MigrationMigration

Push Factors:Push Factors:

--Communist regimeCommunist regime -Disparity of living situation-Disparity of living situation

-Intruder, Insecurity of home-Intruder, Insecurity of home

-Father couldn’t be a Physician-Father couldn’t be a Physician

Pull Factors:

-Promises of happiness

-Father’s obsession of migration to U.S.

Attempts of MigrationAttempts of Migration

Entire family stood in the rain for 8 days awaiting for Entire family stood in the rain for 8 days awaiting for strangers.strangers.

Multiple trips to Saigon and back, failures each timeMultiple trips to Saigon and back, failures each time Father and Samantha went to Saigon, he abandoned Father and Samantha went to Saigon, he abandoned

her. Resentment, further problemsher. Resentment, further problems Boat trip, ran out of gas, returnedBoat trip, ran out of gas, returned Though confirmation of migration to U.S. was Though confirmation of migration to U.S. was

confirmed, Father made consistent trips to U.S. confirmed, Father made consistent trips to U.S. EmbassyEmbassy

6 months later, 6 months later, Bangkok Bangkok San FranciscoSan Francisco

Refugee ExperienceRefugee Experience

Discrimination, racism, ridiculeDiscrimination, racism, ridicule Loneliness, IsolationLoneliness, Isolation Generational GapsGenerational Gaps No sense of HomeNo sense of Home Difficulty AssimilatingDifficulty Assimilating IndependenceIndependence

DiscriminationDiscrimination

"Everyday someone made it a point to laugh at my "Everyday someone made it a point to laugh at my clothes, my skin, my hair, and my accent. Everyone clothes, my skin, my hair, and my accent. Everyone seemed tireless in their pursuit to ridicule me and seemed tireless in their pursuit to ridicule me and made me feel ridiculous for simply existing." p. 147 made me feel ridiculous for simply existing." p. 147

"For the first time in my life, I understood the "For the first time in my life, I understood the strength of racial solidarity. My idealistic view of a strength of racial solidarity. My idealistic view of a harmonious world began to slowly chip away as I harmonious world began to slowly chip away as I started to realize that we were not all equally free and started to realize that we were not all equally free and that we couldn't all get along." p. 153 that we couldn't all get along." p. 153

Socioeconomic StatusSocioeconomic Status

"The corners were littered with drugged-out parents, "The corners were littered with drugged-out parents, dirty children with even dirtier language, and other dirty children with even dirtier language, and other newly immigrated people on welfare like us." p. 151 newly immigrated people on welfare like us." p. 151

““Outside forces were not the only contributing factor Outside forces were not the only contributing factor to my misery. My parents were arguing all the time. to my misery. My parents were arguing all the time. Father was always home because he couldn’t find a Father was always home because he couldn’t find a job.” p. 149job.” p. 149

““Father didn’t want to appear poor any longer, so he Father didn’t want to appear poor any longer, so he bought a brand new car with our welfare checks.” 154bought a brand new car with our welfare checks.” 154

Loneliness, IsolationLoneliness, Isolation

““She gave me no warning, no advice on how She gave me no warning, no advice on how to survive a life under the swollen and battered to survive a life under the swollen and battered pride of Father´s fists and accusations.¨ p. 176pride of Father´s fists and accusations.¨ p. 176

"Somehow my existence was linked to what "Somehow my existence was linked to what Mother had done. Without her there, he only Mother had done. Without her there, he only had me to punish... I began to disrespect the had me to punish... I began to disrespect the hypocrisies of his nature." p.180 hypocrisies of his nature." p.180

¨It would be so much easier if I could just die.¨ ¨It would be so much easier if I could just die.¨ p. 192p. 192

Generational GapsGenerational Gaps

¨Father´s heart, which used to inspire me, was ¨Father´s heart, which used to inspire me, was now intolerant and couldn´t even inspire itself. now intolerant and couldn´t even inspire itself. It only beat because it could, not because it It only beat because it could, not because it knew how to love. I felt sad for him, especially knew how to love. I felt sad for him, especially at that point when old world traditions and at that point when old world traditions and new world values had come into conflict and new world values had come into conflict and severed all ties between us.¨p.216severed all ties between us.¨p.216

