Linda Nguyen Oral History Interview, July 31, 2015

NF: My name is Natalia Fernández and I am the curator of the Oregon Multicultural Archives at Oregon State University and this is an oral history interview as part of the IRCO Asian Family Center Oral History Project. Today's date is July 31st, 2015 and we are in Portland, Oregon. So we'll go ahead and begin. If you could please state your name and spell it out loud.

LN: My name is Linda Nguyen. That's L-I-N-D-A, last name is N-G-U-Y-E-N.

NF: And what is your birthdate and your birthplace?

LN: October 13, 1966. I was born in Vietnam.

NF: And with, with, with. Excuse me, with which ethnic or cultural backgrounds do you identify?

LN: I'm Vietnamese.

NF: And when and where were your parents born?

LN: In Vietnam.

NF: And so is that where you grew up for most of your childhood, in Vietnam?

LN: Yes.

NF: Can you describe a little bit about your childhood and what your parents did? LN: I came here very young. I came here when I was only 8 years old. So my memories is very little of Vietnam. I haven't been back to Vietnam before, but this is pretty much, I was, you know I raised as Vietnamese, but my culture really, I'm between country, you know. So your tradition is Vietnamese, but you are Americanized, you know; so, but people ask me "what am I?" I, I say, I'm Vietnamese, but if I go somewhere different country and they ask me who am I? I say I am United States, I'm American. So I guess you can say that I am from two countries, you know. I don't have very much memory of Vietnam, so. I came here too young, but I do remember when I left the country, but not childhood very 00:02:00much; very, very, very little, yeah.

NF: And what did your parents do in, in Vietnam?

LN: My mother is a, she, she sell gold and I guess she, she sell gold and she have side job like a little wagon to sell Vietnamese food. She's my mom, that's what she do, but my father is; he's, I just know that he's a very powerful man in our country so that's why, they said that that's why they said we had to flee the country when we left, when the South got invaded. So we had to leave. So here I am because if we stay when all of us going to; I guess they had to. He 00:03:00said we were all going to be executed if we left, if we stay I mean.

NF: And you had siblings?

LN: Oh yes, there's, there's ten of us. There's seven girls and three boys, yeah.

NF: And at the time that you and your family left Vietnam, all of your siblings were able to leave with you?

LN: Yes, everyone, everyone had to leave. The United States government made sure that we leave, so yeah.

NF: And this was in the late 1960's?

LN: No, 19 where are we? 1975.

NF: Oh, '75?

LN: When they took over, the minute they took over Vietnam, yeah. And I guess in '75 I remember when we left, that when we left that when we left I guess the communist was trying to bomb our boat, and yeah, that's I remember very well, yeah.

NF: So you remember the actual experience of traveling from Vietnam to the United States?

LN: Yeah. Oh yeah, I remember all that, every second of it. I think that's, that memory will never leave you. It doesn't matter how old you are. You remember that all you can do is, your entire family just frightened and scared - and you know because when we left, I guess when the Commies come in whoever it is trying to leave any, they invade the ocean, you know. They go there first I guess, I don't know how it work, but all I know is that bombs were blown right next to your boat, forward, sideward, all over. You know, you don't know if you're going to, that bomb is going to hit you or not. But you know, and we just had to make 00:05:00it to an American ship, we had to make it there and we did and then when we got there we got into Guam and that's where I lived for a while, yeah.

NF: How long did you and your family live there?

LN: My parents said we lived there for like two or three years, in Guam. I, you know you're eight years old, you, you just don't remember much of what they say. You just remember the bad things. So a lot of things here, I learned a lot since I come here to this agency. They give me a lot, they give me memories, you know. And a lot of culture stuff even though my family are very tradition, we are very old fashioned, but its, it's really nice to see you learn more things that's so 00:06:00different; the culture changed so much, you know. And the way your country change. So if, I don't see Vietnam belong to me, do you understand? It's, it doesn't belong to me because it took away my childhood. It took away everything, it took my memories and though, but in another hand the United States of America gave me new memories, new childhood, you know new happiness, no worries, you know. So they give me that, so yeah there's a lot.

NF: So your family was in Guam for a few years with the intention of going to the United States after those two or three years did you then--?

LN: I, you know when you're a kid so I don't know much. I just know what they tell you. So I guess when you are in Guam they call it "refugee camp." So you have to live there first and then if someone sponsors you, then you get to come to the United States. So our family was sponsored by the church and we were the first Vietnamese refugee family that came to, to Oregon. We were the first ones to step into Oregon.

NF: Who, what church sponsored you?

LN: Catholic Church and I don't remember. I just know that the churches in, in Beaverton, it's a big church. I just don't remember, I, I never asked. I just know that the church sponsored us, yeah.

