HCM CITY — When Canadian immigrant Mark Dickens first arrived in HCM City three years ago, he was keen on exploring the city, meeting new people and gaining a deeper understanding of the local culture.

Adjusting to a new home is never easy, but coming across an expat and Vietnamese community called Vietnam Is Awesome (VIA) played a big role in helping him start the new chapter of his life.

VIA started out as a Facebook group set up by Vietnamese businessman Đỗ Kim Long and his American friend back in 2017.

Long tells Việt Nam News that they originally wanted to set up the page as a way to spread positivity and appreciation among expats living in Việt Nam after he found Facebook posts from immigrants were a bit too focused on the negative side.

For years on this forum, foreigners and Vietnamese have shared fun stories, hidden gems to visit as opposed to popular tourism sites, and tips for people to get used to their new life in Việt Nam.

During the turbulent COVID-19 period, people even shared stories about charity activities and helping one another.

“I remember when there was this expat who posted a video of him singing a bunch of famous Vietnamese songs in perfect Vietnamese, like you wouldn’t be able to tell he’s a foreigner at all!” Long recalls fondly.

For many immigrants, those memories and positive stories underlined the fact the page was a place for them to express appreciation for their new home, and more and more of them as well as Vietnamese came to know of it.

​Building connections

Currently VIA has around 220,000 members, making it one of the larger communities for English-speaking Vietnamese and expats in Việt Nam.

VIA sets itself to not be just a social media fanpage, but a community for people who want to share tips and information and make real connections.

Its official website is providing space for people to ask questions, help each other, arrange fun gatherings and promote events. A quick look reveals a wide variety of activities covering business skill workshops, stand up comedy sessions and casual sports competitions.

“Our goal is to assist expats who want a serious life in Việt Nam, helping them in business-related issues and building close relationships,” Long says.

"We see three groups who share the same problem: foreigners, overseas Vietnamese coming home, and locals who work with both. They all need trusted information and real people to ask."

Long and the other core members also organise large community events such as panel discussions on business topics, fun outdoor activities, and even sports competition for charity fundraising, occasionally working with small expat-owned businesses as partners.

Mark says he has taken part in a street photography event, a yoga-focused event, and a cycling tour, each offering a different perspective on Việt Nam as well as allowing him to meet people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

“VIA has helped me step outside my comfort zone, build meaningful connections and discover more of what Việt Nam has to offer. Looking back, it has been a valuable part of making HCM City feel like home.”

VIA plans to publish free guides to help members build a life here, covering temporary residence cards, work permits, setting up a company, and buying a home, which are the four topics that expats and overseas Vietnamese ask about most, Long said.

“It would be good for members, both Vietnamese and expats, who have gotten something from the community, to contribute something back. Not necessarily things of monetary value, but rather their experiences to help other people.”

Indeed, what makes Việt Nam “awesome” can mean different things depending on who you ask, but to many people, one of the things that helps expats feel like home the most is very straightforward: a community they belong to. — VNS