This
is something
everyone in
America should
read.
VIETNAMESE
IMMIGRANT
It looks like
we did some
good after
all!
On
Saturday, July
24th, 2010 the
town of
Prescott
Valley, AZ,
hosted a
Freedom Rally.
Quang Nguyen
was asked to
speak on his
experience of
coming to
America and
what it means.
He spoke the
following in
dedication to
all Vietnam
Veterans.
Thought you
might enjoy
hearing what
he had to say:
Start
quote:
35 years ago,
if you were
to tell me
that I am
going to stand
up here
speaking to a
couple
thousand
patriots, in
English, I'd
laugh at you.
Man, every
morning I wake
up thanking
God for
putting me and
my family in
the greatest
country on
earth. I just
want you all
to know that
the American
dream does
exist and I am
living the
American
dream. I was
asked to speak
to you about
my experience
as a first
generation
Vietnamese-American,
but I'd
rather speak
to you as an
American.
If you hadn't
noticed, I am
not white and
I feel pretty
comfortable
with my
people. I am
a proud U.S.
citizen and
here is my
proof. It
took me 8
years to get
it, waiting in
endless lines,
but I got it,
and I am very
proud of it.
I still
remember the
images of the
Tet offensive
in 1968, I was
six years old.
Now you might
want to
question how a
6-year-old boy
could remember
anything.
Trust me,
those images
can never be
erased. I
can't even
imagine what
it was like
for young
American
soldiers,
10,000 miles
away from
home, fighting
on my behalf.
35 years ago,
I left South
Vietnam for
political
asylum. The
war had
ended. At the
age of 13, I
left with the
understanding
that I may or
may not ever
get to see my
siblings or
parents
again. I was
one of the
first lucky
100,000
Vietnamese
allowed to
come to the
U.S. Somehow,
my family and
I were
reunited 5
months later,
amazingly, in
California. It
was a miracle
from God.
If you haven't
heard lately
that this is
the greatest
country on
earth, I am
telling you
that right
now. It was
the freedom
and the
opportunities
presented to
me that put me
here with all
of you
tonight. I
also remember
the barriers
that I had to
overcome every
step of the
way. My high
school
counselor told
me that I
cannot make it
to college due
to my poor
communication
skills. I
proved him
wrong. I
finished
college. You
see, all you
have to do is
to give this
little boy an
opportunity
and encourage
him to take
and run with
it. Well, I
took the
opportunity
and here I am.
This person
standing
tonight in
front of you
could not
exist under a
socialist/communist
environment.
By the way, if
you think
socialism is
the way to go,
I am sure many
people here
will chip in
to get you a
one-way ticket
out of here.
And if you
didn't know,
the only
difference
between
socialism and
communism is
an AK-47 aimed
at your head.
That was my
experience.
In
1982, I stood
with a
thousand new
immigrants,
reciting the
Pledge of
Allegiance and
listening to
the National
Anthem for the
first time as
an American.
To this day, I
can't remember
anything
sweeter and
more patriotic
than that
moment in my
life.
Fast
forwarding,
somehow I
finished high
school,
finished
college, and
like any other
goofball 21
year old kid,
I was having a
great time
with my life.
I had a nice
job and a nice
apartment in
Southern
California. In
some way and
somehow, I had
forgotten how
I got here and
why I was
here.
One day I was
at a gas
station, I saw
a veteran
pumping gas on
the other side
of the island.
I don't know
what made me
do it, but I
walked over
and asked if
he had served
in Vietnam. He
smiled and
said yes. I
shook and held
his hand. The
grown man
began to well
up. I walked
away as fast
as I could and
at that very
moment, I was
emotionally
rocked. This
was a profound
moment in my
life. I knew
something had
to change in
my life. It
was time for
me to learn
how to be a
good citizen.
It was time
for me to give
back.
You see,
America is not
just a place
on the map, it
isn't just a
physical
location. It
is an ideal, a
concept. And
if you are an
American, you
must
understand the
concept, you
must accept
this concept,
and most
importantly,
you have to
fight and
defend this
concept. This
is about
Freedom and
not free
stuff. And
that is why I
am standing up
here.
Brothers and
sisters, to be
a real
American, the
very least you
must do is to
learn English
and understand
it well. In my
humble
opinion, you
cannot be a
faithful
patriotic
citizen if you
can't speak
the language
of the country
you live in.
Take this
document of 46
pages - last I
looked on the
Internet,
there wasn't a
Vietnamese
translation of
the U.S.
Constitution.
It took me a
long time to
get to the
point of being
able to
converse and
until this
day, I still
struggle to
come up with
the right
words. It's
not easy, but
if it's too
easy, it's not
worth doing.
Before I knew
this 46-page
document, I
learned of the
500,000
Americans who
fought for
this little
boy. I learned
of the 58,000
names scribed
on the black
wall at the
Vietnam
Memorial. You
are my heroes.
You are my
founders.
At this time,
I would like
to ask all the
Vietnam
veterans to
please stand.
I thank you
for my life. I
thank you for
your
sacrifices,
and I thank
you for giving
me the freedom
and liberty I
have today. I
now ask all
veterans,
firefighters,
and police
officers, to
please stand.
On behalf of
all first
generation
immigrants, I
thank you for
your services
and may God
bless you all.
Quang Nguyen
Creative
Director/Founder
Caddis
Advertising,
LLC
"One
Flag, One
Language, One
Nation Under
God"
For those who
understand, no
explanation is
needed. For
those who do
not
understand, no
explanation is
possible.
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