Today, refugee camps are part of the story in the Middle East and Africa. Forty years ago, they were part of reality in Southern California. In the immediate aftermath of a lost war, America provided refuge for people fleeing from victorious North Vietnam. KCRW's Saul Gonzalez has that story.
At its peak in 1975, nearly 20,000 refugees were at Camp Pendleton in eight locations
Photo: Camp Pendleton Archives
Women washing their clothes at a Camp Pendleton refugee camp
Photo: Camp Pendleton Archives
What remains of Camp One refugee site at Camp Pendleton
Photo: Saul Gonzalez
You can see archival photos of life in Southern California's refugee camps on our WWLA blog.