Tam Nguyen talks about Vietnam and public service in San JoseTam Nguyen’s painful memories as a civilian during the Vietnam War remain vivid today. But as a member of the San Jose City Council, he works to help ensure that the residents of District 7—a community with a prominent immigrant presence—has its concerns addressed.
Tien Do Bui talks about leaving Vietnam in search of better opportunitiesBecause the Communist government greatly limited her opportunities for socioeconomic advancement, Tien Do Bui says she believes she had no other choice but to leave Vietnam.
Today she is an engineering assistant, who hopes that the younger generation of Vietnamese-Americans take advantage of the opportunities they have to succeed in the U.S.
Tuonganh Nguyen talks Vietnamese culture and leaving her native countryTuonganh Nguyen is a speech and language pathologist who believes it was a bit difficult getting used to American culture, despite knowing English when she immigrated to the U.S. She hopes that her children and the younger generation of Vietnamese Americans stay in touch with or rediscover their culture.
Van Lan Truong talks about Vietnam and immigrant community strugglesVan Lan Truong’s refugee experience motivates her to help her fellow immigrants integrate into American society. Because of her experience as an immigrant who sought freedom and a better quality of life, she urges her peers to help advocate for the rights of other immigrants.
Quyen Vuong talks leaving Communist Vietnam at a young ageIn Vietnam, Quyen Vuong’s status as a member of the middle class afforded her family a comfortable quality of life. But that all came tumbling down in 1975, when her father and mother were sent to a re-education camp and prison, respectively. She later found herself leaving the country she held dear, in order to start a new life in the U.S.
Quyen Nguyen opens up about his experience in Communist VietnamQuyen Nguyen is a Vietnamese refugee, who had a brutal experience with the Viet Cong. The Communists shot Nguyen in the leg, leaving him with only one. Nguyen says that the only thing he wanted was freedom, and he paid a heavy price for that.
Long Nguyen discusses his experience in Communist VietnamDespite being young when the Communists took over Vietnam, Long Nguyen vividly remembers how the new government treated his family and the rest of his community. Nguyen had to mature fast, as he was tasked with helping provide for his family, an experience that has helped him succeed and give back to his community in the U.S.
Linda Ta reflects on her experience in Communist VietnamLinda Ta—a Vietnam refugee—vividly recalls that her life drastically changed under Vietnam’s Communist government. Today she says she is grateful for the freedom that the U.S. has given her.
