Well, in Vietnam people are very limited to knowledge mainly because of goverment restriction. Back in the 80 to late 90 a lot of music you "can't" listen to. Same with movie. Neighbor spying on Neighbor was a usual event. You "don't" have a chance for schooling, or a good job, or business unless you know someone who got power, or money. My family came from the South Vietnam side, my dad was a high ranking vietnamese special force officer so he had it very tough when we lived there. After the war ended, he served 8 years as a PoW. He was released when he couldn't walk anymore. From a 180 lbs guys to 90 lbs guys after he was released.
After he got back, he met my mom etc. They were removed of all their land and anything of value. They both had to started fresh again. Without any resource or money to start. I believed my parents started as mover. Not the kind we got in the state. The kind that drag stuff for other people. Like this Pic.
They did this for about 5 years straight trying to make a living. They weren't not able to saved more then 10 USD in that entire 5 years. This was I think 81-86, I was borned in 83. My mom worked 4 days after gaving birth to me. My dad saw no future in that, so he borrowed some money from our relatives and tried to open a restaurant. They denied him his license for that. After spending most his saving do put in paper work for a license. Mainly most of the money went into hands of those that got powered really. So he got really pissed off went to court, chewed them out. Telling them how much they are abusing people from the old regime. He was pretty smart too, he used the public so that they won't take him out. People were being taken out and disappear from their family pretty often. Eventually after much fightin they gave him his license with an agreement that he won't charge any of the police when they eat there.
My dad was a fighter though. When he was a PoW, he wanted to escape. He learned 4-5 languages from other officers, mainly language from neighbor country such as Thai, combodia, Laos, and chinese. Thinking if he could make it out he could use them to save his life. He got caught once, and that was how his legs were kinda messed up, and eventually became partially paralyze. Mainy from almost a year in the tiger cage.
He saw no future in Vietnam for his children. In I think the 1990, the U.S. and Vietnam made a deal, that any South Vietnamese military officer could migrate to the U.S. if they have a sponsor. After selling we had it took us 6 years to do the paper work. I didn't get here until the 1995. I was 11 years old when I got here. My dad was 54 and my mom was 48 when we got here. We went on wellfair for about 2 years, during that time both of my parents went to college. With helps from the goverment and loan both my parents got their BA.
For us kids we knew how rough we had it, so we strive pretty hard here. In Vietnam you don't have any oppertunity even if you are smart. Money and Power basically is everything. Usually for the family from old regime they are restricted on college unless they got tons of money. Jobs, your education, opertunity are kinda one sided. If you're with the goverment then yea you'll most likely will go far there.
I went back to Vietnam like a month ago to see the changes. It have changed a lot since I been there, there are a bit more freedom now that they "can't" lock the internet like they did with T.V. etc... People are allow to have moped now if they got money rather then it was only people that were not from the old regime. I talk to a lot of the new generation they enjoy a bit more freedom that they got, and think that's enough. However that probably because they never had that much before with the internet etc..
However, there are still a lot of restriction when it comes to land property etc. The goverment can take it away anytime they like. Even if you own that land for last 50 years. As for my sibling, since we had a rough child hood. All of my sibling were forced to help our parent working since we were like 6 or so. With all that somewhat painful memories we try hard here where we know we have the oppertunity. My brother is an O3, navy doc, same goes for my sister, she's also O3 navy doc. I'm an O1, my younger brother and sister are in college right now. My baby sister and brother that came here when they were 2-3 years old, they don't remember how tough they have it, so at time they be a lil disrespect to my parents which kinda make me sad. They don't seem to appreciate what is given to them like me and my older siblings.
Which same goes for many U.S. kids that don't know what is given to them. From my experience I think a lot of the younger American generation are just floating and not realizing what a good deal they got for themself. Also many of our younger american don't see outside of the bubble that's the U.S. I think we're tend to not percieve things that's not close to us or our realitity.
Overall I am happy that I am here, and I enjoy our way of life and I want to protect my second home. Which is why I joined service after 911, signed up with ROTC in 2006.
Some pic of myself.
