I originally designed this flag in late 2021, minus the Canadian maple leaf, with feedback from NAVA’s Flag Design Gauntlet (Interest Area Meeting), to represent the Vietnamese diaspora— because the flag of the Republic of Viet Nam (RVN, also known as South Viet Nam) that members of the diaspora have used since 1975 was being regularly co-opted at extremist events, like the January 6 United States Capitol attack. However, I was strongly warned, against the idea as many of the diaspora were still willing to die for that RVN flag that the current Communist government Viet Nam would love never to see again. It was sound advice that I had not expected to be so strong, but I understood well enough to heed.

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