“As a Vietnamese refugee who became an American writer, I can tell you that you matter, that your sadness matters, the story of how you survived and triumphed matters. For every story that belongs to you, in time, belongs to America.” I CanMatterStoriesAmericaSadnessSurvivedRefugeeVietnameseAmerican WriterVietnamese Refugees Book:East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres Source: East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres
“We lived in St. Tropez when I was young, and there were a lot of Vietnamese refugees in France at the time, after the war. My mother had many Vietnamese friends who entertained a lot, and she was taught how to make that spring roll. She would make them all the time.” WarYoungMotherTaughtSpringFranceRefugeeVietnameseVietnamese Refugees Author:Eric Ripert
“In fiction, it's as if you enter a dream world that you created, but your characters have their own free will. They don't do what you want them to do - they get into trouble, do drugs, fight over petty things, and do outrageous things that you wouldn't want your children to do. In other words, you can only provide the background, the seeds - in my case the background of the Vietnamese refugee.” IfsWorldWantChildrenCharacterDreamFightingFictionCasesTroubleDrugOur ChildrenSeedsWhat You WantBackgroundsYour ChildrenFree WillRefugeePettyOutrageousVietnameseDream WorldVietnamese Refugees Author:Andrew Lam
“40, 50 years ago, Americans - the majority of Americans did not want to accept these Vietnamese refugees who they saw as completely foreign. Now there are new foreigners - Syrians and other people from the Middle East, people of Muslim backgrounds. And the sense among many Americans is, well, these people are completely different from us, and they're not like the Vietnamese who are much more assimilable. And I think that's very, very doubtful. I think that the majority of these new foreigners, if given the opportunity, will be able to assimilate and deal with American culture.” PeopleIfsThinkingWantYearsWellsDifferentAbleCultureOpportunityGivenDealsAcceptingSawsMiddleYears AgoMajorityEastBackgroundsMiddle EastRefugeeAmerican CultureForeignersDoubtfulVietnameseVietnamese Refugees Author:Nguyen Viet Thang
“You have to wear a different face when you're interacting with the larger culture. And you can be more of yourself at home or in the local market or in the local church speaking your own language. That was my sense growing up as a Vietnamese refugee in San Jose.” DifferentHomeFacesCultureLanguageChurchGrowing UpGrowingLocalsRefugeeInteractingVietnameseLocal ChurchDifferent FacesVietnamese Refugees Author:Nguyen Viet Thang