Seeking Refuge Amid Chaos

The Refugees

The Vietnam War and the Fall of Saigon resulted in a decades-long humanitarian crisis, where Vietnamese refugees fled Vietnam to other countries. The most popular method was by largely unseaworthy boats and refugees often drifted for days or weeks before landing in other Asian countries and territories such as Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Thailand. These refugees were often placed in refugee camps before being processed into different countries via the Orderly Departure Program and national refugee legislation. Due to the magnitude of the crisis and its sudden development, the camps were poorly managed and lacked proper housing and supplies. The immigration process took years as governments struggled to create cohesive plans to place refugees in their countries with sponsors. 

Growing Up With War

Châu An was one of those refugees lucky enough to escape Vietnam and relocate to the United States. He was born in Chợ Lớn, Việt Nam in 1956, an area populated mainly by ethnic Chinese and served as a business area. An lived a modest life in Việt Nam and had a normal routine like other Vietnamese children, going to school and helping his mom, Chung Chánh, and dad, Châu Muối, run their coffee shop whenever he had free time. An considered himself lucky for his family's coffee shop. He often saw that other Vietnamese children around him did not have enough money to go to school, but his family's business provided just enough money to afford his education. Growing up in the city, An did not see much conflict but heard about the war's progress by word of mouth or through newspapers. An's first close-up view of the war was the Tết Offensive, when the North Vietnamese Army launched a surprise attack on the South during Lunar New Year celebrations in 1968. For a few days, An and his family stayed in their home to avoid the gunfire outside. They were forced to hide in fear "under the bed, or lie on the floor to try to avoid... the bullets that get inside the house." A separate account from a Vietnamese general recalls missiles flying overhead before the defensive line was broken. The city was heavily sieged and filled with gunfire in all directions. Luckily, the family had plenty of food to last throughout the conflict because of the new year preparations. After the conflict subsided, An and his family went out to see the aftermath. There were dead bodies, bullets, and makeshift covers on all parts of the street. The city came to a standstill as markets remained closed and the schools remained closed until it was safe for students to come back. Once school had reopened, all the students could talk about was the conflict. An talked to his friends about what it was like for them to hide from the conflict. Despite living with fear, An and his classmates believed that there was nothing that they could do except earn good grades to avoid being drafted by the South Vietnamese Army.  

Drifting in the Open Seas

After months of preparations, An received a sudden notice in the early morning one day that they had to leave at that moment. An and his brother quickly got ready to leave Vietnam for good. As he packed a diary and put on his specially prepared clothes, An's father stopped him and gave him a handkerchief to remember him by. The last thing his father told him before he left was that the handkerchief was for wiping his nose if he needed it. After exchanging goodbyes and good wishes, An never saw his father again. 

Freedom in Two Places

An described the refugee camps as "fun and freedom at the same time" but also incredibly hard. What made it incredibly difficult was the lack of money to purchase food from the markets. While the camps provided food, there was often not enough for all of the refugees. An and his brother got a job translating Chinese and Vietnamese for a local market owner, giving them access to more food and a stable income. An and his brother would live in the Songkhla camp for two more years before spending over another year at two separate processing facilities. Meanwhile, they lived in dilapidated huts made from straw and mats. At this time, there was a large international backlog that prevented refugees from being admitted into countries quickly. A large part of the problem was a reluctance to accept so many refugees. After intense international negotiations, third parties and the international community would create an elaborate system to take in refugees. Like many refugees, An and his brother were sponsored by Catholic Charities and immigrated to the United States, which took in the most refugees. 

An and his brother landed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the winter and saw snow for the first time in their lives. Their sponsors did not show up to take them to their new home, leaving An and his brother to wander in the airport. They approached two officers for help but were limited by their lack of English. By the numbers on the bag, the officers understood that they were refugees and brought them to the police station, where they waited for hours before they were transferred to a motel for the night. A representative from Catholic Charities told them that they did not know that An and his brother were there nor did they have a sponsor sorted yet. The next morning, An got his first taste of the United States when he was given a McDonald's hamburger by a Catholic Charities representative before he and his brother were picked up. They were eventually sorted to live with a local priest in Pittsburgh and were able to start their new lives in the United States. 

Title: Seeking Refuge Amdist Chaos

Details: 

An oral history of An Châu, born in Chợ Lớn in 1956, and was one of many refugees who fled Việt Nam by boat. The interview will focus on a few key areas, specifically An’s experience in Malaysian and Thai refugee camps and the journey by boat. An was born in Chợ Lớn to Chung Chánh and Châu Muối, who owned a coffee shop that he helped with. An had a normal childhood in Việt Nam, going to school and helping out at his parents’ shop when he had free time. However, he would always hear about the war out in the country but would not experience it until the Tết Offensive. After the North Vietnamese Army took over the South, An faked mental illness to avoid conscription and looked for a way to escape Việt Nam by boat. During his journey, An faced starvation, pirates, and engine failure for 18 days until he landed in refugee camps managed by Malaysia and Thailand. He worked in those camps to afford a living for himself and his brother for years until they were sponsored by Catholic Charities. He arrived at the US in 1982 and eventually moved to California. He now works as a maintenance worker for a hotel in West Covina, California. He has 4 children and lives in West Covina with his wife.

Key Words

• Chợ Lớn: An area near Sài Gòn comprised of mainly ethnic Chinese Vietnamese citizens

• Tết Offensive: A turning point in the war where the North Vietnamese Army attacked the South during Lunar New Year

• Conscription: Compulsory enrollment, especially for the armed forces

• Pirates: One who commits or practices piracy at sea

• Catholic Charities: A network of charities in the United States that is the largest US social-safety-net provider after the government

• Songkhla: City in Thailand that hosted a refugee camp for those fleeing from the Vietnam War

Decade of Birth: 10/25/1956

Interviewee: An Chau

Interviewer: Brandon Chau

Date created: 5/23/23

Duration: 1:00:47

Language: English

Type: Oral History

Oral History Files

Recording

Transcript

Abstract

Field Log

Time Log

Bibliography

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