|
|
|
|
|
Diversity Pro Newsletters>
Risking Life & Limb to Come to America
September 29, 2007
Risking life and limb to come to America
Q&A with restaurant co-owner Kristina Kwan
by Dr. Leo Parvis
As I interact with people from different cultures in the
Twin Cities, I find it so interesting when I come across
untold stories that need to be told. This time around, my
interviewee is Kristina Kwan who fled Vietnam with her
family in the 1970's to find their chance for freedom in
the land of opportunity and brotherhood. Her amazing story
is one of millions of historical accounts of people around
the worldChinese or
Vietnamese?
Kristina: I consider myself and my family Chinese. I also
married a Chinese man.
Leo: For many years we have heard the tragic stories of
people leaving Vietnam for survival and freedom. Please
tell me about your childhood and how you and your family
fled Vietnam.
Kristina: In the 1970’s many people fled Vietnam. The first
wave of refugees to leave Vietnam were the people who were
involved in the Vietnam War with the Americans, these
people were airlifted out of the country. The second wave
of Vietnamese refugees were the “boat people;" these people
left Vietnam by boat, often times in small fishing boats.
As you can imagine, all these boats were filled beyond
capacity with Vietnamese refugees hoping to get out of the
country and eventually settle in the United States or
elsewhere in the world. My family and I were amongst the
thousands of “boat people.” We left on a 30-foot boat with
149 passengers on board.
Leo: Was this a free ride or did it cost you a fortune to
jump on the boat for freedom?
Kristina: It was not an easy task to earn your way on these
boats. People had to pay a lot of money to be able to buy
their seats on s in small fishing boats.
As you can imagine, all these boats were filled beyond
capacity with Vietnamese refugees hoping to get out of the
country and eventually settle in the United States or
elsewhere in the world. My family and I were amongst the
thousands of “boat people.” We left on a 30-foot boat with
149 passengers on board.
Leo: Was this a free ride or did it cost you a fortune to
jump on the boat for freedom?
Kristina: It was not an easy task to earn your way on these
boats. People had to pay a lot of money to be able to buy
their seats on this journey. It was our fate that we were
able to be on this boat together as a family. Many had to
leave behind their children, parents, or siblings. Six
months prior to the sailing date, my paternal uncle told my
dad that he will be leaving. My dad naturally wanted to
leave as well but in order to buy your ticket you had to
pay with bars of gold. My parents were very poor. They did
not even have enough money to feed our family. In order for
my mom, dad, brothers (ages 3 & 4) and myself, (then age 8)
to leave the country we had to pay the boat owners 5 bars
of gold. My dad was determined to escape on this boat with
his brother’s family. He is a jeweler by trade. My
grandfather taught all his sons the business. My parents
borrowed money from my maternal grandmother and started a
jewelry business. Within 6 months my parents made enough
money for our whole family to go on the boat together and
enough money to bribe the local officials to let us leave
freely. The bribe for the local police was leaving all of
our possessions to them, including our house with
everything in it.
Leo: How dangerous was the boat experience and where did
you land first?
Kristina: We left Vietnam sometime in the beginning of 1979
heading for Malaysia because there was word that the
Americans set up some kind of refugee camp there for all
fleeing refugees. Like today, no one really cared about the
refugees. We were rejected everywhere we went. After a week
at sea, we ran out of food and water so when we spotted
another island, we were determined to stay. At this
particular island (I don't remember the name), the natives
did not want any refugees on their borders, so when we
resisted to leave, they used their huge ship to pull us out
of their borders. As they did this, their intention was
really to drown all of us and no one would know because
many “boat people” vanished at sea from violent storms or
were decimated at the hands of the pirates who would take
all their possessions, and rape and kill the women/girls to
hide the evidence.
Leo: So, what happened after the island people tried to
sweep you away?
