The Silent Refugee

Barb and I were invited to a neighbor's high school graduation party this evening across the street. Tons of food - a mix of Vietnamese and American. We've watched young Khoi Nguyen grow up, living under the roof of his grandparents and aunt and uncle. A smart kid, ready to go to Sacramento State after the summer break and major in Engineering. Wants to be an air traffic controller.

They had set up tables for about 35 people or more in the garage and on the driveway. The breeze had just picked up and the weather was beautiful. Our other neighbors joined in awhile. We two couples were the only white Americans attending. A dozen or more kids were jumping in the jumpy thingy. Tran had bought flowers and made her own arrangements for each of four tables. Just beautiful.

We sat with graduate Khoi and his cousin, Dino (who is finishing his second year of college in SoCal). We cajoled, encouraged, preached, and prodded. Khoi's hobby is a Honda. No girlfriend is in the picture. He'll live with another aunt and uncle in Sacramento. He's shy and has a wonderful smile and deep voice.

We also talked at length to another uncle (I think) who works for the City of L.A. The man is driven. Escaped Viet Nam with his family when only 14 or so. He has no reservations about telling those who have a welfare mentality to get over it and get to work, to get an education and contribute, to learn English and be a true American, and to come to this country legally.

He also talked about the other boat people and those who stayed, saying that for every one who escaped, one was executed who stayed. Then he started talking about "grandpa," the old man who lives in the house across the street. Grandpa is shy and talks very little. His English is hard to follow, so I hadn't talked much with him over the past 15 or so years he's been living here. But we learned that he is a math tutor, loves math, still studies math books all the time to keep up with his teaching. But we also learned that he was in President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu's cabinet before the country fell to the communists.

I did a quick look-see online when we came home and found this picture of him. It's not dated, but it looks like a reunion picture taken in the 90's.

Some of us could write a book.