John Hockenberry/The Take Away
Andrew Lam was only 11-years-old when he and his family landed at Camp Pendleton after the end of the Vietnam War. They were eventually transferred to Daly City where he grew up, learning about his roots and trying to blend in at the same time.
April 30th is considered “Black April” for former Vietnamese Refugees around the world. In this photo, South Vietnamese evacuate Saigon in April 1975. (Photo: Dirck Halstead/Getty)
Today, Lam is a celebrated journalist and has penned books by the name of “Perfume Dreams” and “Birds of Paradise Lost.” He says back then, many people had never seen Vietnamese Americans until he and countless other refugees started residing in the neighborhoods and the war came closer to home. He says he still remembers being crammed into a tiny apartment above the restaurant his aunt owned– at one point, living with nearly 16 relatives.
As time moved on and his family settled into their new life, things started to look up. His family was able to afford a house of their own and Lam says he remembers that milestone, oh going from “refugee” to “immigrant”.
Lam has written three books and says he often has people come up to him to thank him for wiriting about his experience. Lam’s father was a former general in the South Vietnamese Army and says his parents spoke often about the war.
To read more about his personal journey to freedom and how it has shaped his life, click here:
http://www.thetakeaway.org/story/saigon-san-francisco-40-years-later/