Kristina: As water was coming into our boat, people
frantically took buckets to scoop the water out of the boat
otherwise we would all drown. I distinctly remember this as
my parents prepared us for death. They said their good-byes
and told us how much they loved us. Miraculously, someone
on our boat was able to cut the line that would have
dragged us to our death and we were freed from the
excruciating hell we were trapped in.
Leo: What was your next destination after you were able to
escape that vicious island? Did you have any clue where you
were going?
Kristina: We sailed on towards Indonesia and luckily a U.S.
Navy ship discovered us and helped us settle on one of the
islands in Indonesia. There we stayed for about 6 months.
Leo: So, it was a relief that you found a safe haven. Were
there any bright spots in this experience?
Kristina: Americans would send food and supplies to us but
because it had to go through the hands of the natives
before it got down to us, what we had to live on was half a
cup of rice per person per week and half an egg per person
per week. We lived on limited food until an American priest
discovered that the people on our island were malnourished
and sick, he quickly got the word back to the United States
and the US came onto our island to give us the food
directly. It was only then that we had more than enough to
eat.
Leo: Kristina, tell me about the most remarkable moments
while you lived on that island and maybe you would like to
share any positive experiences you remember from those
unforgettable days.
Kristina: To this day, I can still smell the scent of the
green apple that was given to me by a US worker. My eyes
were wide with amazement and wonder as to what this green
apple was. I took a bite into it and savored every last
morsel. Life was very simple on this island with the
refugees full of hope to find a new life in a new land.
Many stayed for 6 months or less but there were those that
ended up staying for years because they did not have anyone
willing to sponsor them.
Leo: So, tell me when did you hear the good news that you
were coming to live in the United States?
Kristina: My family was very fortunate. My aunt was living
in the United States at the time and was able to find
someone who could connect us with a local church group to
help sponsor us to St. Paul, Minnesota. Sponsorship meant
you had to take full responsibility for the people you were
supporting. The Nativity Catholic Church in St. Paul helped
us get into the United States. They helped our family find
a place to live, work, go to school, go to the grocery
store, doctor’s appointments, dentist appointments, and
anything else that needed to be done to help us start our
new life in the United States. My family and I arrived in
Minneapolis/St. Paul on November 2, 1979 empty handed with
merely the ripped clothes on our backs. I remember this day
clearly because I remember “white stuff” coming down from
the sky and wondered what it was.
Since that day, my parents have worked hard to get to where
they are today and instill in their children that hard work
and determination will take you where ever you want to go.
Leo: What's life like now for you and your family in the
U.S. and what's your goal for the future?
Kristina: First of all I must say that I am indebted to all
the people including the members of the Nativity Church in
St. Paul who helped and contributed their time and efforts
to bring us here. I am so grateful for the opportunity we
were given to be part of American society. Life has been
full of joy and excitement since I came to the United
States. My goal is to give back to my community and help
new immigrants and refugees to get acquainted with the
system. I currently live in Chaska and all my children go
to Chaska schools. My husband and I own the Ming Wok
restaurant in Excelsior specializing in delicious Cantonese
cuisine and “bubble tea." My full time job is in downtown
Chaska at Casualty Assurance—an independent insurance
agency. I can be reached at 952-448-3800 if your readers
have any further questions.
Reprinted with permission from the Chaska Herald.
Questions?
For diversity-related information and resources or to
schedule a speaking engagement, contact: Dr. Leo Parvis,
612-386-7102 or drparvis@gmail.com
Our Web Sites:
See our book storefront at:
www.lulu.com/diversitypro
To learn more about
Dr. Parvis, see his website at:
www.drleoparvis.com
To order products featuring the stunning “Embrace
Diversity” logo, please go to our product site at:
www.diversitypromotions.com
Or our eBay store at: www.
embracediversitystore.com
For information about
National Diversity Day,
please go to:
www.nationaldiversityday.com
See our blog at www.
diversitypro.wordpress.com
|
|
|
|
|
