thousands of Vietnamese refugees immigrated to the U.S. after the fall of South Vietnamese capital of Saigon in April 1975. Proximity to Washington, D.C., made Arlington a popular location for settlement. A vibrant enclave of businesses, known as Little Saigon, arose in the Clarendon neighborhood and became a social and commercial hub for the community. Climbing rents in the 1980s displaced these businesses, and many relocated to Eden Center. Modeled on market districts in Vietnam, Eden Center grew to include more than 120 shops and restaurants. A regional gathering place for Vietnamese Americans, it became the largest source of Vietnamese goods on the East Coast.

Erected 2021 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number C-49.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers • War, Vietnam. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1975.

Location. 38° 52.366′ N, 77° 9.236′ W. Marker is in Falls Church, Virginia.

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It is on Wilson Boulevard west of Leesburg Pike (Virginia Route 7), on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6799 Wilson Blvd, Falls Church VA 22044, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area

and in Northern Virginia.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fort Buffalo (approx. ¼ mile away); Fairfax Chapel (approx. ¼ mile away); Taylor’s Tavern (approx. ¼ mile away); Falls Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Taylor’s Tavern (approx. 0.3 miles away); Original Federal Boundary Stone, District of Columbia, Southwest 8

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 19, 2022

2. Vietnamese Immigrants in Northern Virginia Marker

(approx. 0.4 miles away); Dominion Hills, Past and Present (approx. 0.4 miles away); Febrey-Lothrop-Rouse Property (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Falls Church.

Additional commentary.
1. Location of the marker and Eden Center
This marker and Eden Center are both north of Wilson Boulevard, which put them (barely) in the jurisdiction of the City of Falls Church. Across the street is Fairfax County, and within two blocks is Arlington County. The City of Falls Church is legally distinct from both of these counties, although parts of each have addresses with a Falls Church ZIP code, assigned by the U.S. Postal Service.

— Submitted June 19, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.

Vietnamese-style gateway to Eden Center from Wilson Boulevard image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ronald D Anzalone, June 1, 2022

3. Vietnamese-style gateway to Eden Center from Wilson Boulevard

Credits. This page was last revised on November 2, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 19, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 1,276 times since then and 94 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 19, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on June 25, 2022, by Ronald D Anzalone of Falls Church, Virginia.