Vietnamese Freedom and Heritage Scholarship

I am like a bridge; I can connect between here and a place that no one can return to. The Vietnamese Heritage and Freedom flag represents Vietnam that lives through Vietnamese descendants as we carry on the perseverance, courage, and unity of our people. Between America and Saigon, I live between both worlds as I was born an American citizen but have experienced the lasting effects of war and oppression. During the Vietnam War, my maternal grandfather fought alongside the U.S. in Saigon. When Saigon fell, my grandfather was captured by the Viet Cong and detained in a re-education camp for years under inhumane conditions. My grandmother struggled but made ends meet and took care of 7 children on her own through extreme poverty. My grandma secretly kept identifying documents that many burned or lost because of criminalization against civilians affiliated with the U.S. Due to her perseverance, when my grandpa returned to Saigon, my family was sponsored by the U.S. to immigrate to Seattle, Washington. Since then, my mom has worked long and hard hours through many arduous jobs so that she could provide for her family and now for us. Intergenerational trauma, economic inequalities, and systemic inequalities are obstacles that my family continues to face. These obstacles have only motivated me to fight for what I believe is right. I currently study Politics, Philosophy, and Economics on the pre-law track, as an aspiring immigration lawyer. Without policy, law, and legislation, my family and I would not be here. Policy and legislation are powerful tools for change, and I currently organize with my local community to make effective change with civic engagement. I learned through the values of perseverance, hard work, and community, from my Vietnamese ancestry is that success can be measured by your dedication to others. My grandmother fearlessly steered a boat along with a flock of other boats to the Philippines, where they stayed in refugee camps. My dad’s family didn’t have documents because of their conditions and perilous journey of migration. My dad was one of 12 kids and grew up on a fishing boat in Nha Trang. When the war began, they were forced to escape. On the fishing boat, survival was collective, and community networks kept families fed and safe. They were known as “boat people” and endured dangerous sea conditions and threats of pirate activity. Eventually, they were sponsored by an organization and immigrated to the U.S. They migrated to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and then eventually to Seattle, Washington. Throughout the process, they stayed connected with each other and worked as a community to ensure their survival. As a result of the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act, the Ordered Departure Program (ODP), and other policies, my family was able to gain citizenship with less strict documentary requirements. Since then, my dad has served the U.S. military, received a degree, and worked endlessly to provide for our family. Most importantly, he has never forgotten his roots and has continued to advocate for those suffering under oppressive regimes and supports efforts to give back to the community. For the future, I plan to work directly with legislation to formulate policies and support families through the process of immigration. The efforts of those before me have allowed me to experience opportunity, and I am committed to ensuring that others can have the opportunity to experience the freedoms that I do. My parents can't return to the same place they knew and experienced. I am the bridge connecting them from here to there. The living legacy of fighting for freedom and change.