Vietnamese Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Vietnam is a long, narrow country on the eastern edge of South-East Asia. Many Vietnamese families came to Britain as refugees in the late 1970s and 1980s, after the end of the Vietnam War, and were resettled in cities including Birmingham. More recent arrivals include students and professionals.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 2,028 Birmingham residents described their ethnic group as Vietnamese; and 940 residents gave Vietnamese as their main language. Main language figures leave out the many bilingual residents who use English day to day, so the number who speak the language at home is higher still.

Working for Birmingham

Vietnamese families have built businesses in catering, retail and beauty, and Vietnamese restaurants serving pho and banh mi are now found across the city. Their children and grandchildren work as doctors, pharmacists, engineers, accountants and teachers, and many community members volunteer to support newer arrivals.

Healthcare, education and the skilled trades are three of the pillars of the city's economy. The NHS is one of Birmingham's biggest employers, its universities teach tens of thousands of students, and there is steady demand for electricians, plumbers, carpenters, decorators and handymen in every neighbourhood, alongside business, transport, hospitality, retail and the city's growing digital and creative industries. People from every background keep these sectors running, and the Vietnamese community shares in that effort.

Culture and community life

Tet, the lunar new year, is the most important festival, with family visits, flowers and special foods such as banh chung rice cakes. The Mid-Autumn Festival brings lanterns for children, and Buddhist and Catholic congregations are part of community life. Pho has become one of Birmingham's favourite comfort foods.

Like so many of the communities that make up modern Birmingham, the Vietnamese community shows how a city can be home to many cultures at once. Its members are proud of where they come from, and just as proud to be Brummies.