Kyushu celebrates Vietnamese Language Festival: Honoring children, teachers, and the overseas community

Delegates, teachers, parents, and Vietnamese children in Japan take a commemorative photo during the “Fun with Vietnamese, Remembering Uncle Ho” program in Fukuoka, showcasing community solidarity.

On May 31, in anticipation of International Children's Day on June 1 and the 136th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh, the Consulate General of Vietnam in Fukuoka, in collaboration with the Global Network for Vietnamese Language Teaching and Cultural Preservation, the Vietnamese Association in Fukuoka, the Vietnamese Women's Association in Kyushu, and other Vietnamese associations in the region, organized the “Fun with Vietnamese, remembering Uncle Ho” program and International Children's Day on June 1.

The program was attended by Ms. Trinh Thi Mai Phuong, Consul General of Vietnam in Fukuoka; Mr. Nguyen Duy Anh, Member of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Secretary-General of the Global Network for Vietnamese Language Teaching and Cultural Preservation; Mr. Hoang Xuan Dung, President of the Vietnamese Association in Fukuoka; Mr. Pham Thanh Hoang, President of the Vietnamese Business Association in Kyushu, along with representatives from various associations, teachers, parents, and a large number of Vietnamese children in Japan.

The program was also connected online with Vietnamese community hubs in South Central Japan and Kumamoto Province, with the participation of Mr. Ngo Duy Dong, Vice President of the Vietnamese Association in South Central Japan, and Ms. Le Tram, President of the Vietnamese Association in Kumamoto, thereby demonstrating the solidarity and companionship of the Vietnamese community throughout the Kyushu region.

The event was organized in a hybrid format, connecting hubs in Fukuoka, South Central Japan, and Kumamoto, attracting the participation of numerous parents, teachers, volunteers, and Vietnamese children living in Japan.

This meaningful activity aims to encourage young overseas Vietnamese to learn and use Vietnamese, while also enhancing their understanding of national culture, nurturing love for their homeland.

Additionally, the program serves as an occasion to honor individuals and groups who have made significant contributions to preserving the Vietnamese language and cultural identity within the Vietnamese community in Kyushu and Japan at large.

Mr. Nguyen Duy Anh, Member of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Secretary-General of the Global Network for Vietnamese Language Teaching and Cultural Preservation, speaks at the event.

Speaking at the program, Mr. Nguyen Duy Anh emphasized that preserving the Vietnamese language for overseas Vietnamese children is not only an educational task but also a responsibility in protecting the cultural identity of the nation.

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According to him, the most valuable aspect of the Vietnamese teaching and learning movement in Kyushu today is the formation of a comprehensive community model, where Vietnamese Representative Missions, associations, volunteer teachers, parents, and children work towards the common goal of preserving the Vietnamese language and culture.

He shared: “Kyushu is gradually building a model to preserve Vietnamese from the community roots, where each family is the first classroom, each teacher is a keeper of the flame, each association is a support point, and each child is a green sprout of Vietnam. As long as the children love Vietnamese, want to speak Vietnamese, sing in Vietnamese, and tell stories in Vietnamese, the Vietnamese identity will be naturally, warmly, and enduringly continued far from the homeland.”

Mr. Nguyen Duy Anh also noted that each entry in the program is a vivid testament to the love for Vietnamese and the affection for the homeland among the young Vietnamese generation born and raised in Japan.

“For Vietnamese children living in Japan today, love for the homeland can start from very simple things: a greeting in Vietnamese, a Vietnamese song, a painting of the homeland, or a loving call to grandparents, parents in Vietnamese,” he said.

Ms. Trinh Thi Mai Phuong, Consul General of Vietnam in Fukuoka, presents certificates of merit to outstanding children in the “Fun with Vietnamese, Remembering Uncle Ho” program, recognizing their efforts in learning and preserving Vietnamese.

Praising the significance of the program, Ms. Trinh Thi Mai Phuong, Consul General of Vietnam in Fukuoka, stated that this is a meaningful community activity, contributing to connecting generations of Vietnamese in Japan through Vietnamese language and traditional cultural values.

According to the Consul General, the fact that children born and raised abroad still love learning Vietnamese, confidently use it, and actively participate in community activities is a positive sign, demonstrating effective collaboration between families, associations, and Vietnamese language classes in preserving national identity.

