I want my child to learn Vietnamese, but I also want to protect him from the emotional bruises my parents dealt me. I want to pass on the language, but without passing on the trauma. I have to both learn and normalize a version of everyday Tiếng Việt that can communicate tenderness, love, and rich emotions.
Category: Understand trauma
Growing up in the United States, my Vietnamese history is ignored or misrepresented. The perspectives and stories of refugees – and of people of color in general – are not taught in school or documented in popular media. I want to break those stereotypes, encourage critical thinking, and spark constructive discussion through the FOBLOG.