Personal Narrative: My Identity As A Vietnamese-American

Improved Essays
I identify as a Vietnamese-American, however, this was never the case. It was almost ironic how strongly I identified with American culture when my family’s time spent in America was fairly new. Since my parents traveled to America after the Vietnam War in the 1980’s, my siblings and I are the first American-born generation. I grew up as an American, so I quickly found out that I had no knowledge of the Vietnamese culture, language, or history. It came to the point where I realized, I couldn’t truly know myself before I knew where I came from. My parents were boat people. Most people come to America for a better life, this was also the case with my parents. However, because of the poor quality of life i Vietnam after the car, they were left

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    She was one of the girliest girls I knew since grade school, with her stylish culottes and pink garments of all different shades for all different occasions. She was the epitome of a mixture between pure innocence and quirk that boldly took her rightful place in the middle of my heart. Mary Anne wasn’t just all of that; she was also my affectionate girlfriend, my warm-hearted best friend who I could talk about anything with, from the most trivial things to the very meaning of our whole existence. At the time, all I could feel was the absolute joy that I got from spending my time with her. We had our entire happiness in the future planned out, a dream wedding and all, but maybe that was the reason why I wouldn’t have ever imagined that I would be feeling so lost and empty just a few years later, alone and missing a part of myself.…

    • 998 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It was a rainy morning in Seattle, and I wore my Army dress uniform. Stepping off the bus, I ran 100 yards to the entrance of the Airport. After I purchased my ticket and checked my bags, I headed to the bar. It was the time of the winter equinox, and I was headed home with my discharge in my duffle bag. I suppose I should have worn my civilian clothes, but I had been stateside six months, and the comradeship I experienced in Vietnam had yet to loosen its grip on me.…

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When I woke up, I still had that guilty feeling in my stomach. Oh well, how could I fix what I did anyways? While I was thinking about my problem, Cush came by and told me it was time to get my mules ready, so we could deliver supplies to the Yankees. Later on, we got ordered to form into a wagon train and we soon started our journey. After traveling for some time, we arrived at a warehouse, where we had to pick up our supplies.…

    • 359 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Meanwhile, poor Sarah was home worrying about me, and the weather, which appeared particularly nasty. Texas is where we learned the phrase “tornado watch.” In fact, when we left Texas to finish flight school in Fort Rucker, Alabama she said she would never live in Texas again. At the time, I was too worried about dying in a helicopter crash or failing the next phase and “washing out” to give her the attention she deserved. We were newlyweds, and she forgave me-…

    • 1725 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    I left in the middle of the night. I had to go. There was so much that I need to to see in this beautiful country. I met someone named Cara, she a Native Vietnamese girl. I met her when I went out with the guys.…

    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    one day a boy and his brother walks down the street to a restaurant called taco dinner, When they were walking past an ally and a small pipe bomb with chemicals blows up both brothers screaming in pain the acid burning the skin off their bones, They were rushed to the hospital in critical condition the younger brother faitting and the older brother watching his brother dying. A day later in the newspaper it said younger brother Chris M Herald was reported dead on january 12 2002 time of death 9:14 am at portland memorial hospital from a supposed gang fight 2 hours before the accident, there a high radiation level where the bomb went off, “I stopped reading, I told myself he’s in a better place but all i could think about is Chris screaming in pain and me not doing anything to help him”, “knock knock” hello anyone home it's the state police department, Mr.herald? I told them “ go away”, the cop said “ok have a good day Mr.herald”.…

    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    With and without hope, full and empty of the sea from space. For eons, we lived far deep in the depths of the ocean hidden away from the outside world. It is a sacred place to live at the time where believing something impossible can never be forgotten from all stories that were told about my home. My home that has sunk to the bottom of the ocean and now my people struggle to survive for many eons that go by quickly. It is a good thing to know at least for now some of us has survived the longest up until we were able to rebuild some parts of our city in ruins.…

    • 1013 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It was a rainy Saturday night. I left my dorm, my stomach empty because I’d been trying to wait out the rain before going to find something to eat. But the rain didn’t end, and although it was quite late, I decided to make a quick trip to the store nearby rather than wait any longer. My umbrella was broken, so I put on my hoodie and tried to run as fast as possible. About halfway to the store, I saw an old woman with a folding walker, trying to get past the intersection while holding her umbrella.…

    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    “Before I was born everything was normal or I was told everything was normal. My parents would hold me in their arms as shopped for groceries. We were happy, we had freedom. All of this ended to soon when entertainment became dull and rare. The rich were the entertainment but they wanted freedom.…

    • 1583 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The calm waters erupted and chaos broke out after the announcement on the radio. I couldn’t hear anything around me, all I could hear was the sirens ringing in my ears. “PEARL HARBOR WAS ATTACKED! WE NEED TO GET BACK!” , the figure beside me shouted and shook me out of my paralyzed state.…

    • 1321 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    “If you would like the job at Lucca’s it is yours, you just need to come in and interview with Ken” Jasmine told me over the phone. “I need to know if you want it by the time I am off of work tonight” she continued, “I have to get back to work, see you at eight when you pick me up.” Do I want to work at this restaurant? For Ken, the guy who keeps Jasmine late and calls her at the last minute? The guy who never gave her the raise?…

    • 1142 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Growing up as a first-generation Vietnamese immigrant was difficult. My parents had little education. They spoke no English and had no understanding of the American culture. Nevertheless, they raised my sister and I the best they could. I was fortunate to have immigrated at the young age of 3.…

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    At the age of twelve, I left the woman I love the most in Vietnam to start a new life with my dad in the United States. I was always wondering why my mom did not want to go with us, and our family could live together. But then as I have growing up, I realized that she sacrificed to stay there, so my dad can take care of me better. Remember the first day I went to an American middle school, I was clueless, difficulty in communication and the people around me have different cultures, and ethnicity. When in Vietnam, I felt so confident and proud of myself, but in United States, I started isolating people, I felt inferior and started developing a shell to cover myself from the world.…

    • 649 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Growing up in a Vietnamese family in America, the value of life is highlighted by working hard and knowing your roots. Stories about family hardship and history told from the older generation in my family are mostly ones of war. I have heard many different elements of war: war crimes, anticommunist sentiments, and the escape from Vietnam. Hearing these stories has always resonated with me, motivating me to work hard for the sacrifice of those before me. In that sense, I worked rigorously to provide myself an education from the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas and was excited about pursuing a professional health career.…

    • 904 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Growing up in San Jose, California, for example, I was always surrounded by Vietnamese and—to a lesser extent—Filipino students at school. Because my schools were dominated by a Vietnamese population, I tended to drift towards that direction and befriend Vietnamese people. Being Asian was enough to be able to have shared experiences and beliefs with them, yet other parts of their culture I had to learn from them. Slowly, I began to assimilate with the culture of Vietnamese-Americans which has been reinforced through my ideals and experiences shared with friends. Reflecting on my life now, I see that even today a majority of my friends are Vietnamese.…

    • 1021 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays