The Vietnamese American Coalition (VAC) was established at UC Irvine in 1993 by a group of undergraduates and alumni who felt concerned over the current state and the future of the Vietnamese American community, particularly that of Orange County. In order to end these concerns, VAC became politically and actively involved. Acting as a coordinating body, VAC aspires to promote active involvement within the Vietnamese American community, and to voice social and political issues pertaining to the Vietnamese American community, as well as those in Vietnam.

Since its creation, VAC has greatly impacted the Vietnamese community and the community here at UC Irvine. VAC has successfully established the Vietnamese American Mentorship Program (VAMP), the Annual Little Saigon Clean-Up, the statewide Vietnamese American Students Conference (VASC), and the annual high school outreach program, Shadow Day. VAC has also taken part in the UCI Hunger Strike for Ethnic Studies, tutoring programs, and the Nike Awareness Campaign.