Happy Independence Day, America!
4 July 2007
Happy 4th of July everyone. Growing up in Texas this U.S. Independence Day is particularly close to my heart as my family and I immigrated to the United States in 1980 and settled in Dallas, Texas. Coming from a third-world, Communist-controlled country of Vietnam to the land of milk and honey was a dream come true for my parents.
“In the early morning hours of spring 1979, with borrowed money and falsified documents to ensure our escape, my family and I (then 8½ years old) joined about 600 other “boat people” and got onto a tiny vessel in search of a better life. Three days and four nights later, after outrunning Thai pirates and discarding two dead bodies, we found ourselves helpless and stranded at sea with little food and water remaining.”
For some reason, my memories from that night and the boat ride are still very vivid. Though some 28 years have passed since then, if I closed my eyes and concentrate I can still “see” that night.
To my friends and colleagues who have been fortunate to grow up without war, without adversity, without fear — please cherish your freedom. It is a privilege that can easily be taken away.
4 comments… read them below or add one
hey i didnt know that about you. tell us more about you !!
EJ: I’ve written a long bio about my life right here on this site under the “About Me” section. Yeah, it’s scary to think back about the things that we went through - being on a boat that was chased by Thai pirates, getting rescued at sea, and living on an island in Indonesia for almost an entire year without going to school.
Steve, Miwa has been tagged and since she has no blog, I’m hoping you’ll be the go-between. Check out my blog to find out.
Miwa was tagged by Boni and here is her “My Last Seven Lasts.”
1. Last dollar I spent: Laundry
2. Last time I cried: A few days ago
3. Last phone call I made: I called my high school teacher in Tokyo
4. Last phone call I received: Kimiko
5. Last movie I watched: Transformers
6. Last person I hugged: Bev
7. Last book I read: Christmas Noel
8. Last blog visited (bonus): Boni’s
Miwa now tags: Bev, EJ, Hope, and D.C.
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