From the Darkroom: Vietnamese refugees aided by Council of Churches prepare food in thanks

Springfield-Greene County Library District
Anh Truong displays food prepared by Vietnamese refugees in this file photo published in the June 9, 1982 Springfield Leader & Press.
Anh Truong displays food prepared by Vietnamese refugees in this file photo published in the June 9, 1982 Springfield Leader & Press.

Anh Truong displays the result of nearly a day's culinary labor in this picture from the Springfield Leader & Press.

The Truongs and other Vietnamese refugees gathered in June of 1982 to prepare this food and more at the Sacred Heart Parish to honor their English teacher, Leslie Johnson. In 1975, the Council of Churches of the Ozarks established a Refugee Resettlement Program that assisted many Vietnamese families as they settled in the Springfield area following the Vietnam War.

This image is part of a much larger collection of historically rich photographs from the News-Leader’s photo archive. Each week, the Springfield-Greene County Library will tap into this vast collection and present an interesting image “from the darkroom" and share its history. This image is presented in partnership between the Springfield-Greene County Library District and the Springfield News-Leader. For more historical images of the Ozarks, visit: thelibrary.org/fromthedarkroom.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: From the Darkroom: Vietnamese refugees aided by Council of Churches