![]() And when the war was over, many refugees like Newinn found faith in the story of the poor boy from Tupelo, Miss. He was poor, but he moved up."įriday will mark the 25th anniversary of Elvis's death, and it may come as a surprise to learn that many of those taking note will be Vietnamese immigrants who formed an intense bond with the King long ago in their homeland.Įver since homesick GIs started bringing over Elvis records in the late 1950s, the Vietnamese have used the King and his music as a gateway to American culture. "He is the main spirit in the house," says Newinn, now a 60-year-old mechanical engineer in Houston. For years the Elvis hung in his living room, across from the family's Buddhist altar. It was beautiful.Īfter a few weeks of saving tips, Newinn bought the picture for $5. ![]() Pictures of Elvis had been common in Saigon, Newinn's home town, but he'd never before seen a velvet version of his rock-and-roll idol. The King, wearing a white jumpsuit, was captured mid-song on black cloth. Then one afternoon, at a roadside stand in Houston, Newinn found a reminder of happier days in South Vietnam: a velvet Elvis. In 1975, the Vietnamese refugee had few friends, limited prospects and a wife and baby to support on a busboy's salary. Henry Newinn needed something to believe in.
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