Boston Little Saigon
Bác 6 as Boston Little Saigon’s Artistic Symbol
Bác 6 is our beloved ancestor, elder, father, mother, brother, and sister. Bác 6 embodies the hardworking class of immigrants and refugees that have made up the ethnically and racially diverse communities of the Boston Little Saigon cultural district of Fields Corner.
*In Vietnamese culture, when you greet someone belonging to your parent's generation, you use your parents' age as a benchmark to determine how you welcome them. 'Bac' is a gender-neutral term, used for both older aunt and uncle.
About Bác 6
Bác 6 lives in hẻm Little Saigon. Bác 6 wakes up before sunrise to practice khí công (qigong) at Townfield Park. After exercising, Bác 6 loves to eat homemade Vietnamese desserts and drink hot jasmine tea while chitchatting with his neighbors in hẻm Little Saigon.
After Bác 6’s morning routine, Bác 6 sets up the đòn gánh* to sell items at the Fields Corner Farmer’s Market. On one side of the đòn gánh,* are charcoal art, calligraphies, and folktale books. On the other side of the đòn gánh, Bác 6 carries Vietnamese desserts like homemade xôi 7 màu, chè trôi nước, and/or đòn chả.
While everyone else is wrapping up their stalls at the end of the Farmer’s market’s day, Bác 6’s stall is usually swarmed with kids who just got out of school. They have all gathered for Bác 6’s storytime. The neighboring stalls share their fruits and ice cream with the children while Bác 6 shares stories.
*Đòn gánh is a wooden or bamboo pole for carrying heavy things.
