I grew up in a middle-class family.
At a young age, my world was turned upside down with the fall of Saigon in April 1975.
My parents took us four kids and fled the country. We left Vietnam safely, but we lost everything.
For my dad, it was his entire business — something that he had built since he was 16.
We had to rebuild our life in America.
Acclimating to the new culture and a new language was not easy for us in the beginning. But as young kids, we adapted quickly and assimilated well into the American society.
I carried a pocket dictionary with me at all times, because I felt a strong desire to fit in, and be able to understand and speak the language fluently.
My parents, however, had experienced their shares of hardships and struggles.
Growing up in America gave me the freedom to speak freely, and I have found a place in my heart to honor this privilege to its fullest.
Often, I helped my dad translate and edit letters that he wrote to company executives where he asked to represent them as their import/export agent in the U.S. – a dream that my dad had never let up.
Through letter writing for dad, I was able to amplify his voice, and found great satisfaction in me that I helped him communicate effectively.
The confidence in my own voice grew steadily over the years.
That confidence of language fluency led me to be nominated as the valedictorian for my graduating class in middle school, something that I still feel over the moon about.
Since that time, I’ve continued to nurture my new-found voice, and speak freely from my heart, on things that I deeply believe in and care about.
