Vietnamese Fishermen v. The Ku Klux Klan
After the fall of Saigon in 1975, Vietnamese refugees living and working in the Gulf Coast region fight against threatening and terrorizing tactics by the Ku Klux Klan.
Special thanks to David Weinberg of JuryGroup for creating the slide presentation that accompanies the script.
SCRIPT EXCERPT
Q: What was it about the March 15th boat ride that made you feel intimidated and afraid to go fishing on May 15?
A: On the boat have a lot of weapons on there, including automatic rifle weapon. . . . I think that, because they burn the Vietnamese boat. They say USS VIET CONG. They would light the boat and hang the man. We know that.
Q: What was it specifically that the Ku Klux Klan did that caused you to be intimidated?
A: They give the 90Â days to the government.
Q: Ninety days for what?
A: To the government to resolve the problem. If after 90 day, May 15, the government cannot relocate the people from there to resolve the problem, the KKK will take action against us.
Q: Okay. You understood them to say they were taking action against you, meaning you and the Vietnamese?
A: Vietnamese, yes.
Q: I think you mentioned the boat burning, the USS VIET CONG.
A: The Klan show how to burn the boat. They make us feel worry. We worry, all the Vietnamese fishermen that have their boat. They afraid who will burn their boat. And so they feel intimidated. . . . If you’re in our position, you afraid, too, sir.
From AABANY’s performance at the NAPABA Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA, November 7, 2015
VIDEOS
On May 11, 2016. Cadwalader’s New York office hosted a reenactment
of Vietnamese Fishermen v. The Ku Klux Klan
PERFORMANCES BY AABANY
Allen & Overy, New York, NY, May 25, 2022
NYC Premiere of The Vietnamese Fishermen v. The Ku Klux Klan Reenactment, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, May 11, 2016
NAPABA Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA, November 7, 2015
PERFORMANCES BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
Harvard APALSA, Cambridge, MA, March 2, 2024
ABA Antitrust Law Section, Washington, DC, January 16, 2024
Columbia APALSA, New York, NY, February 3, 2023
White & Case Asian Affinity Network, New York, NY, June 23, 2022
Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego (PALSD) Fifth Annual Trial Reenactment, James M. Carter & Judith N. Keep United States Courthouse, San Diego, CA, May 30, 2019
Monthly meeting of the William E. Doyle Inn of Court, University Club, Denver, CO, February 21, 2018
Spring Retreat of the Frederick Friends Meeting / Warrington Quarterly Meeting, Thurmont, MD, April 30, 2016