A ceremony was held in Berlin on August 23 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Reistrommel e.V (Rice Drum Association), which was founded to support the integration and protection of Vietnamese immigrants in Germany. Speaking at the ceremony, the association’s founder and Chairwoman Tamara Hentschel recalled the formation and development of the group and its initial target of seeking equality for Vietnamese labourers in Germany during the country’s reunion period. To date, the association runs many practical programmes helping Vietnamese immigrants integrate into the local country. It also focuses on introducing Vietnamese culture to Germans and teaching Vietnamese children born in the country their native language, she added. First Secretary of the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany Nguyen Phuc Hien acknowledged the association’s efforts over the past 20 years, and expressed his hope that it will further develop to help Vietnamese immigrants integrate into a new country and way of life. A string of images and documents explaining more about the integration progress were on display, along with art performances and sporting contests.VNA