40th Anniversary of the Southeast Asian Diaspora

Chiang Rai Refugee Camp, Thailand, sometime between 1975 and 1980: Papa Thammarath and Mama Thammarath

I admit.

Growing up, I was one of those high achieving, highly tracked, annoyingly arrogant students that lived up to the model minority stereotype (ironically spend my professional life trying to dismantle this stereotype, but that is another topic).

I particularly loved social studies and history . . so much so that I actually believed that my father lied to me about being a refugee from Laos. I thought all the stories he told me as a child about fleeing Laos, villages being shot up, piles of bodies on the side of the road, my grandfather dying fighting alongside American soldiers, secretly paddling across the Mekong River at night time, and living in refugee camps were just made up because I read about the Viet Nam War and all the other wars . . there was never any mention of a war in Laos. Any refugees from Laos. Anything, really, about Laos.

My conclusion was that my text books were right and my father was wrong. Unfortunately, it was me and my text books that were completely wrong.

Anyway, there are some amazing stories being posted to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Southeast Asian Diaspora. Here is one: Our Vietnam War Never Ended.

Vietnamese Refugee Day

Dear Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao:

First and foremost, I would like to congratulate you on your many accomplishments this year. Not only are the highest ranked Vietnamese American elected official and first Vietnamese American elected to service in our fine country's Congress, you are a Republican that has been elected to represent a predominantly Democratic district of Louisiana.

In fact, you’re the first Republican to be elected to represent the Second District of Louisiana since 1891.

While some may argue that your victory only occurred due to very rare circumstances, such as running against a Democratic candidate marred by controversy and low voter turn out as a result of Hurricane Gustav, I still take great pride that someone who is sometimes called a community organizer, has advocated for the rights of immigrants and refugees, and whose family was also torn apart by the war in Southeast Asia, has accomplished such things.

I only wish that you were able to see these connections between you and me that I see so clearly.

I actually had the amazing opportunity to meet you in March at the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) event to welcome newly elected Asian and Pacific Americans to CAPAC. I commend your effort to be bi-partisan and join a heavily Democratic Caucus – making CAPAC the only bi-partisan Congressional caucus based on race.

When you admitted that you “may be a closet Democrat,” I wished you were telling the truth instead of just cracking a joke.

I know you’ve been faced with some obstacles since joining office, especially with concerns from your constituents regarding the economic stimulus package, but I’m glad that you are trying to build those bridges. I mean, seeing that your first piece of legislation passed unanimously, I guess you can say that you’ve definitely build some bi-partisan bridges in Congress.

However, how about those bridges that exist in your district? Does this piece of legislation address the concerns of your constituents in your district?

I think voting for the economic stimulus package might have.

How about those bridges that exist in our community?

I can take a hint. You’ve gone and drawn the line very clearly between you and me.

Regardless, I’m happy to see that you’re using your POWER – as the first Vietnamese American to serve in the US Congress – and PRIVILEGE – as a product of the main Viet Nam War and not just a product of one of the satellite wars – to empower and bring voice to YOUR community.

I only hope that one day… I will be able to have the same power and privilege to do something as honorable as H.Res. 342.

However, when I say similar, I mean similarly honorable but not similarly narrow, exclusive, self-centered, and self-serving.

Love&Solidarity,
Monica