Our family made the dangerous decision to escape as one of the boat people; part of the large exodus of Vietnamese refugees that fled Vietnam in the late 70's and early 80's. We boarded a small, half covered boat with some other families and it felt like a long time before we were picked up by the Hong Kong fishing vessel that found us. From there we went to a refugee camp, where we were processed. We lived stacked on top of each other in warehouses next to a military training facility and it...
more »Our family made the dangerous decision to escape as one of the boat people; part of the large exodus of Vietnamese refugees that fled Vietnam in the late 70's and early 80's. We boarded a small, half covered boat with some other families and it felt like a long time before we were picked up by the Hong Kong fishing vessel that found us. From there we went to a refugee camp, where we were processed. We lived stacked on top of each other in warehouses next to a military training facility and it was there that my father was interviewed by representatives of a church in Canada that eventually sponsored us.
Growing up in Canada, my childhood was an experience of being in limbo; I was different and unsure of myself, with a sense of being disconnected, as I had very little in common with the people around me. This feeling persisted until an opportunity to return to my birthplace presented itself. My homecoming was an answer to who I am, but also alien to me, though everything that was incidentally familiar to me became a part of me; from the language to the skin tones to the way we sat and the food we ate, even to the smells of what I imagined home to be like.
It is generally understood that the Vietnamese are close: they are close to their family, children and elders; they are close to their traditions and ancestors; and they are close to their history. As their country shifts into the future, these intangibles, essential to being Vietnamese, remain unchanged. These images, made possible by a grant from the Canada Council of the Arts, show the intimacy, hope, and despair entwined between birth and death, with all the glory and celebrations in between. They are images of my birthplace, friends, family and neighbours, frozen glimpses into the lives of a people and country on the cusp of change, a portrait, ultimately, of myself.
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