13499 research outputs found
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Oral History of Debbie Nguyen
No full textOral History of Debbie Nguyen, born in 1978 in Saigon, Vietnam. She is part of the "1.5 generation" who fled Saigon with her family at the age of seven. Her father was one of the boat captains that steered the boat to safety in the Philippines. Debbie attended California State University, Long Beach for her undergraduate studies and earned her Masters of Arts at the Academy of Arts in Northern California. After receiving her degree, she returned to Southern California to reunite with her family. She has a daughter, Quin, with her fiancé, Javier. Art is also extensively discussed as she explains how it has helped her explore and liberate herself. Currently, she is an art teacher at a Chiao Hsin Chinese School Language in Monterey Park, California.Recorded Digitall
Oral History of Thien Pham
No full textAn oral history with Thien Si Pham, born in 1982 in Saigon, Vietnam. He came to America in 1993 at 11 years old through the Humanitarian Operation Program. He discusses his experiences readjusting to life in the United States, touching on educational differences as well as cultural differences. He also discusses social issues in the U.S. along with his religious values. Lastly, he recalls several childhood memories from Vietnam. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from UC Irvine and his Master’s Degree in Computer Science from Cal State Long Beach. He now works as a software developer and resides in Santa Ana, California with his parents and siblings.Recorded Digitall
Oral History of Jennifer Yen Pham & Duy "David" Do
No full textAn oral history with Jennifer Yen Pham (born on October 21, 1964) and Duy “David” Do (born on May 29, 1959), both from Saigon, Vietnam. During the time of the war, they were relatively young and do not remember much of it. However, they focus on their escape out of Vietnam and how they got to the United States. They discuss their trials and tribulations in America and how religion conflicted with their marriage and love life. Two separate stories were conjoined into one interview, but they also discussed topics collectively. They have three children and live in Orange, California.Recorded Digitall
Oral History of Alex Luu
No full textAn oral history with Alex Luu, born in 1966 in Saigon, Vietnam. He was eight years old during the Fall of Saigon and was among the first wave of refugees to leave the country. After some initial challenges, he and his family secured a sponsor and gradually managed to settle into American society in California. He attended school in the US since 4th grade and went on to attend UCLA. Alex is a critically acclaimed performance artist, teacher, and filmmaker. He is a resident teaching artist with the LA Arts Commission, Ford Theatre Foundation, and East West Players. He has been performing his autobiographical performance pieces and one-man show "Three Lives" since 1989 and teaching/facilitating his autobiographical writing/storytelling/performing workshop MY OWN STORY (MOS) since 1997, respectively. He has been artist-in-residence at theaters/arts organizations and campuses nationally, most notably for Boston Center for the Arts (2001, 2003), Berklee College of Music (2008, 2009), Boston's Mayor Office of Arts & Tourism (2006). He is also a seasonal guest artist lecturer at UC Davis since 2009.Recorded Digitall
Oral History of Hung Luu
No full textAn oral history with Hung Quoc Luu, born in 1959 in Phan Thiết, Vietnam. This interview focuses on Hung’s childhood and young adult experiences in Vietnam during the Vietnam War as well as his adjustment to life in America after the war. He discusses his identity in America as a Vietnamese person and the differences between the American and Vietnamese culture. Hung left Vietnam by boat in 1979, ending up in refugee camps in Hong Kong before being sponsored to the United States the following year. He initially resettled in Hammond, Indiana but moved to Southern California shortly after. He earned his certification in Electronics – Assembly and Wiring in 1982 at Pasadena City College. He currently resides in Temple City, California with his wife and two children.Recorded Digitall
Oral History of Thanh Nguyen
No full textAn oral history with Mr. Thanh Nguyen, born in 1955 in Da Lat, Vietnam. He was a university student who majored in law during the Vietnam War. After the war ended, he was forced to stop his education and help take care of his siblings since his father was taken to the reeducation camps. He spent his early adulthood working small jobs with his younger brother scrambling for money to send back home. He also discussed his memories back when he was a child and how Vietnamese customs were back then. He shared his experiences with the Humanitarian Operation and how he came to the U.S. Thanh Nguyen explained the difficulties and struggles he had to overcome when he first set foot in America.Recorded Digitall
Oral History of Donna Chen
No full textAn oral history with Mrs. Donna Chen on February 23, 2014. Donna was born in 1960 in Saigon, Vietnam. She was a student and lived with her family during the war. She discussed her memories about her childhood and her family with their community. After 1975, because of unsecure conditions that surrounded country, she left the country and became a boat person. She lived in a Malaysian refugee camp for six months, got an interview from the United States, and then left Malaysia to Miami. She arrived in Miami on November 1979. After one year living in Miami, she moved to California with her younger brother and decided to establish her new life in a new country. Now she is an owner of an Allstate Insurance company in San Gabriel, California. She has two children and lives in Temple City, California.Recorded Digitall
Oral History of Bich Ngoc Thi Nguyen
No full textAn oral history with Bich Ngoc Thi Nguyen, born in Saigon, Vietnam on October 3, 1956. She is the eldest daughter of Thinh Van Nguyen, father, and Le Nga Thi La, mother. Her father served as a colonel during the Vietnam War as the Director of the Communication Division of the whole Southeast Asia. Her mother died during an early age of her life, which forced her to take over the duties of taking care of her six younger siblings. In the interview, she discusses details about her childhood during the Vietnam War and her transition to America throughout Fort Chaffee and afterwards. She talks about her thoughts and experiences with the American work mentality; furthermore, her experience motivated her to obtain a BS in Nursing from the University of Iowa. She currently works as a Registered Nurse.Recorded Digitall
Oral History of Anh Manochi
No full textAn oral history with Anh Vuong Manochi, born in 1963 in Saigon, Vietnam. She spent most of her childhood living through the Vietnam War. After the collapse of South Vietnam, she discusses how the school system was used to reform people. She also discusses how her older brother left Vietnam by boat before she escaped from Vietnam herself by sneaking onto a ship her uncle was on. After coming to the United States, she finished her schooling here, moved to Southern California, and became a poker dealer. She has two children and lives with her husband in Monterey Park, California.Recorded Digitall
Oral History of Lilly Nguyen
No full textAn oral history of Lilly Nguyen, born in 1979 in California. Her parents left Vietnam in one of the first waves and identify as refugees, or more specifically, boat people. Her family moved many times during her childhood, but she calls Orange County, California her home. She discusses growing up a headstrong person and balancing parental pressures, gender roles, and her identity as a Vietnamese American. Having grown up in Orange County, she felt the need to explore other worlds, which led to her interest in academia that eventually brought her to do research for one year in Hanoi, Vietnam. She currently resides in Irvine, California with her husband.Recorded Digitall