Loan arrived in the United States from Vietnam when she was 5 years old. Loan has had a variety of experiences growing up in the United States, and these experiences have deeply rooted her passion to help other immigrants navigate through the complexities of the immigration system. Loan is a successful immigration lawyer who practices in the Twin Cities.
I didn’t have a choice but to come to the U.S in April 1975 as it was the end of the Vietnam war, and the fall of Saigon. My parents decided it was time to leave, so my dad, my 9-month pregnant mom, and my three sibling, together with my aunt (who was 16 years old), left Vietnam in April 1975.
I have so many memories from when I lived in Vietnam. We had a really good life living as an upper-middle class family. My dad was in the military. He also had a successful lumber business. My mom’s family lived in the same city that we lived in. Life was good for my parents, who were in their 30s, when they were forced to leave everything behind. I recall fleeing the war. I was barely 5 years old and had not started school. My parents were the ones that told us when we had to leave.
When we arrived in 1975, we first lived in Reston, Virginia. We lived there until 1978. During that time, there were three incidents I vividly remember. I would say that those three specific incidents made me realize that I was different because of where I came from and was not part of the majority of this country. The first incident was when I was in first grade. I was trying to read and could not pronounce "fog" and the kids made fun of me because it sounded like I was saying the "f" word instead of "fog." I was so upset, just very upset about it.
The second incident was the worst. I encountered my first incident of racism. It was really interesting, because we lived in Virginia, and I remember it was 1976. The reason I know it was 1976 was because it was the Bicentennial celebration. We went to a celebration at school and people were singing "Yankee Doodle." Scrolls were being passed out to the audience and we were so excited because we got one. The reason I remember it so vividly was because on our way home, we were attacked by some older kids. It was because we were Asian and we were immigrants. I’ll never forget that because they stole the words for "Yankee Doodle went to town" and it was the first time that I was directly attacked due to my ethnicity.
Another incident involved my aunt was living with us as she had come over to the U.S. with us. When she was a teenager, she and my younger sister were attacked by some individuals because they were Asian. These were the only incidents that I can recall. Otherwise, we’ve had a blessed life here in the U.S. It has been a great life.
During that time, I do believe so because there was a huge influx of Southeast Asian immigrants as the Vietnamese population immigrated because of the war. It was great in the sense that many of us were able to come to the U.S. together and start our lives at the same time. The U.S. had a type of sponsorship program where American families could sponsor immigrant families who needed to come here. Our family was sponsored by two American families in Virginia who had their own lives, children, and homes. They took us into their homes. We lived with them and ate with them until my parents were able to get on their feet. They were able to help us get an apartment. There was definitely a process in place. Whereas, I think it’s very different now. Back then, it was a really special time in U.S. history in regards to refugee and asylum seekers and how the U.S. had specific programs where churches and social groups would sponsor families from the refugee camps to help them get acclimated. It really was a unique program that the U.S. had made available.
My parents are not college educated. I don’t even know if they are high school educated. My parents were immigrants and they didn’t know the education system. They instilled in us the vaule of education but were working 12 hours a day to support us. I learned about American culture and life through books. I loved to read. I would read these books and it was kind of interesting because it was the 1970s, and the books I was reading were about life in the 1950s, when children invited their teachers over for dinner. I had always wanted to invite my teachers to dinner because that’s what Betsy and Billy did in their books. I loved my teachers. They were a big help to me, and so were the Brady Bunch, Good Times, and all those shows that you get at home on your television. My siblings and I were latch key kids so I had plenty of time to watch television and that is how I learned about American culture.
Assimilation v. integration? I believe you have to have a balance, which means integration. It is important to remember who we are and who we were, and where we came from so we don’t forget the past. We need to treat each other as we would want to be treated. Assimilation is … I don’t know. I find integration or the salad mix better than the melting pot analogy. I believe we are so much richer by keeping our own distinct backgrounds and culture, and we learn from it. You can never forget where you came from. By assimilating, I believe that’s what happens is you sometimes forget where you came from. To tell you the truth, it is not something I feel is a big debate. What do people mean when they say "assimilation"? How can I not be more American than what I am now. At the same time, I will never forget where I came from, my culture or who my parents are. Does this mean I’m not assimilated? I don’t think I’m not assimilated.
