Day 62: Fort Chaffee, Fort Smith, Arkansas
📌APIA Every Day (62) - Situated in Arkansas, Fort Chaffee, originally named Camp Chaffee, was designated as a processing center for Indochinese refugees in the aftermath of the fall of Saigon. Established in 1941 as a training center and German prisoner-of-war camp, it later became the relocation center for the 1975 Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act project, also known as "Operation New Life.” By December 20, 1975, the fort had processed 50,809 refugees from Southeast Asia.
Among these refugees were diverse populations, including Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian, and Hmong, who were granted permanent legal residence in the U.S. They received support from sponsors and host families, with coordination provided by agencies such as the United States Catholic Conference.
Local reactions to the refugees varied with xenophobic and racist sentiment mentioned. Despite these challenges, efforts were made to assist their transition, such as English language classes and cultural events. However, life at Fort Chaffee presented hardships, evident in a demonstration on June 20, 1975, expressing refugee frustration. While tensions persisted, some refugees eventually settled in the city of Fort Smith, creating the ethnic enclave visible today.
Although only a small fraction settled in Fort Smith, the city's social landscape changed with more Indochinese migrants. In the 2000 Census, Asian Americans, including those from Indochina, comprised 3.6 percent of Sebastian County's population. This cultural impact included the establishment of Buddhist temples, Asian grocery stores and restaurants, with refugees' native languages integrated into daily life. In 2002, the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith documented this period through oral history interviews, recording interactions between locals and refugees at Fort Chaffee, which closed in 1995.
LEARN MORE:
Encyclopedia of Arkansas: Indochinese Resettlement Program
Encyclopedia of Arkansas: Fort Chaffee
Immigration History: Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act (1975)
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