She fled in the summer of 1984, with just the clothes on her back; it took three tries before she made it to the open sea past the patrols, then on to a refugee camp in Indonesia.
Article content
Despite the clouds, wind and rain, flags of bright yellow and red stripes were flown and waved on Parliament Hill one recent Sunday.
Advertisement 2
Article content
It was April 30, the eighth annual Journey to Freedom Day, a day marked by an act of Parliament in March 2015 and introduced by former senator Thanh Hai Ngo, the first Canadian senator Vietnamese descent. This day honours Vietnamese refugees and those lost in the journey to safety, the Vietnamese community in Canada, and our ongoing commitment to human rights and democracy. And it also ushers in May as Asian Heritage Month.
The flag of South Vietnam, this flag and this specific day represent the journey of Vietnamese refugees who fled Vietnam in the years following the Fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War. Over the course of several years after the war, around 800,000 Vietnamese people fled Vietnam at sea by boat, becoming the widely known “boat people.” Risking life and limb was the only means of escape for many Vietnamese, often leaving in the middle of the night and with little more than the clothes on their backs, to avoid detection and patrols.
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
Not all survived this dangerous and perilous journey; boat people faced dangerous conditions at sea, ran out of food and water, or were attacked by pirates who looted, kidnapped and killed fleeing refugees. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, around 250,000 Vietnamese boat people were lost at sea.
As the son of Vietnamese refugees this day, and this flag, have a very special meaning to me.
Over time I would learn about the journey my parents went through to flee to safety, and how they eventually settled in Canada. In the years since my father passed away in 2004, my mom would share with me the details of her journey to freedom in Canada.
My mother fled Vietnam in the early summer of 1984, as a young woman with just the clothes on her back; however, this wasn’t her first attempt. She and her companions had tried twice before, only to have to turn back when they were nearly caught by patrol boats. On the third attempt, under the cover of darkness, they successfully managed to make it out to sea.
Advertisement 4
Article content
In the open waters, near the coast of Indonesia, her boat was attacked by pirates, who looted food and took whatever valuables were aboard.
Eventually, they landed in Indonesia, where they spent months at a refugee camp; my mother studied English there, and volunteered and supported her fellow refugees. She was accepted by and arrived in Canada in late 1984. My mother told me that as part of her Canadian interview process she was asked, “Why do you want to come to Canada?” She told them, “Because I love snow!” Many years later, and after experiencing several Canadian winters, she doesn’t quite feel the same way anymore.
Soon after settling in Hamilton, she met my father, and eventually raised two sons. My mother continues to call Hamilton home, where she tends to her backyard garden, and volunteers and participates at the local Hamilton Community Food Centre.
Advertisement 5
Article content
By 1985, Canada had accepted and resettled around 110,000 Vietnamese refugees in urban centres across Canada, from Vancouver to Montreal. The Ottawa community and then-mayor Marion Dewar had launched Project 4,000 which brought in and created a Vietnamese community of refugees in our nation’s capital. This community, restaurants, and stores continue to be a core part of Ottawa’s Chinatown. The plight of Vietnamese refugees was even portrayed in one of Historica Canada’s Heritage Minutes videos called “Boat People” in 2017, making widely accessible and putting into video a depiction of the journey of our peoples to Canadian shores. This helped cement and make clear that the journey of Vietnamese refugees to Canada was, indeed, part of this country’s history.
Advertisement 6
Article content
The Vietnamese diaspora in Canada spans all walks of life, income, education and political leanings. It includes notable people such as actor Andrew Phung of Kim’s Convenience fame, Olympic wrestling champion Carol Huynh, and UNESCO ambassador and humanitarian Phan Thị Kim Phúc, the subject of the historic photo called Napalm Girl. And the global Vietnamese refugee community has another notable member: Ke Huy Quan, the first actor of Vietnamese descent to win an Academy Award.
Vietnamese peoples were the targets of violence and anti-Asian racism over the course of the pandemic, with some in Ottawa’s Vietnamese community, including seniors, facing harassment and abuse on the streets. The journey to acceptance and inclusion in Canadian society hasn’t always been easy. Despite all this, the appreciation to Canadians for creating a home for us here was clear as day during that April 30 celebration, where several signs read: “Thank you Canada!”
Advertisement 7
Article content
As the son of Vietnamese refugees, I know that recognizing this day and the flag honours the sacrifice and journey that Vietnamese people like my mother took to find safety, in spite of the danger and peril of that journey that took the lives of many. That hardship didn’t end after arriving in Canada: building a new life, learning a new language, and settling among people that didn’t look or speak like her was difficult. Still, she survived, and she persisted.
Today, during Asian Heritage Month, the stories of Vietnamese refugees are an inseparable part of our heritage, identity and history. They guide our community’s ongoing efforts for human rights, democracy and for safety and security for our peoples. And this is what connects us with other communities of refugees who have also fled their homelands and came to Canada for safety, including Afghan, Syrian and Ukrainian peoples.
My mother’s story, the stories of countless other Vietnamese refugees, and the bravery and courage of the Vietnamese diaspora is why I celebrate Journey to Freedom Day.
And it is why I am proud to be Vietnamese.
Ottawa resident Tony Bui frequently writes on issues relating to Asian representation in media and anti-Asian hate, 2SLGBTQIA+ issues and civic engagement. Twitter: @Tony_Bui
#Bui #mom #Canada #Vietnam #celebrate #freedom
Comments
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.
Join the Conversation