Of course I do. Do I feel American? I have been here since I was 5 years old and have never been back to Vietnam. Do I feel like I’m part of the majority? No. Do I feel different? Yes, some times people do but that’s okay. I believe I’m very fortunate to be able to have the best of both worlds.
It has to be a conscious effort or I’ll never speak Vietnamese to them. I try to speak Vietnamese to my children and my husband tries to speak Turkish to my children. We want them to learn both languages. Yes, there is a conscious effort to teach them Vietnamese but it’s not something that controls everything I do. My children are full-blooded Americans, but I want them to know their heritage too.
I have a really rich life because of my immigrant experience and growing up here as an immigrant. It has been an enriching experience for me. In terms of accomplishments, I can go throughout my life and ask "oh, what have I been able to accomplish" but I never look at life that way, except to relate and be grateful for what I have. I’m really happy with my life and where I am professionally and with my family. I’ve achieved what I want which is happiness and to be really content with what I do. I have a terrific husband and two healthy, happy children. I practice immigration law and love what I do. I’m really very fortunate. Back to Top
It is a challenging area of law. I share a bond with all my clients whether it is an immigrant or corporate client who wants to hire a foreign national … how can I not want to help them? Guiding them through the immigration system is like helping a family member. I love what I do because I have a connection with it. I never wake up not wanting to go to work. I love being out there in the community talking about immigration and the experiences of immigrants, and also advocating for laws that help people who are very similar to my parents and myself.
Be grateful for the experiences that immigrants bring to your community and the richness that they provide to our communities. The experiences they bring with their various cultures and heritage traditions, how can it not make us even a better country and make us more of a global community? We definitely are part of a global community. I was 5 years old when I came to the U.S. and I cannot help thinking about the children. Having children of different countries and backgrounds here in the U.S. brings these experiences to us. Many children in our communities would not be able to experience these diverse cultures and traditions in any other way. It enables us to be part of a global community. It is important that we do not isolate ourselves as a country and welcome these individuals. It is really difficult because there are abuses within all communities. We all share one humanity and that is really what ties us all together. How wonderful it is for victims of war, individuals and children, who would not have had the opportunities they now have if we had not provided them with those opportunities. It is really important that we do this as a country.
I know there are hundreds of stories like mine where immigrants leave their countries, either willingly or unwillingly, determined to have a better life. In this great country that we live in, what a blessing that we are able to offer a new way of life for many. Many immigrants have no idea of the challenges and obstacles they will face when they arrive in the U.S., but they are willing to come with a determination of making a better life for themselves and their families. You can only achieve this dream in America!
YEAR BEFORE SAIGON FELL: Left to right, Loan Huynh's parents, Ho and Kinh Tran at a Buddhist temple in Buon Ma Thuot, a city in Vietnam's central highlands, in the summer of 1974.
Photo: Courtesy Dai Huynh (Huynh family photo)
From left to right, childhood photo of Thuy, Loan, and Dai Huynh and her cousin Hoa Truong in Vietnam in the summer of 1974 .
Photo credit: Courtesy Dai Huynh (Huynh family photo)
The Huynh family gathered for a picture in 1977 at a friend's home in Reston, Va. They are, from left, mother Kinh Thi Tran, with Larry, father Ho Tuong Huynh, with Huy, Thuy, Loan and Dai.
Photo courtesy of Huynh Family
Loan Huynh, third from left, is pictured with her family in 1974 in Vietnam. They are, from left, her father, Ho Tuong Huynh, Dai, Thuy, Huy and her mother, Kinh Thi Tran.
Loan with her two children, Ayse and Elif
Photo Courtesy of Loan Huynh
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