FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2022
CONTACT: Alan B. Frank, Sr. VP, Eden Center, Inc.

FALLS CHURCH, VA—The Virginia Historical Commission (VHC) has recognized Vietnamese Immigrants in Northern Virginia as a significant part of Virginia history by awarding it an Official Virginia Historical Marker. The designation honors Vietnamese Immigrants in Northern Virginia as an important and educational part of local history.

A dedication ceremony to commemorate the event will be held on May 24, 2022 at Eden Center at 3:30PM. Speakers for the afternoon will include Mayor David Tarter, Trinh Nguyen Mau, Chairman of the Vietnamese Senior Citizen’s Association, and Alan B. Frank, Sr. VP and General Counsel of Capital Commercial Properties, Inc. The Eden Center will host the ceremony and welcomes the public to share in and witness this exciting historical event.

“The Official Virginia Historical Marker program helps bring attention to community treasures and the importance of their preservation,” said Douglas Ebenstein, President and Chairman of the Board of Eden Center, Inc., and Capital Commercial Properties, Inc. “Awareness and education are among the best ways to guarantee the preservation of history. This designation is a tool that will increase public awareness of important cultural resources, like Eden Center”, Doug Ebenstein said.

Virginia’s historical marker program is the oldest such program in the nation, beginning in 1927 when a handful of markers were erected along U.S. 1 between Richmond and Mount Vernon. To qualify for a state historical marker, the topic must be about a person, place, event or institution that has statewide or national significance.

Nomination for the historical marker was made by Oliver Hardi (8th grade) and Griffin Hardi (7th grade), both of whom are students at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School in Falls Church. The students were participating in the 2021 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Historical Marker Contest, a contest that involved many students at the Middle School.

“It is vital that as we move forward, that we do not forget our past. Not only will this Virginia Historical Marker raise awareness of this important and fascinating culture and history, but it will become a building block for local tourism,” said David Tarter, Mayor of the City of Falls Church VA.