DianaNguyen_PSDP_R4A by Diana Nguyen

Sông Cầu, Phú Yên, Vietnam

dn6705_ — 2023-11-29 03:38:08 UTC

Lying in central Vietnam as a coastal and fishing city, Song Cau is not notable as a tourist or commonly visited location, but it represents the motherland of my family history. This tiny town is the birthplace of my father, Dinh, where all his childhood memories lie. As a child, Dinh grew up in poverty with many responsibilities. My grandmother passed away when he was young, and my grandfather had his duties in the Vietnam War, so he was absent throughout much of my father’s childhood. Therefore, following Vietnam’s hierarchy system and Dinh being the second oldest and first male in the family, his role was vital in raising the family. While attending school, he raised his two younger siblings, Le and Tina, while providing for the family. He remembers the long days fishing in the ocean down the street so his older sister, Thao, could sell the produce at the market. Every day after attending school, he headed to the ocean and began a long day of fishing. When finished, he would come home with that day’s catch and have a quick meal with his siblings. Afterward, he’d put his siblings to bed and go off to finish his schoolwork or do work around the house. For years, he kept up this routine. Fishing was an unstable income so oftentimes he had to sacrifice his schooling for picking up odd jobs to provide for his siblings. The siblings struggled a lot throughout their childhood scraping by for daily necessities; however, these challenges are what made them stronger.

Santa Rosa, CA 95404, USA

dn6705_ — 2023-11-29 03:38:34 UTC

Eventually after living in Florida for a couple of months, my dad and his siblings settled down in a small town named Santa Rosa. The four squeezed into a small apartment complex where they would live until families of their own were established. My father recalls his first years in America being extremely difficult. With a language barrier and little to no money, they all started anew again in America. Dinh remembers his first job in Santa Rosa being a busboy for a local restaurant. Once again, he worked extreme hours and demanding tasks to provide for his siblings. Yet, throughout it all he persevered and continued to work hard for his and his family’s future. My father’s immigrant story is just one of thousands. His perseverance was not just a personal accomplishment; it is symbolic of the collective spirit of Vietnamese immigrants who repeatedly faced adversity with courage and strength. It echoes a narrative built with countless stories of individuals who, despite humble beginnings and daunting odds, persevered with hope and resilience to build their futures. My father’s journey encapsulates the essence of the broader Vietnamese immigrant experience. It is a testament to the strength and bravery that arose from the pursuit of a better life against all odds.

The Boat (SEA)

dn6705_ — 2023-11-29 03:46:29 UTC

Coming from the central south, my father and the town supported southern Vietnam throughout the war. On the daily, he would see American soldiers roaming their little town. With a language barrier, he was never able to have conversations with them, but vividly remembers curiously watching the soldiers and their actions. With the ongoing war and living in poverty, Dinh with his siblings struggled to make a living. One night, Thao sat with my father and told him she had a friend who would be able to take them on his boat to escape the war. Originally, she had planned to only take Dinh with her, as he was soon approaching the age of eligibility for the war draft. However, Le and Tina overheard this conversation. From the top of their lungs, they cried and claimed that they were purposely being left behind. In actuality, there was very limited space on the boat, and Thao needed to prioritize Dinh’s safety, which was most at risk. Feeling pity, they decided to take the risk and bring their younger siblings along.

In the middle of the night, the four siblings set off into the pitch black headed towards the ocean. With just the clothes on their back and a small bag of food, they left the only home they’d ever known without plans of coming back. As they approached the boat, Thao successfully convinced the captain to allow her siblings along. The four boarded the boat and prepared for a long ride on the sea. For days they sailed the waters having no clue as to where they were heading. They were in the middle of the sea in the pitch-black darkness waiting to be rescued by a larger ship. My father doesn’t recall much of the days on the ship but one thing he distinctly remembers is a singing woman on the boat. At night when they sailed in darkness and the children were frightened, she would sing Vietnamese traditional folk songs to keep the spirits up. Hundreds of people escaped Vietnam through these same methods. The same people left their hometowns with no plans as to how far they could get. They chose to risk their lives on the dangerous waters and the possibility of being discovered by the government, yet clung to the hope for a better life.