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“My journey took 13th-years, a long time to come to the USA. It started at 2003 until 2016“ Truc was born in the Duc Pho District. Duc Pho is a district in Quang Ngai, a city in Central Vietnam. It's one of the smaller cities, but still has a population at least 150,000.
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The average income from all Vietnamese immigrants is about $63,200. That salary is about the amount a blue-collar worker would make
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“My dad followed protocol F-3 in a Family Preference Category, and then I followed him to came to USA.” And on April 13th, 2016, they left to come to America
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The median age of all Vietnamese people coming to America was about 50 years old (the average age of all immigrants was about 45) The three Nguyen families came with barely any money, and no jobs for them. Each family would live with another that already had a house here.
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“ I needed to follow my parents’ plan, because I wasn’t 18 years old that time. And coming to USA is my dream, just like every Vietnamese person”
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In 2017, at least 1 million Vietnamese people were living here in the United States of America.
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“Those were my feelings. Excited because I can meet my aunts and my uncle in the U.S.. Scared because it's not my home country. Nervous because I can't speak English.” In her first year in America, Truc really didn't know how it would be different than at her home town. The books and internet really can't describe how beautiful this country can be, yet how dangerous and complex it also could be.
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Almost 120,000 Vietnamese people were unauthorized in between 2010 and 2014.
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“ I think everyone in my family had the same feeling as me. They were just as scared as me and nervous.” *Picture: Truc and her family last Christmas
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Most immigrants from Vietnam came to California, Texas, Washington State and Florida.
But everyone that came with Truc came to Virginia -
“I think I left all my friends. Somehow, I am not talking with them like the way I did before. I now talk to each other very politely, but not that friendly feeling like before.” *Picture: Truc and her friends in Vietnam
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About 17% of Vietnamese families living in America are in poverty
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“ I thought somebody will be disrespectful because my English isn't well, then it didn’t really happen.” In the beginning, Truc and everyone else did not know how to speak English at all. Today, she and her cousins are able to understand most sentences and respond well.
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26% of Vietnamese immigrants have a bachelor’s degree.
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“I think the best thing that happened here is that I met a lot of nice teachers. They helped me a lot in language.” *Picture: Truc in her class at Tucker, 2017.
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Vietnamese immigrants represent the “sixth-largest foreign-born group in the country” (Vietnamese Immigrants in the United States).
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“ It's very different. For example, in Vietnam, I just had half day in school and half day at a teacher's house for tutoring.” Not only that, students had to wear uniforms at school, unlike most public schools here. *Picture: Truc's school.
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A lot of the Vietnamese immigrants that have received
a green card got it through family reunification channels, kind of like this journey. -
“ Time's passing, it's 3 years now I have become accustomed to the present life, I can speak English, not much but enough to talk with people here.” Now, the three families that came here from 2016 have comfortable houses and good jobs, and are living as happy as ever
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Only 8% of Vietnamese people did not have health insurance, compared to 20% of all immigrants
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“I don't know, I have no idea. I think I will continue learn English and going to college. I hope to have a good job someday,“
- What kind of job? "Maybe hair stylist?”
