Journal of Sacred Work

I am fascinated by the stories of caregivers whose spirits inform
their work and every aspects of their lives. This is the story of one such caregiver Ysa Le, an Infusion Pharmacist at the St. Joseph Home Health Network. Ysa works 4
days per week at Home Health and volunteers an equal number of hours on
behalf of her Vietnamese community. You might ask the burning question, how can
she do this, or more importantly why would she? 
The answer is pure joy; she follows her passion to promote the telling
of Vietnamese stories through diverse artistic expression.

  Ysa was born in South
Vietnam where she lived through a tumultuous time of war. Her mother, Diane Le studied abroad and earned her degree in nursing
from Texas
Woman's University in 1962. Her father, Dieu Le taught college journalism and was an Attaché
to the Deputy Prime Minister. In 1975, with the fall of Saigon Mr. Le was
arrested (due to his government position) and detained in prison for six long years. During this time Ysa’s family
suffered great loss and hardship. Mrs. Le did her best to
care for their three children in distressing times. Anxious to
flee the communist regime her mother sold all their possessions to gain boat
passage out of Vietnam.
In all, there were ten failed attempts, desperate to escape, which landed
her family in and out of jail.

Ysa’s
father was released from prison in 1981. He appealed to the French Government
to allow their family to emigrate. The French accepted his request and in 1983,
the Le family moved to France.
Ysa (age 13) was immersed in a radically different culture. At
school, she successfully overcame the challenge of learning with all classes taught in a foreign language. Ysa enjoyed living in France
and acclimated well to her new life and surroundings.

 Ysa was 15 when her family immigrated
to the United States
and settled in Southern CA.  Her mom worked as a nurse in special
education. Her father secured a journalist position for the Daily News. In
1991, Mr. Le, along with a group of Vietnamese American journalists, artists
and friends founded the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association
(VAALA). This community-based, non-profit organization formed to promote the
arts and culture of the Vietnamese community. 

 Ysa graduated from the University
of Southern California in 1994. She
met Hao-Nhien Vu and a kinship grew between them. Hao-Nhien wanted to
start a Vietnamese book club and dreamed of
building a Vietnamese library, which impressed Ysa. In 1996, Hao-Nhien and Ysa acknowledged their love for one another through commitment in marriage. Presently, Hao-Nhien is the managing editor of the Nguoi Viet Daily News.

Mr.
Le died in 1999 and Ysa decided to volunteer at VAALA to honor her father’s
memory. This awakened a fervor for art activism, which has blossomed in wondrous ways. Ysa served
as VAALA’s Board President from 2004-2008, and is currently the Executive
Director. VAALA organizes cultural events such as art exhibitions, book
projects, book signings, recitals, plays, and lectures. Ysa strives to help her
people have a voice in the Vietnamese community; a voice that has long been
censored. One artist whose work was showcased is Saigon-1.His graffiti art manifests when he "leaps into the shadows to create art at night and in secrecy" and can be found on the sides of trains. The artist shared, "My life is a beautiful painting on the side of a passing train. with just the right timing, you could open your eyes at a red light and see my soul!" Ysa's heart desire is to support creative expression in the
Vietnamese community. Through provocative art the imagination is stirred and a longing for truth touches a depths previously
unseen. This is due to the courageous perseverance of Ysa and
her colleagues at VAALA.

Since
2001 until last month, Ysa  hosted a weekly radio show, “Vong Chan Troi Van Hoc Nghe Thuat” (The Art
Horizon) on VNCR 106.3 FM. Ysa interviewed
artists and reported on the art events happening in the community. Her decision to step down will allow her more time to focus on VAALA ventures. One magical event that
Ysa helps organize annually is the Moon Festival during Harvest Season in the eighth
month of the year. Enchantment fills the air, as children carry lanterns,
sing moon cake songs and dance.  An art
contest is held and the children get to display their masterpieces. This unique occasion draws over 300 people and brings families together in community. Another significant contribution that Ysa and  (VAALA) helped to create is the smART Program. This program provides free year-round, after-school art
workshops for various organizations in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas to serve under-privileged and “at-risk” youth from all backgrounds.  

In
2003, Ysa co-founded the Vietnamese International Film Festival (ViFF), a collaborative
effort with the University of California,
Irvine. ViFF organizes and
produces film festivals every other year with the financial support of
community businesses and foundation funding. Over 70 artists’ films have been
highlighted from around the world. This creative enterprise is growing and
flourishing well beyond the wildest of expectations.

A miracle occurred when Ysa supported the efforts of photographer Brian Doan with
a book project called, The Forgotten Ones. Published in 2005, Doan’s photographs
revealed the plight of the last Vietnamese refugees who waited in limbo at Palwan
Camp, Philippines.
In an attempt to raise public awareness, Doan’s poignant photographs documented
the experience of over 2000 refugees left stranded for years. They had all but
given up hope of ever resettling in another country.  However, with the contributions of this significant work, lawyer/activist Hoi Trinh appealed to government officials in Canada
and the U.S. to get involved. Incredibly, this extraordinary effort resulted in the
resettlement of the refugees, ending over 20 years of desolation. The project raised over $12,000.00 to help the refugees.

Hat Boi (HACK-boyh) is an ancient Vietnam custom of dancers in elaborate
make-up and costumes performing intricate choreographed movements. This ancient art  is in danger of becoming extinct. The only teacher
of Hat Boi in the United States
is a 68-year-old opera singer named Ngoc Bay. She was a successful performer in Vietnam. However, when she emigrated to the U.S.
there was no demand for this unknown art form, so she worked as a nursing assistant.
Last year Ysa recruited Bay to give the first Hat Boi class in the U.S. at the VAALA studio. Although it
takes years of dedicated practice to master, students, ranging in
age from five to 70, are enthusiastically learning the tradition. Ysa Le has been
instrumental in reviving this cultural
treasure that is hundreds of years old. Bay hopes to rekindle a love for this art and pass it on the to the next
generation. Ysa received the prestigious Arts and Culture
(In-Language) Award from New California Media in 2003 for her article in Mimi News
reporting the revival of Hat Boi within the Vietnamese community.

Ysa has served as an infusion pharmacist at St. Joseph Home Health for over 10 years. She is a conscientious caregiver who utilizes her clinical
expertise and kindhearted presence to serve our community. She is a warm,
genuine person who is completely unassuming and down to earth. Ysa enjoys her
work of helping people in need. Her volunteer efforts provide exciting
opportunities to meet interesting and creative people, have fun, and empower others
to share their stories. It was a fun to interview Ysa because I discovered her extraordinary story, which I can now
share with you.

~Liz Sorensen Wessel

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf