NORTHEAST NEWS
June 5, 2013

Vietnamese buffet. Attendees of the May 18 Cultural Celebration of Kansas City’s Vietnamese Community line up for an authentic Vietnamese buffet. The North-East Public Library, along with Vox Narro, hosted the celebration to highlight one of Kansas City’s immigrant communities. Vietnamese guest speakers and performers talked about the culture and their journey to the United States. One of the speakers, U.S. Army Maj. Lan Dalat, tried to escape Vietnam with others via boat, but the boat’s engine later failed. Dalat named his son after Naval Capt. Dan Pedersen who helped rescue the boat’s occupants in 1981. The son, Dan, now grade school age, gave a speech about the meaning behind his name. Photo by Leslie Collins