[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 85 (Thursday, May 16, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E514]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING MAI-HUONG NGUYEN AS A DISTINGUISHED LEADER IN CENTRAL FLORIDA 
 FOR ASIAN AMERICAN AND NATIVE HAWAIIAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DARREN SOTO

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 16, 2024

  Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, through her love for dance and education, Ms. 
Mai-Huong Nguyen proudly dedicates herself to representing Vietnamese 
culture and fostering cultural education and community outreach in the 
international settings of Central Florida and beyond. She holds active 
roles in shaping the community with Asia Trend, Avalon Park Group, 
FusionFest Orlando, and her own Kissimmee- and Orlando-based nonprofit 
organization, Thuyen May Productions.
  In 1975, Ms. Mai and her family escaped Vietnam before the fall of 
Saigon. Only ten years old at the time, she was a Vietnam War refugee 
who learned the necessity of community and belonging. Her passion for 
cultural outreach sparked during her college years at N.C. State 
University and stayed with her when she moved to Central Florida in 
1996. No matter where she went, dance, music, and choreography were her 
instruments for expressing and representing Vietnamese culture in the 
diaspora. As a Florida resident, Ms. Mai helps create communities and 
plan cultural events as part of the Asia Trend board, FusionFest board 
of directors, FusionFest steering committee, and as the former 2017-19 
AAHC vice chair.
  Formerly a schoolteacher, Ms. Mai focuses on connecting and building 
strong bonds with diverse Florida communities and younger generations 
alike. She continues more than 30 years of teaching experience through 
volunteer instruction of Vietnamese language at St. Philip Phan Van 
Minh Catholic Church, youth enrichment programs at Phap Vu, Phat An, 
and Phap Lac Buddhist Temples, and online private tutoring of core 
school subjects. Her outreach also includes monthly Asian-themed 
workshops at Avalon Park, as well as mixed-media dance tours brought to 
libraries, schools, and museums.
  Ms. Mai's foremost belief is that cultural education and sharing open 
doors to understanding, acceptance, and appreciation. Through dance and 
education, she continually seeks innovative ways to set the stage for 
diversity and inclusion for future generations to come.

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