Interview with Thuhuong Tran, March 20, 2022

Interview Summary

Thuhuong Tran discusses her life and experiences with the Vietnam War. She was born on January 28, 1960, in SaDec southwest of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). Tran fled Vietnam on April 27, 1975, when she was 15. Following the migration process, Thu-Huong Tran and her family settled in Lansing, Michigan, in August 1975, where she currently lives. The first section of the interview delves into Thu-Huong's family life and upbringing. Here, Thu-Huong described what it was like to grow up in SaDec, introduced to her family members, her experiences at school, and what it is like to be born and grow up in a country grappling with violent conflict. Second, Thu-Huong explained how her perception of the war changed as she grew older. She described her high school experience, how she viewed what was happening in her country, her thoughts on America, and her last days in her home country. Third, Thu-Huong Tran details her departure from Vietnam. In this final section, she covered the events at home that made fleeing inevitable, the experience of escaping war, the process of becoming a refugee, arriving in the United States, and her views of the war forty years later.

Interview Keyword

Saigon Operation Frequent Wind South Vietnam Favoritism Interpreters United States Citizenship Test Catholicism

Interview LC Subject

Vietnam Communism Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Emigration and immigration Catholic schools

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Interview Usage

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