Crosswalks from above / by An Huynh

The Vietnamese Community of Little Saigon is ecstatic for the upcoming decorative crosswalks on 12th and Jackson. Based on the city and the Vietnamese Community criteria, we selected a designer who demonstrates an understanding and curiosity of our heritage. His design showcase modern and traditional attributes that all generations can identify with. We believe he is an authentic representation of the Vietnamese American experience in our society. The direction of the design will focus on the Vietnamese tortoise, which represents one of the sacred animals in our mythology. The tortoise is a symbol of endurance, strength and longevity in the Vietnamese culture and we feel that it reflects where we have been and who we are as Vietnamese Americans. Seattle has given the Vietnamese people an opportunity for a secure and stable life that we are internally grateful for. The tortoise is a symbol of our perseverance and struggle in our journey to Seattle and our motivation to preserve the Vietnamese identity in a city that took us with open arms and cultivated us to thrive. For that, we love Seattle. Thank you for all that you have done for us and hope you enjoy our design and upcoming projects to make this city more beautiful and culturally diverse.

One year later, and the Little Saigon Community Crosswalks are done! Thanks to Stavroula Tsantilas, Yianni Tsantilas, and Duy Vo (the crosswalks artist) for this drone footage! Icing on the cake!