Ta Đoàn Áo Lam

Gia Dinh Phat Tu Pho Hien (Pho Hien Buddhist Youth Association) salutes the association's flag on April 15, 2018 at Pho Hien Buddhist Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. After saluting, the entire association sings the international Buddhist association's anthem Sen Trang, which is named after its symbol the white lotus.

Lance Le, 10, learns to play the bell for weekly prayer from huynh truong, or leader, Kieu Duong on April 29, 2018 at Pho Hien Buddhist Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. Older leaders usually teach younger members to play the instruments for Sunday prayers, while also teaching them the meaning of the prayers in both Vietnamese and English. English sermons was incorporated into weekly prayers in April.

Ryan Tran, 9, reports his line's attendance back to huynh truong, or leader, Kieu Duong on April 29, 2018 at Pho Hien Buddhist Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. Every line leader took attendance of their members to report back to the group leader for records. To trade off information or speaking roles, members first salute to whoever has the floor.

Older brother Lam Le, 18, wraps his hands around his youngest brother Lance Le, 10, shaping them into prayer palms on April 29, 2018 at Pho Hien Buddhist Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. Three of the four Le brothers attend Gia Dinh Phat Tu Pho Hien, and all three brothers are a part of the lion dance troupe.

Pho Hien Buddhist Association's upper-level Vietnamese class works on building a higher score with the mobile language learning applicaiton Duolingo on April 15, 2018 at Pho Hien Buddhist Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. The association used Duolingo as a tool for its members to be able to practice outside of class daily, but members often do not meet their daily goals. Lower level Vietnamese courses are taught by the association's leaders or parent-volunteers.

Members pause to pray before eating lunch on April 29, 2018 at Pho Hien Buddhist Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. Before eating lunch on Sundays, members would pray, and then, eat mindfully in silence for five minutes before talking to one another. Members were told to put their utensils down between every bite and chew 20-30 times before continuing to eat.

A bundle of ao lam, or gray shirts, sit in a tree on April 29, 2018 outside Pho Hien Buddhist Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. The ao lam is a part of the traditional buddhist youth association's uniform. It symbolizes unity, harmony, patience, diligence and love bringing all members together.

Ryan Tran, 9, pulls brothers Loc, 12, and Lance, 10, Le, on a trolley around Pho Hien Buddhist Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. All three boys are a part of the Oanh Vu Nam group in Gia Dinh Phat Tu Pho Hien. Oanh Vu Nam is for boys aged six to 12.

Jacklynn Pham, 16, Ann Nguyen, 16, and Steven Tran, 15, talk during recess hours after lunch on April 15, 2018 at Pho Hien Buddhist Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. The members are allowed an hour of free time to play after lunch outside or in the gymnasium.

Huynh truong, or leader, Kieu Duong works on fixing a lion dance head while younger members play in the gym on April 29, 2018 at Pho Hien Buddhist Temple. Vietnamese class was cancelled for the older members, because their teacher was not present.

Ten-year-old Lance Le, red lion dance pants, waits to perform on April 28, 2018 at Garrison Community Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Le and his older brother Loc Le are paired as head and tail during lion dancing.

Jacklynn Pham, 16, Erica Pham, 17, and Ann Nguyen, 16, prepares for the ao dai contest on April 28, 2018 at Garrison Community Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The ao dai is a traditional Vietnamese dress that's typically long, fitted and worn by women of all ages. All three individuals participated in the fashion show hosted by Cong Dong Viet Nam Tai Kansas City, the Vietnamese Community in Kansas City.

Gia Dinh Phat Tu (GDPT) Pho Hien members struggle to read a Vietnamese introduction script written on a napkin on April 28, 2018 at Garrison Community Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Each member participating in the ao dai contest had to greet the judges and audience and introduce themselves in Vietnamese.

Dancers Erica Pham, 17, Jenny Tran, 14, and Charlene Nguyen, 14, practices their dance routine on April 28, 2018 at Garrison Community Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The dance showcased traditional Vietnamese dresses and colorful fans.

Austin Le, 9, in the far right, holds the thumb of an older leader during Day Than Ai on April 29, 2018 at Pho Hien Buddhist Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. Day Than Ai is the last ritual all Buddhist youth groups do to signify the end of a gathering. During the ritual, the members stand in a circle, cross their right arm over their left, grab their neighbors' hands and sing the Day Than Ai song.

Ta Đoàn Áo Lam (We, the Gray Shirts) by Huong Truong

Gia Đình Phật Tử (GĐPT) Phổ Hiền, a Buddhist youth association, was founded in 1988 by founders Phạm Văn Phê, Nguyễn Thị Phương Thu, and Đoàn Văn Đức under the guidance of Venerable Thích Thắng Hoan Thích Đổng Chơn and Venerable Thích Thiện Huyền. Gia Đình Phật Tử, or the Áo Lam, began in Vietnam, and came to America with the refugee streams in 1975. The mission of the Áo Lam, or gray shirt, is to safe keep, teach and live by the teachings of Buddha, while also preserving Vietnamese cultural traditions and rituals. As members age and younger Vietnamese-Americans join GĐPT, leaders must pass on cultural and religious traditions to a generation that finds it more challenging to hold on to its mother tongue. Although GĐPT Phổ Hiền may not be as large, it still upholds the mission of the Áo Lam by creating a family for youth to learn and grow under Buddhist values and Vietnamese traditions.

The GĐPT offers children a place to learn Vietnamese through class and curricular activities, such as lion dancing and traditional Vietnamese dancing. Weekly classes and activities occur on Sundays. Students learn from volunteer teachers, usually parents and huynh trưởng(s), the association’s leaders. Members also go and participate in regional camps throughout the year, meeting other Buddhist youth associations in the regional Miền Tịnh Khiết to learn, make friends, and test to move up ranking within the association. Aside from participating in temple activities, GĐPT Phổ Hiền also serves and works with the greater Vietnamese community in Kansas City, Missouri. Today, GĐPT Phổ Hiền has around 80 total members, with about half being consistently active weekly.

This passion project struck me to the core. In many ways, it is a visual ode to my parents and every huynh trưởng who fought not to lose our Vietnamese heritage in a foreign land. It brings me back to when I was a part of GĐPT in Oklahoma with the realization of what that meant to my parents. I learned the history running in my veins in GĐPT. It is a privilege that I know my culture, thanks to my parents’ tireless dedication to reminding their kids who we are by providing a place for the Vietnamese community to thrive in Oklahoma City. They cultivated and continue to help maintain a community that supports initiatives like GĐPT. It seems fitting that my final university visual project would be centered around passing on Vietnamese traditions. As fate would have it, I presented Ta Đoàn Áo Lam on April 30, 2018, ngày mất nước (the day we lost our land) exactly 43 years after the Republic of Viet Nam lost, after my parents became refugees, and two weeks before I graduate college making my parents’ dream come true. I decided to pursue this project because it helps tell my people’s stories, the ones that are rarely ever heard.

“Ta Đoàn Áo Lam tiến bước lên đường, nhịp nhàng theo gió sớm về ngát hương.”

– GĐPT, Ta Đoàn Áo Lam