Slovakia Today, English Language Current Affairs Programme from Slovak Radio

The first Vietnamese migrants began arriving in what was then Czechoslovakia nearly seventy years ago. Today, around 10,000 Vietnamese people live in Slovakia, yet their journey toward recognition as an established and valued part of Slovak society has been a long one. One group working to strengthen that recognition is Vietnamske Korene, or Vietnamese Roots. Led largely by members of the second generation, the organization created Vietnam Day—a festival celebrating Vietnamese culture and the ties between Vietnamese and Slovak communities. In this program, we visit this year’s festival to meet organizers, participants, and attendees and explore how the event is introducing Vietnamese culture to a wider Slovak audience, building bridges between communities, and bringing together generations of Vietnamese living in Slovakia.