This collection documents two major projects.

First, the Vietnamese Resettlement Project, which was international in scope and brought together peoples and organizations throughout the world to relocate refugee families of the Vietnam War. This collection primarily documents local events through local literature and images, but also includes material created at the national or international level.

Second is the later project done by Grand Rapids citizens, with the Grand Rapids Historical Commission, to tell the story of their more specific and personal experience concerning their relocation to Grand Rapids and the development of the Vietnamese community here.

A key figure at the national level was President Gerald R. Ford. While relocation affected many American cities, there may be a particular interest among researchers in the resettlement to Grand Rapids, because of Ford's position in the White House at the time. Documents related to Ford are not prominent in this collection, but there is a interview with Ford, done related to the Vietnamese History Project, which may provide unique insights into Ford's recollections and opinions in this matter.

Photographs originate in each separate series, with those provided by Ailes, Schipper and others, known or unknown, ending up in the final Vietnamese History Project products. Olson also contributed general images of Vietnam, often contemporary to the project, through his own photographs taken in Vietnam, through the purchase of picture postcard packets, or through copy photography from the National Archives, for example. There are also event photos from July 9, 1992, for the original showing of the moving image, held at the Ford Museum.