A photographic view of the Vietnamese ethnic enclave of North 27th Street.

1. LITTLE SAIGON,
LINCOLN,
NEBRASKA
A P H O T O G R A P H I C V I E W O F T H E V I E T N A M E S E
E T H N I C E N C L A V E O F N O R T H 2 7 T H S T R E E T

2. Hong Kong Market, run by Vietnamese immigrants, is across the street from D’Leon’s, a
Mexican fast food chain operated by an extended family of Mexican immigrants.

3. I like the juxtaposition of the ad for money transfers from the U.S. to Mexico and South
America beside the flattened cardboard boxes for Thai instant noodles.

4. The windows of Hong Kong market are used as job boards, list information on U.S.
citizenship
classes and advertise nail salons and cultural events, like the recent Lunar New Year.

5. In 2012, the Nguyen family, owners of Little Saigon Oriental Market, financed the construction of Saigon
Plaza. The plaza is the pearl of North 27th Street’s Vietnamese enclave and is also a good example of the
enclave economy as the Nguyen’s daughter runs Pho Factory (center) and son-in-law Banwich Café (far

6. Looking North onto 27th Street, occupied by Golden Wok (blue and white building) and a
small strip mall of Vietnamese restaurants and hair salons.

7. Dory Bar-B-Que specializes in Vietnamese-style bbq duck and pork. Though many of Lincoln’s
Vietnamese are Catholics, there is a sizeable Buddhist minority, whose deities can be seen in Dory’s
storefront statues.

8. North 27th Street is a fascinating patchwork of ethnic enclaves (Vietnamese, African,
Hispanic) and
traditional American chains, like the Walgreen’s reflected in this picture.

9. On the west side of North 27th street is Vina Market. Interestingly, the purple sign on this job
board says the owners of a West Omaha nail salon are looking for new owners and that the
store is in a high income, white American neighborhood.

10. North 27th street is an immigrant crossroads. Here, Nile Grocery, an African market, is next
door neighbor to a Vietnamese travel agency.

11. Another great juxtaposition along North 27th Street: flyers advertising U.S. Citizenship
Education Classes and Air Jordans. Guerrilla marketing is alive and well in this part of
Lincoln.