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About the Nonprofit

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Vietnamese Association of IL (VAI) was founded in 1976 and began as an organization assisting in the
resettlement of refugees from Southeast Asia, particularly of people from Vietnam, to the
surrounding area of Uptown in Chicago. Since then, VAI has expanded services and programming to
meet the evolving needs in the community, such as with families adjusting to life in the U.S., applying
for public benefits and citizenship, and hosting community-building events to celebrate Vietnamese
culture. At its height, there were 28,000 people of Vietnamese-descent living in Chicago and the
surrounding metropolitan area and thousands of people attended VAI’s events.

Our mission is to serve diverse communities, and foster unity and solidarity among Vietnamese
people in Illinois.