Unveiling the Past Through Family Photos: A Journey of Connection and Discovery

Erin Loury is embarking on a journey of discovery, delving into her family’s past through the lens of old photographs. Intrigued by her roots before the upheaval of the Vietnam War, she is on a mission to preserve and understand the narrative that shaped her identity.

The black-and-white photograph captured a moment of joy and lightness, with Erin’s mother, a teenager at the time, beaming outside the Cao Dai Temple in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta during a family trip in the 1970s.

These precious family photos serve as the only remnants of a bygone era in Vietnam for Erin’s family. Saved from the abandonment of their Saigon home at the war’s end, these images hold the key to a past that would have otherwise been lost to time.

A new exhibit at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, titled “Sowing Seeds,” sheds light on Filipino American stories from the Pajaro Valley, a collaboration between UC Santa Cruz and the community-led Tobera Project.

The intersection of personal family history and community heritage in the exhibit struck a chord with Erin, leading her to a deeper connection with the diverse narratives that weave through Santa Cruz County.

Erin’s own journey unraveled layers of migration, adaptation, and belonging, tracing back to her mother’s escape from Vietnam in 1975 and subsequent life in California, where she met Erin’s American father.

Despite growing up in a predominantly Vietnamese community in San Jose, Erin found herself on the periphery of her cultural heritage. It was only through her own pursuit of language and family history that she began to piece together her identity.

As a self-appointed family historian, Erin has meticulously scanned and digitized old family photos, uncovering moments of joy, sadness, and resilience embedded in her mother’s past life in Vietnam.

With each photo scanned, Erin not only preserves a fragment of her family’s history but also reaffirms her place in the ongoing narrative of diaspora and cultural preservation.

Family photos, like artifacts of memory, serve as a bridge between past and present, inviting collective remembrance and reflection on the diverse tapestry of experiences that shape our identities.

Erin Loury, a writer and scientist with a background in marine biology and conservation, continues to document her journey of self-discovery and cultural reconnection, sharing snippets of her story through various mediums.