Saturday was my mom’s 30th year anniversary since she stepped foot onto American soil. My mom has encountered many hardships that I, myself, cannot imagine enduring and overcoming those obstacles. Born into a world without a father, my mom had to look elsewhere for a father-figure (my grandpa was captured during the war, to this day the whereabouts of his remain is unknown). At the age of sixteen, my mom began going to school for sewing. As the war continued, more and more people and neighbors attempted to escape and seek refuge outside of Vietnam. By seventeen, she decided that she wanted to leave to. Although my grandma was afraid for my mom’s safety, she let her go because one of the family-friend that my grandma knew was also leaving. So that night, my mom secretly hopped on a small boat and slipped away into the dark ocean. In the midst of fleeing Vietnam, her boat was raid by local pirates. (I cannot remember much about this encounter.) After a few weeks at sea, the boat drifted to an island, and she stayed there until my uncle was able to sponsor her to the States.
When my mom arrived to the United States, she enrolled in Bolsa Grande High School (the school that I was supposed to go to). Not too long after that she became friends with my uncle’s wife’s little sister. My mom decided to move out with the friend and live on the little government support she received since she didn’t get along with my uncle and his wife too well. At the time my uncle, his wife, my aunt’s little sister, three other uncles and my grandparents lived in the same household. My dad’s mom seeing that my mom needed a place to stay took my mom in. But not too long after that they moved to Texas and my mom went too. My dad had just got a divorce and it was in Texas that they met. (My mom told me that my dad would turn on the record and dance by himself while she hid and watched him. Lol.)
She came to the United States without any money, yet she made something out of her life. She got a job, met my dad, got married, had my BROTHER and I :) I truly admire my mom and if i can become half the person my mom is when I am a mom, I’ll be okay <3
If you ever read this mom, I LOVE YOU!!!
There a lot more of detail that I am ashamed to say that I have not uncovered but tune in next time and maybe you can hear my dad’s side of the story. hehehe
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