X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]
Newsgroups: soc.culture.vietnamese
Date:         Tue, 29 Dec 1992 07:50:04 EST
              USENET." <VIETNET@USCVM.BITNET>
From:         Giap Huynh <giap@NVL.ARMY.MIL>
Subject:      Re: 20/20 The long way home
              92 9:47 pm

>
> In article <1992Dec27.212731.16310@gmuvax2.gmu.edu> hlam@gmuvax2.gmu.edu
 (Hoang Q Lam) writes:
> >In article <08ly027S30bo01@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com> vqt00@DUTS.ccc.amdahl.com
 (Married With Children) writes:
> >>In article <1992Dec22.200835.14838@news.media.mit.edu> giap@nvl.army.mil
 (Giap Huynh) writes:
> >>>
> >>>   Just have some thought during Holiday Season..
> >>>
> >>>   Did you watch 20/20 last week ? I did and couldn't help but felt
> >[deleted]
> >>>   Well, we learned something about the show....
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>Correction: the woman came to the US when she was 10.  If you think it's
> >>a shame that she could not remember Vietnamese language, try not to
> >>speak Vietnamese for 17 years and find out if you remember anything.
> >>I admire her for having the courage to go back there and find her family
> >>knowing the she could not communicate with them.  I feel that she
> >>understands what love is all about !
> >
> >The problem is that you don't just stop speaking Vietnamese for 17
> >years.
>
>   It is possible to not speak Vietnamese, or have very little chance
>   to speak it for 17 years.  Those of you who grew up in communities
>   where there are many Vietnamese might not understand this point.
>
>   There are families who settled in areas where there are few other
>   Vietnamese family.  The children of these families grew up with
>   little contacts with other Vietnamese.  The smaller the family
>   (few brothers and sisters), the less chance they have to practice
>   Vietnamese.  Remember that there are 50 states in the US and not
>   just California or Texas (where there are large concentration of
>   Vietnamese).
>
>   It is better to try to understand the possibilities and have compassion
>   for this brave young woman, instead of condemning her without knowing
>   her full story.
>
> Regards,
> Tin Le
> --
> .----------------------------------------------------------------------
> . Tin Le                    Work Internet: tin@smsc.Sony.COM
> . Sony Microsystems
> . Office: (408) 944-4157     Other Internet Addr: tin@szebra.Saigon.COM
>
    Of course, we know what you are talking about. You don't have to explain.
    I'm sorry you didn't understand what was my point. I didn't condemn that
    lady at all. I said it's a shame in general if we forget to speak our
    own language no matter what reason. It's a feeling one must have felt
    hiself or herself. I'm sure if you ask the lady, she will tell you that.
    That is why in the end she vowed that she will learn Vietnamese fast
    for her next trip. That's what I admired about her.
       I think that when she was young, she made a wrong decision not to
    continue to practice Vietnamese with her sibling or at least asked her
    adopted parents to help them in making contact with Vietnamese community
    here or back home. May be her adopted parents didn't encourage this.
    However, they can still do these when they got older. But they chose
    not to. That's why they have to face it today and it's sad.
       I also think that a lot of Vietnamese became americanized until
    it took a tragedy like this case to show them how much they missed and
     how bad, shame...etc they must felt.
       It's a good lesson for parents living in the U.S. to see how
    important it is to teach their children their native language unless
    they chose not to be Vietnamese.

      Regards,