After the fall of Saigon, many Vietnamese refugees made new homes along the Texas Coast. Forging a new way of life was not easy, but the resulting blend of Vietnamese and American cultures is a trademark of many small Gulf Coast towns today.

While working at the Institute of Texan Cultures, Sara Massey became interested in preserving the stories of Vietnamese-Texan fishing communities. She conducted 49 interviews with Vietnamese immigrants living in Palacios, Rockport, Port Lavaca and Fulton, Texas. The interviews covered their memories of the war, the escape from South Vietnam, life in the refugee camps, coming to the U.S., obtaining a sponsor, finding work, learning English, moving to Texas and building a new life.