In the spring of last year, former Gov. Ralph Northam announced a historical marker contest to acknowledge the contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities throughout Virginia. The Eden Center in Falls Church was nominated by two Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School students, Griffin and Oliver Hardi. The siblings say they wanted to recognize Vietnamese immigrants for their contribution to the Commonwealth’s history. 

“We thought that it should be recognized because it’s like, a really special place,” says 12 year-old Griffin. 

On Tuesday, the Virginia Historical Commission unveiled the landmark in Falls Church. A marker was placed at the strip mall’s entrance on Wilson Boulevard. The center has served the community for more than three decades.

“We are very proud of our achievement,” says Thai Pham, who lives in Burke but visits the Eden Center every week. “We came here empty handed in 1975 and due to hard work and [continued] education, [we] contribute a lot to this country and we are very happy that Virginia recognized our contribution.”

Along with the Falls Church location, Gov. Northam announced in August of 2021 that four other markers would be placed throughout the Commonwealth in honor of AAPI Heritage Month. 

“Throughout history, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities have made significant contributions to our Commonwealth and our country, but too often their stories remain untold,” said Northam in a statement last year. “As we continue working to tell a more comprehensive and inclusive Virginia story, I am grateful for the efforts of Virginia students and educators in helping elevate the voices of prominent AAPI Virginians with these five new historical markers.”

Among those who are grateful for the recognition are Sang Hunte, 70, who came to the United States when she was 15 years-old. She says the Eden Center, which is home to more than 120 businesses, is the center of the local Vietnamese community.

“We have someplace to hang out, you know, like people get together,” says Hunte, who lives in Alexandria. “Like family, ‘Oh meet me over here to eat something on the weekend.’ That’s something to do for us, you know, like a special place for us.”

According to the marker, thousands of Vietnamese refugees immigrated to the U.S. after the fall of Saigon in April of 1975. Many chose to resettle in Northern Virginia, giving way to the social and community hub of Little Saigon in Clarendon. However, increased rents in the 1980s forced many to relocate to the Eden Center in Falls Church.

Among those in attendance to unveil the marker were Allen B. Frank, the senior vice president and general counsel of Capital Commercial Properties, which owns the property. 

“The winning nomination is very meaningful to the Falls Church community, to Eden Center, and most of all, the Vietnamese Americans who we honor today,” says Frank. “Of the 120 businesses that we have at Eden Center today, many are original businesses from immigrants that came here in the 1980s, and many are owned by descendants of those original business people.”

The Eden Center is also known for hosting many community events, including Tết (which is also known as Vietnamese Lunar New Year) and Black April, which memorializes the fall of Saigon on April 30. In recent years, it’s also been a place where political rallies have been held. Tan Tran says it’s further proof that the Eden Center is not just a place for people to shop or eat.

“I feel very, very happy about this,” says Tan Tran, who has worked for a local Vietnamese-language newspaper for more than 30 years. “When [Vietnamese people] come to Virginia, they always visit here. And not only because here’s a shopping center, it’s more. Because they have activities and Mr. Frank gives a big help to let them to organize many events here.”

For David Tarter, the mayor of Falls Church, the Eden Center is just one example of the contributions from the Vietnamese community to the state. He says the distinction is well deserved.

“It’s great pride that we take in the Vietnamese community here in Falls Church,” says mayor Tarter. “It’s such a wonderful cultural place. A place with such a rich history. People who are hard working, who contribute so much to our community.”