Mekong NYC: Using Culture to build resilience in Southeast Asian communities in New York
September 23rd, 2025
New York, New York, United States
Listen to how this quilt project is being used to build resilience in the Southeast Asian community in New York.
Posted byCherry Ng
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Abstract/Description
The women's circle at Mekong NYC was created to provide a space for participants to engage in community building and healing, dealing with traumas of the past or current distress, celebrate life, and create new leaders in the community whose political consciousness and contributions to the social justice movement will be at the intersection of healing and organizing.
Mekong NYC, a grantee in the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund's Arts in Health initiative, uplifts Southeast Asian communities in the Bronx and New York City through organizing, movement-building, and arts-based healing. Founded to support refugees and immigrants from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand, the organization provides resources, leadership development, and advocacy programs that amplify community voices.
Through traditional arts, storytelling, and creative expression, Mekong NYC fosters resilience, preserves cultural heritage, and addresses intergenerational trauma. With support from the Illumination Fund, it has expanded its arts-based programs, promoting mental health, cultural empowerment, and activism while providing a platform for Southeast Asian New Yorkers to reclaim their histories and advocate for social justice.
Mekong NYC, a grantee in the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund's Arts in Health initiative, uplifts Southeast Asian communities in the Bronx and New York City through organizing, movement-building, and arts-based healing. Founded to support refugees and immigrants from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand, the organization provides resources, leadership development, and advocacy programs that amplify community voices.
Through traditional arts, storytelling, and creative expression, Mekong NYC fosters resilience, preserves cultural heritage, and addresses intergenerational trauma. With support from the Illumination Fund, it has expanded its arts-based programs, promoting mental health, cultural empowerment, and activism while providing a platform for Southeast Asian New Yorkers to reclaim their histories and advocate for social justice.
