Southeast Asian Diaspora Studies

The UCI Libraries Southeast Asian Archive collects, preserves, and makes accessible primary and secondary source materials documenting the history of the Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, and Vietnamese diaspora. Collection strengths include Southeast Asian American experiences of resettlement and community formations since the Vietnam War, Cambodian Genocide, and geopolitical turmoil in the former French-occupied "Indochina" in the latter half of the 20th century. 

To view FINDING AIDS to archival collections in the SEAA, please visit the Online Archive of California

To search for book, film, thesis and dissertation titles in the SEAA collection, use UC Library Search

The UCI Libraries' Southeast Asian Archive (SEAA) is a part of the UCI Libraries' Special Collections Department.  The SEAA circulating materials are housed in the Orange County & Southeast Asian Archive Center and in the archival collections in Special Collections (Langson 5th floor, closed stacks).

The Vertical Files (file cabinets) in the Southeast Asian Archive contain many primary sources, such as programs and fliers of community and student events, government reports on refugee resettlement, and political campaign flyers for Southeast Asian American candidates. Researchers often look at the Online Archive of California finding aids for the SEAA before their visit in order to decide which files might be relevant.

Primary materials in the stacks include business directories, published memoirs, and transcripts of oral histories. 

SEAA archival materials (housed in Special Collections & Archives on the 5th floor of Langson Library) include photographs, artifacts, original artwork from refugee camps, letters, and diaries.  All of the collections are described in the Online Archive of California finding aid for SEAA.

Examples of primary sources 

UCI Libraries Primary Sources Tutorial

Using Primary Sources on the Web (created by the American Library Association)