She affirmed that the Consulate General of Vietnam in Fukuoka will continue to accompany associations and the Global Network for Vietnamese Language Teaching and Cultural Preservation in implementing activities for the younger generation, contributing to building a united, developing Vietnamese community in Japan that always looks towards the homeland.

Children at the “Fun with Vietnamese, Remembering Uncle Ho” honoring ceremony joyfully participate in interactive performances, showcasing their love for Vietnamese and joy in the community festival.

During the program, the organizers honored outstanding children participating in the “Fun with Vietnamese, remembering Uncle Ho” contest and commended groups, teachers, volunteers, and parents who have made significant contributions to the Vietnamese language teaching and learning movement in the Vietnamese community in Japan.

Notably, many children with dual Vietnamese-Japanese cultural backgrounds confidently communicated in Vietnamese, participated in storytelling, poetry reading, painting, and expressed their feelings about President Ho Chi Minh and their homeland Vietnam.

Miyazaki Minh An, one of the honored children, shared: “I am very happy to learn Vietnamese with my parents and teachers. I like talking to my grandparents in Vietnam in Vietnamese. In the future, I want to visit Vietnam more to learn about my homeland.”

According to the organizers, these simple shares are clear evidence of the effectiveness of community Vietnamese language classes, where language becomes an emotional bridge between generations and connects children with their ethnic roots.

Mr. Hoang Xuan Dung, President of the Vietnamese Association in Fukuoka, stated that the Vietnamese community in Kyushu always identifies maintaining Vietnamese for the younger generation as one of the top priorities. According to him, Vietnamese is the strongest bond connecting children born abroad with their homeland Vietnam.

Therefore, the association has closely coordinated with associations, teachers, and parents to maintain Vietnamese language classes, organize cultural playgrounds, and create an environment for regular Vietnamese use for the children.

He emphasized: “We want the children not only to speak Vietnamese but also to understand national history, understand Vietnamese culture, and be proud of their roots. This is the foundation for them to become global citizens while retaining their Vietnamese identity.”

Mr. Nguyen Duy Anh presents certificates of merit to children who diligently study Vietnamese, recognizing their achievements and encouraging the younger generation of expatriates to continue maintaining and spreading their love for Vietnamese.

Not only honoring students, the program also pays tribute to volunteer teachers who quietly teach Vietnamese in Japan. Many have maintained classes for years, dedicating time outside their main jobs to teach Vietnamese for free to children in the community.

Outstanding families were also commended for persistently creating a Vietnamese environment in daily life, helping their children maintain the ability to use their mother tongue despite living in a fully Japanese-speaking environment.

Besides the contest awards ceremony, the program also served as a children's festival for International Children's Day on June 1, featuring various interactive, cultural, and artistic activities, allowing participants to experience Vietnamese culture right in Japan.

Songs about Uncle Ho, the homeland, and performances by the children, along with meaningful gifts from the organizers, brought a warm Children's Day, nurturing love for Vietnamese, family, and pride in ethnic roots.

Delegates, parents, and guests attentively follow the “Fun with Vietnamese, remembering Uncle Ho” program, listening to presentations and observing children's activities.

Through the program, the organizers aim to spread the message that preserving Vietnamese is not just the responsibility of schools or teachers, but requires the collective effort of society, with families playing a particularly important role.

This year's event marks a new development in the Vietnamese teaching and learning movement in the Kyushu area, with more associations, classes, and families participating, forming an ecosystem supporting Vietnamese for overseas Vietnamese children.

The program also aims to implement the Party and State's policies on promoting the strength of the overseas Vietnamese community, enhancing cultural integration, and preserving national identity.

In particular, the event contributes to realizing the spirit of Resolution No. 80 on building and developing Vietnamese culture in the integration period, emphasizing the task of preserving and promoting the Vietnamese language and cultural values in the overseas Vietnamese community.

In the future, the Global Network for Vietnamese Language Teaching and Cultural Preservation plans to continue collaborating with Vietnamese Representative Missions and associations to expand Vietnamese teaching activities, develop digital learning materials, and organize cultural playgrounds, competitions, and exchange programs for Vietnamese youth worldwide.

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