In celebration of V-Day Seattle 2010, which is this Saturday, April 17th, Eve Ensler’s famous Vagina Monologues will be performing right here in Seattle at the Filipino Community Center. Vagina Monologues have been performed all over the country to help stop violence against women and girls. All proceeds from this Saturday’s show will benefit the Asian Pacific Islander Women & Family Safety Center, a non-profit organization that helps victims of sexual abuse, human trafficking and domestic violence. After having been invited to perform in the Vagina Monologues by one of the Advisory Committee members of the Vietnamese Friendship Association’s CARE project, I was immediately excited, but I was also a little hesitant.

Having been born and raised in the United States by a hard-working and traditional Vietnamese mother, any explicit subject, for example vaginas, were never mentioned in my home. I believe that it is part of our Vietnamese culture to keep these things private and to ourselves, instead of speaking about it freely and openly like we often might do in the American culture. I know that Vagina Monologues is not only famous, but it is also for a great cause.

However, I was still uncomfortable about performing because I was brought up to not discuss these types of things in public. After reflecting for a while, I decided to give it a shot. I needed and wanted to step outside of my comfort zone. By doing so, I would not only explore new things, but I would also learn from others’ stories and experiences.

So far, I have had a great experience reading over the monologues with the wonderful ladies that will be performing! I think that it is important for everyone, especially Vietnamese people, to be open and aware of issues such as violence against women. From my own experience, I know that stepping outside the boundaries of comfort that the Vietnamese culture has set for us is a difficult task, but it is something that is not only beneficial for us today, but for our future.

Attending the Vagina Monologues is a great step towards exploring outside of our comfort zone. Come enjoy the show featuring award-winning actresses Jennifer Paz (“Miss Saigon”), Tamlyn Tomita (“Karate Kid II”), and a cast of wonderful and strong local-women!

Verlina Vu