Reader Email - John Chang
This was sent to me by one of our readers:
Regarding those opposing the Vietnam PM Khai’s visit, I have an opinion I’d like to post up in your Tieng Magazine.
Thank you,
I have not heard of you before until May 11, 2005 night when I was surfing the station and came to KOCE, where a segment of Rick Reiff interviewing you and the other woman. I watched the last 10 minutes of the segment. The next day I visited Rick Reiff’s website and brought me to your website at www.qxpham.com. I’ve learned more about you, Mr. Q X Pham. I’m intrigued by your background and inspired by your actions and goals for the Vietnamese Community in America.
Please allow me to introduce myself. I’m Hugh, a fellow Vietnamese American who was born in 1968 during the Tet Offensive. I have lived 7 years before and 9 years after the Fall of Saigon. I have vivid memory of bombs dropping and gun shots in 1975 in Cam Ranh. I remember what went on during 1974-1975 and after. Though both of my parents and relatives have not shared any of their war stories to me, I have seen both bitterness and joy in their eyes from the mixed feeling as the result of the Vietnam Re-Unification.
Before 1975, my father’s family was torn apart; my father’s mother and brothers were fighting along side with the North to re-unite the country while my father was a soldier in the south. The pain and anger for those who lost their love ones in the battle will always linger in their mind for many years to come. These pain and anger are inevitable in any battle for anyone. My grand mother lost her son. My father lost his brother. Who are we going to blame to, the North Vietnamese or the South Vietnamese or the intruders, the Chinese, the French and the American. It is clear for all of us to make up for the answer.
It’s up to the individual to forgive the past and to prosper from the result of what it is now in Vietnam. I still have relatives and friends in Vietnam. I would love to come back to help them and the country.
Mr. PM Khai visiting U. S. marks a wonderful relationship between the two countries; the visit strategically secures Vietnam’s economically and militarily among its neighbors. As Vietnamese American, we should support and welcome the visit of Mr. Khai; it only benefits the country and its people.
For those who oppose and demonstrate against Mr. Khai’s visit are ignorant; they do not have the education to further understand the politics nor they have the love for their country and the fellow Vietnamese; they selfishly seek for their own personal vengeance.
I personally think that Vietnamese Government should suppress on the human rights and religious practice in Vietnam. Due to wars and condition of the country, the Vietnamese people are not as well educated and open minded as the Americans in many aspects such as understanding the freedom of religious practice and what human rights stand for. For instance, let say the people have the freedom to practice any religious belief at their wish, it doesn’t give the rights to one who practices animal/human sacrifice because of his/her belief. Having human rights doesn’t mean for one has the rights to exploit others. These are just simple plain examples so you can see what my point of view is.
What we should encourage the Vietnamese Government to work on is the vicious corruption practices among its local leaders as well as all leaders in the country and its environmental issues. As Vietnamese American we need to encourage Vietnamese Government to improve its people lifestyle as well as its beauty and safety for foreigners to visit and its citizens to live.
My family left Vietnam in 1984 when Vietnam was in the bottom of its poverty. 20 years later, Vietnam has improved economically and eventually democracy will come in place.
I was 16 when my family and I arrived to Los Angeles in 1986. I worked hard enough just like anyone else to put myself through high school and university. I now work as an Analyst. I don’t involve myself with the Vietnamese Community that much for so many reasons. However, I’d like to make some comments about Bill O’Reilly’s comments on the former South Vietnamese soldiers how they did not fight hard enough for their freedom. I’d also like to suggest that the existing former South Vietnamese families and their so called the three red stripes and yellow flag should be put to rest, and close the chapter of anger with the current Vietnamese Government. What these Vietnamese-American parents should do now is to focus on supporting their children for their brighter future and their own health instead of politics, which I doubt they have any knowledge or understanding what politics really mean or how it works.
My own family was torn apart; my dad worked for the American military in Cam Ranh while my uncle and grandmother were on the North side. My dad had to do what he had needed to do to support his family while my uncle and grandma had the love to unify the country as it was fighting for generations before them. Just like anyone else my father worked with, their only goal was to bring food on the table. Yes, he was afraid of dying. He was afraid of losing his family. He had to do whatever it took to protect his own family.
The reasons these South Vietnamese soldiers did not fight hard enough for their freedom were those reasons I mentioned above. They were basically fighting to bring food on the table. They were not brave enough to give up their lives to unite the country.
Who are these Vietnamese Communists? Are they from a different country? They are also Vietnamese who had to choose side in order to unify their country. Unfortunately, the side they had chosen was not what the American would like them to. For all I know, the North Vietnamese could have chosen Liberal or Green Party instead of communist if there was a rich and strong ally to support their fight with the French and the American. China is the closest neighbor and was a good friend in supporting the fight. Soviet Union was another powerhouse in supporting the fight. So the North Vietnamese lead by uncle Ho had to take side with the communist in order to accomplish his goal unifying the country. We got to give credit to these fighters who sacrificed to give us the country unification today.
When the North Vietnamese won the war and unified the country, just like anyone else who won the war, retribution would be for those who fought against them.
I am very proud of those who make to the top in America in representing the Vietnamese American community. Let’s keep supporting our next generation reaching for the highest success in this country.
Ask your friends and anyone besides Vietnamese ethnic if they care whether you are a Vietnamese communist or not. I’m pretty sure they don’t care. All they know that you are a Vietnamese. They don’t care if you are from North or South of Vietnam. Don’t you see how other view Vietnamese in America? For example, a bad apple robbed and killed some one, does the public care whether he’s from the North or South of Vietnam? A successful Vietnamese businessman donated millions to the Tsunami relief, does the public care he is from the North or South? Eugene Trinh and many other prominent Vietnamese in America have accomplished high success and brightened up our Vietnamese image in America. Does the public care where they came from? What I’m saying is that as a Vietnamese American, the old as well as the young should focus on improving relationship among each other at home and outside instead of prejudice against the North Vietnamese for re-unifying the country. As for the older generation, they should just focus on their health, which can have a tremendous effect on their kids. As for the younger generation, they are educated with American system; they should be more liberal, not one sided. They should be open-minded toward anyone’s influence about the Vietnamese government.
I’m sure every one of us still has some friends and relative in Vietnam. We certainly don’t want to see them struggling everyday for survival.
Hopefully what I’m saying would enlighten up those who are still bitter toward the Vietnamese Government. My suggestion to those who are still “hieu chien” eager to fight for their own vengeance should instead focusing on the improvement their lives, their kids and their community so that we all Vietnamese American can be proud along with other minorities in America.