No sense of HomeNo sense of Home

¨Yet I continued to feel strangely disconnected from ¨Yet I continued to feel strangely disconnected from this land,this land, [America] moving from one rented [America] moving from one rented apartment to another, unable to find a place to call apartment to another, unable to find a place to call home. Sadly, as the seasons became years, even the home. Sadly, as the seasons became years, even the home I left behind began to feel foreign and distant home I left behind began to feel foreign and distant inside my memories.” p. 7inside my memories.” p. 7

““Though it has been over thirty years, I have never Though it has been over thirty years, I have never been back to visit…I’m also fearful that going back been back to visit…I’m also fearful that going back would somehow taint the image I have of my would somehow taint the image I have of my childhood.” p. 7childhood.” p. 7

Difficulty AssimilatingDifficulty Assimilating "Since arriving in this country, I always had to straddle two "Since arriving in this country, I always had to straddle two

different worlds, each filled with its own secrecies and different worlds, each filled with its own secrecies and pretenses. The traditions of family and culture versus the pretenses. The traditions of family and culture versus the liberating freedom that came with individuality constantly liberating freedom that came with individuality constantly threatened to collide with one another... In one I lived with my threatened to collide with one another... In one I lived with my head bowed under Father's rules and regulations. In the other, I head bowed under Father's rules and regulations. In the other, I made enormous sacrifices to make sure that I was always in made enormous sacrifices to make sure that I was always in control of everything." p. 181 control of everything." p. 181

"the move was the beginning of a life of impermanence for "the move was the beginning of a life of impermanence for me, one with temporary homes, temporary things, temporary me, one with temporary homes, temporary things, temporary friends, temporary faces, and a temporary family" (p. 154)friends, temporary faces, and a temporary family" (p. 154)

Independence from FatherIndependence from Father

Father helped me figure out who I really was. Father helped me figure out who I really was. Because of what I had to do to survive at Because of what I had to do to survive at home, I grew the strength needed to stand up home, I grew the strength needed to stand up for myself and to be unapologetically me, for myself and to be unapologetically me, despite all the outside pressures from peer despite all the outside pressures from peer groups.” p.198groups.” p.198

““My right hand raised itself in self-defense, My right hand raised itself in self-defense, not to protect face, but with the clear intention not to protect face, but with the clear intention of striking back at the face in front of me.’ of striking back at the face in front of me.’ p.216p.216

Independence from IsolationIndependence from Isolation

““April found me a job at a Vietnamese printing place April found me a job at a Vietnamese printing place that her friends own…They let me work even though that her friends own…They let me work even though I’m underage.” p. 172I’m underage.” p. 172

““I went to school, went to practice for whatever team I went to school, went to practice for whatever team sport I happened to be playing that season, went to sport I happened to be playing that season, went to work, and returned straight home for chores. I played work, and returned straight home for chores. I played sports and joined clubs in order to get into a good sports and joined clubs in order to get into a good university and I worked so I could afford it.” p. 209university and I worked so I could afford it.” p. 209

IdentityIdentity

In Vietnam as higher classIn Vietnam as higher class In Vietnam during loss of statusIn Vietnam during loss of status In the United StatesIn the United States

Upper Class VietnamUpper Class Vietnam

"Do you know what your name means? Do you think "Do you know what your name means? Do you think you're a princess?...." p. 33you're a princess?...." p. 33

"Every time Father tried to connect with us, it tugged "Every time Father tried to connect with us, it tugged my heart. I was certain that no one understood him my heart. I was certain that no one understood him like me.” p. 44like me.” p. 44

““Mother grew up as the eldest in a wealthy Mother grew up as the eldest in a wealthy household. She wore the most fashionable clothes household. She wore the most fashionable clothes from Paris. She lived in a mansion, went to a French from Paris. She lived in a mansion, went to a French school, and spent summers away at exotic beach school, and spent summers away at exotic beach houses.” p.65houses.” p.65

Loss of Status in VietnamLoss of Status in Vietnam

"I wished that I could be the son that he "I wished that I could be the son that he wanted, so he wouldn't feel so alone in trying wanted, so he wouldn't feel so alone in trying to protect our home" p. 59to protect our home" p. 59

Identity in United StatesIdentity in United States