Linking one's fate to that of others

Vietamese immigrants in the 1970s were given support when they arrived in the U.S. and partly because of that, they thrived. This woman tells her immigration story and says we should help the new immigrants, many of whom are Asian. She explains why she marched on May 1 with other immigrants for respect and justice. DP

By TUYET LE, Progressive Media Project

Star-Telegram : Just before May 1, 1975, the day after Saigon fell, my family and I left Vietnam for the United States. So the immigrant rights rallies May 1 had special meaning for me.

We were able to escape because an uncle, who was a Navy captain, negotiated a place for us on a fishing boat in exchange for his navigation skills. Originally, he was told he could bring only his immediate family on board. But he turned down that offer, risking his own chance to escape in order to get seven siblings and their families onto the boat -- 31 of us in all.

After several days at sea, a Taiwanese ship pulled alongside with orders to rescue any Chinese refugees. Of the hundreds of us on the boat, only two were offered spots: a father and daughter. But they refused guaranteed safe passage unless we could all go with them.

The Taiwanese relented, allowing all the women and children onto their ship, with the men following in the fishing boat. They led us to the Philippines. Two days later, we left for the United States.

I always hear how impressed people are with Vietnamese refugees, who came here with nothing and excelled beyond anyone's expectations. But what they leave out is that early Vietnamese families came during a time that U.S. refugee policy supported them.

We had case managers, food stamps and English tutors. My family was allowed to come here, and we were then able to support one another. That meant my grandmother could baby-sit, allowing both my parents to work even without being able to afford childcare.

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