ctd2002
02-16-2003, 06:51 AM
Thân chào tất cả các Anh Chị Em Cháu của VietCyber,
CTD xin trích bài dưới đây trong tạp chí OCMETRO vì đứa bé gái VN trong thiên phóng sư này (Michelle Nguyen) chính là cháu bà con (far niece) của CTD, và gia đình rất thân với CTD. Cha mẹ cô ta đã chạy sang Mỹ vào năm 1975, sau khi Sài gòn thất thủ. Cô ta sinh ra vào đầu thập niên 80 và hiện sắp tốt nghiệp ra trường California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), tại Orange County, nam California, Hoa Kỳ.
She is a real Success Story for the second generation of Vietnamese who were born and raised here in the U.S., and should be an honor for all of us. Enjoy:
------------------------------------------------
The American Dream
Minorities climbing the ladder of success.
By Lynn Armitage
Southern California continues to be the land of opportunity for minorities today. But many still struggle economically. If demographic predictions ring true, and the minority population in Orange County eventually becomes the majority, will life get any easier for these ethnic groups, or just more crowded? Will better opportunities abound? For these answers, we must turn to the dreams, ambitions and lessons learned by the next generation - young adults who are preparing to make a difference, such as Michelle Nguyen, 21, a junior at Cal State Fullerton (CSUF), who was raised in Placentia; and Aaron Salcido, 21, a sophomore at Fullerton, who grew up in Diamond Bar.
"My parents came to the United States with nothing but their love and determination," says Nguyen proudly. Her parents barely escaped South Vietnam, their native country, during the fall of Saigon in 1975. They were working for Air America when the communists started bombing their offices. Running hand-in-hand, the two hopped on a plane that was about to take off.
"They left Vietnam without any personal belongings and without saying good-bye to their families, most of whom are still there," says Nguyen, whose parents finally landed in a refugee camp in Florida, completely penniless. They lived with an American pilot and his family for a few months, then moved to California to forge a new life in Hollywood. Her father, who was college-educated in Vietnam, worked tirelessly as a social worker for the county Social Services department, happy to be employed. He battled Parkinson's disease and passed away on Valentine's Day last year. Nguyen's mother, who speaks minimal English, was an assembly worker for a sensor company.
"The hardest thing for my parents was finding a job, but they kept trying until they did. My parents taught me that true determination can get you anywhere you want," says Nguyen, who works part-time as a waitress. "Even when you think there is no hope, keep trying."
Her parents' lifelong economic struggle left a lasting impression on Nguyen, who became infused with determination to make an easier life for herself someday. "I'm earning a college degree so I can find a great job with great pay. I don't want to constantly worry about having enough money like my parents did," says Nguyen, who lived in an apartment for 19 years with her parents and now 27-year-old brother, a business graduate from Cal State Fullerton and financial analyst for Metropolitan West. "Education is very big in my culture. It is expected that we go to college and graduate top in our class."
So far, Nguyen is living up to her family's academic expectations. She's one of only 105 Presidential Scholars at the 32,143 student Fullerton campus. An elite group of the best and brightest, these students have been awarded a four-year tuition scholarship, a laptop computer, priority for campus housing and parking as well as other privileges. "My parents' values and life experiences are why I'm so successful in school. I never settle for anything less than an A because my parents won't let me get away with anything less than my very best."
Nguyen will graduate in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in communicative disorders, and plans to immediately pursue a master's degree. A graduate of Valencia High School, Nguyen says her ambition is to earn a Ph.D., become a college professor and settle somewhere in Orange County, a place where "I love to live."
---------------------
Các bạn có thể đọc bài này bằng cách click váo link dưới đây:
http://www.ocmetro.com
Trong hình dưới đây, bé Michelle đang choàng tay qua anh bạn Mỹ trắng phía trước đó.
CTD xin trích bài dưới đây trong tạp chí OCMETRO vì đứa bé gái VN trong thiên phóng sư này (Michelle Nguyen) chính là cháu bà con (far niece) của CTD, và gia đình rất thân với CTD. Cha mẹ cô ta đã chạy sang Mỹ vào năm 1975, sau khi Sài gòn thất thủ. Cô ta sinh ra vào đầu thập niên 80 và hiện sắp tốt nghiệp ra trường California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), tại Orange County, nam California, Hoa Kỳ.
She is a real Success Story for the second generation of Vietnamese who were born and raised here in the U.S., and should be an honor for all of us. Enjoy:
------------------------------------------------
The American Dream
Minorities climbing the ladder of success.
By Lynn Armitage
Southern California continues to be the land of opportunity for minorities today. But many still struggle economically. If demographic predictions ring true, and the minority population in Orange County eventually becomes the majority, will life get any easier for these ethnic groups, or just more crowded? Will better opportunities abound? For these answers, we must turn to the dreams, ambitions and lessons learned by the next generation - young adults who are preparing to make a difference, such as Michelle Nguyen, 21, a junior at Cal State Fullerton (CSUF), who was raised in Placentia; and Aaron Salcido, 21, a sophomore at Fullerton, who grew up in Diamond Bar.
"My parents came to the United States with nothing but their love and determination," says Nguyen proudly. Her parents barely escaped South Vietnam, their native country, during the fall of Saigon in 1975. They were working for Air America when the communists started bombing their offices. Running hand-in-hand, the two hopped on a plane that was about to take off.
"They left Vietnam without any personal belongings and without saying good-bye to their families, most of whom are still there," says Nguyen, whose parents finally landed in a refugee camp in Florida, completely penniless. They lived with an American pilot and his family for a few months, then moved to California to forge a new life in Hollywood. Her father, who was college-educated in Vietnam, worked tirelessly as a social worker for the county Social Services department, happy to be employed. He battled Parkinson's disease and passed away on Valentine's Day last year. Nguyen's mother, who speaks minimal English, was an assembly worker for a sensor company.
"The hardest thing for my parents was finding a job, but they kept trying until they did. My parents taught me that true determination can get you anywhere you want," says Nguyen, who works part-time as a waitress. "Even when you think there is no hope, keep trying."
Her parents' lifelong economic struggle left a lasting impression on Nguyen, who became infused with determination to make an easier life for herself someday. "I'm earning a college degree so I can find a great job with great pay. I don't want to constantly worry about having enough money like my parents did," says Nguyen, who lived in an apartment for 19 years with her parents and now 27-year-old brother, a business graduate from Cal State Fullerton and financial analyst for Metropolitan West. "Education is very big in my culture. It is expected that we go to college and graduate top in our class."
So far, Nguyen is living up to her family's academic expectations. She's one of only 105 Presidential Scholars at the 32,143 student Fullerton campus. An elite group of the best and brightest, these students have been awarded a four-year tuition scholarship, a laptop computer, priority for campus housing and parking as well as other privileges. "My parents' values and life experiences are why I'm so successful in school. I never settle for anything less than an A because my parents won't let me get away with anything less than my very best."
Nguyen will graduate in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in communicative disorders, and plans to immediately pursue a master's degree. A graduate of Valencia High School, Nguyen says her ambition is to earn a Ph.D., become a college professor and settle somewhere in Orange County, a place where "I love to live."
---------------------
Các bạn có thể đọc bài này bằng cách click váo link dưới đây:
http://www.ocmetro.com
Trong hình dưới đây, bé Michelle đang choàng tay qua anh bạn Mỹ trắng phía trước đó.