Scattered across the world, the Boat People shaped unknown and alien places, into their new homes. Hear their stories of adjusting to their new surroundings.
[...] at the time, China was invading the North of Vietnam. And so the government was conscripting anyone over the age of eighteen for the war. After he finished high school, your uncle got the papers telling him to report for duty. Your grandma asked uncle Thiep if he’d rather wait, or take a boat and leave. He chose to leave.
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So after April 30th (the fall of the South), it was very sad. The Viet Cong made us get rid of all of our books, calling them obscene. I loved those books though...
Read MoreSo when I arrived it was the 18th of January. About a week later that year it was Lunar New Year, and we had the customary celebrations. I was invited to perform, to sing. I wore a red traditional “ao dai” and sang the song “Xuan mien Nam.”
That New Year, the Vietnamese Students [Youth] Association also danced with me.
[Huong Hoang]: Let’s talk about food, like the other day you were saying here in Alberta we eat so much meat. How was it when you were in Vietnam?
[Vi Nguyen]: No, no way. We didn’t really have meat to eat in Vietnam. Usually everyday at home, we were around 7 or 8, we had maybe 100 grams of meat between us?
Read MoreWe all took the bus home together. When we got on the bus, your Grandfather told the people on the bus that he hadn’t seen his family for five years, and so they let us all sit together.
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