Interviewee: Chau Nguyen
Interviewer: Nguyen Trung Dung
Relationship: A friend
Date: December 29, 2001
 

A young guy coming to the U.S. with his two older brothers to find a better life

What is your full name?

Nguyen Trung Dung

What is your nationality?

Vietnamese

What is your date of birth?

June 30, 1969

Where were you born?

Hai Phong, Vietnam.

When did you (move to the U.S./move from somewhere else in the U.S.) to Philadelphia?

I came to the U.S. in 1981.

Why did you leave your country/State/former place of residence?

I leave my country to have a better life.

What did you like/dislike about your home/country?

I dislike the way my family was living. We didn't have enough food to eat, and enough clothes to wear.

Why did you choose Philadelphia/U.S?

I choose Philadelphia because I have family members there.

How did you travel here?/What type of transportation did you use/take to travel here? How would you change that?

I travel to the U.S. by plane.

How did you find a place to live in Philly?

My family member was already there in Philadelphia so I stayed with them.

With whom did you travel? [Who did you travel with?]

I travel with my two older brothers.

Give 1 thing you remember most about your home town and why?

I remember most about my home town is my mother because she didn't came along with us. She say she didn't want to leave her country.

How did your life change when you moved and what were the differences between the two places?

At first I was scare because I didn't know the language and everyone looked different from us. After for a few months I got used to the people and then started to go to school. The difference between the U.S. and my country is that there are lots of different races, languages, the cars, buses, and trains.

What did you expect about the US/Philly?

I expected pretty houses and everything is new when I came to Philly.

What did you come here to accomplish and what else do you feel you still need to do?

What I accomplish is school - I have - and I have a job and my own house and also my own car. I feel that I still need to do one more thing: that's to find a way for my mother to come to live with me.

What are the differences between when you came here and now?

The difference between when I first came here and now is that when I first came here I didn't know the language and didn't have any friends. Now I have friends and also I learn the language.

What did you sacrifice/leave behind when you left?

When I left my country I left my mother and my friends.

What problems did you encounter coming to the US/Philly?

When I left my country to come to the U.S. we took a ship to Hong Kong, then stay in a camp for a few months. After that the U.S. took us in. While I was in Hong Kong we were in a camp. It was like a jail but only we get to go out to find a job and work. Also we had to be back before dark.

How much money did you have and where did you get it when you came to Philly/US?

When I came to the U.S. all I have on me was just three pairs of clothes.

How did you adapt to your new environment?

I adapted to the new environment by looking at the people and the things they do.

Why do you think it was worth all your changes?

I think it is worth all the changes because I now have a better life.

What education did you have before/after you arrived?

Before I arrived to the U.S. I didn't have any education because when I was back in my country we were too poor to have money to go to school. After I arrived here I went to high school and had a teacher coming to my house to tutor me. And as time went by I finish high school and college.

Do you [ever] regret moving? Why or why not?

At first I did regret coming here because I left my mother back. But now I think it is worth it because I have a chance to bring my mother here.

What reason would/could make you go back to where you came from?

If my mother were sick I would go right back to my country to stay with her.

Describe your first job here. If you didn't have one, how did you get money?

I didn't have a job when I first moved here. All I did was to go to school. My relatives gave me money every weekend to spend.