NF: And do you know if your family was selected because of, of your father's position; you mentioned that he was--

LN: I don't think so. I don't think so because at that time, refugees, everybody 00:08:00have a sponsor, a church sponsor family, and you know they don't make it specialty that because your dad whatever my dad do they don't make it special. They make, they treat everybody equal, the same, but because depends on what church, where, what state sponsored those families to give them a life in the United States. So we, when we left Guam, we came to Oregon. We stayed maybe like a couple weeks at the church until they find us a home. And we lived in Halsey Square; they called it Halsey Square at that time. I don't know what they call it now. We were the first family there and when we came here, I remember I, I get beat up and get yelled at. The American adults tell me, "You go home!" and I 00:09:00can't go home, I'm just a kid. And I get kids throwing rocks and they'll push you. There's a lot of things that children at that time go through a lot. We go through a lot when we came to the United States because they blamed you for their children, for their father, for their brother. They blame you for killing their family and you're just a kid. You, so my parents doesn't speak English, I remember that when I was in school, I almost every week or every month I'm in the nurses office because they beat me up all the time. They constantly beat me when I was little. I'm really, at that time I was tiny, you know; yeah, I get that now.

NF: And you and your siblings did, did your siblings as well suffer that?

LN: Yeah, all of us, all kids does. American, at that time, could be very cruel 00:10:00because you don't speak English, you're helpless, you're just a kid. You are forced to come to this country, but you don't understand the reason. You just know that something happened to your country and you have to leave because your parents say so. But when you come here, people, different color eyes, different color hair - you're fascinated. You thought, it was the most beautiful country you could ever imagine, but on the other hand you were being punished by them as a young child. And so, you don't go anywhere, you know, you, you just stay in your house and go to the grocery store, you know, because our apartment in Halsey Square, our supermarket it use to be a Thrift Way store, some kind of 00:11:00Thrift, grocery store. And so they, you know we, that's how far we go from there to there and I use to walk from my, from Halsey Square to the school where 82nd here. You walk every day; winter, summer, you have to walk. And can you imagine, mother and father doesn't speak English and you have to hurry up and find a job? It's not like now, you get food stamps, you get cash assistance, no. The church took care of us until we could help my father find a job. And that's when they do that, they give us you know, we, we gotta work and when we came here all, all the children, I remember, all ten children that can walk at age of five, we go 00:12:00pick strawberries. Strawberry, that's how my mom and us; that's how we survived. Because of strawberry at that time the law haven't changed; there's no labor children, children labor, you know all that stuff; we don't even heard of it. That was the fun part of my life. Make lots of money, summer money for our family. So children, young children, we worked, all of us worked and that's the way it is. When I was young, I and my name used to be, I have a Vietnamese name, a very long Vietnamese name. And children were so mean they use to make fun of my name and they use to like throw shoes at you because they can't pronounce 00:13:00your name and they use to beat you because they can't pronounce your name. And I remember one teacher, her name is Miss Star, she decide, she saw that and she decided to change my name. She's the one that give me that name "Linda" and I kept that name all my life since I come here. And that was my name, the children they begin to start calling me "Linda."

NF: Did you appreciate that or was that hard for you because someone else changed your name for you?

LN: It make it easier for me. Makes it easier for children, doesn't pick on you and doesn't matter. You just laugh about it, you just go home and tell your parent, "you know I got a name they, they call you this name, call me this name 00:14:00and they call me "Linda." And they don't even call me my Vietnamese name" - and so my parents just go along, it's okay. It wasn't legal in a paper, just a nickname. So that nickname has been with me till now.

NF: Did your siblings experience something similar?

LN: No their names are really easy. Just my name is so hard to pronounce, don't know why it is so hard. They just make fun of it, you know. I, I was really little, I was tiny for an eight year old. And my brother, my two older brothers, I mean my two older sisters and my older brother don't have a problem and the little on after me is too tiny and they, they don't do much to them, but as us the older they try, you know. You know, but you get over it, you understand and 00:15:00later on you understand why, and which, I'm okay with that because I don't blame them, you know. War can bring ugly things to people's lives and change people's lives in so many different ways, but, but I'm, I'm happy. I'm happy and I'm glad that I have that opportunity and it's done and gone and I'm here and this is my country, so yeah.

NF: And your experience in the refugee camp in Guam, do you have memories from, from that experience? Or where you also kind, kind of young to have any memory of that experience?

LN: You have, you don't, you just remember the only thing you, I remember is I hate Guam because you, every time the wind blow when you walk by, they have so 00:16:00many coconuts it just hit me in the head all the time, I hate that. And people ask me, "do you have memory of Guam?" And I say, "yeah coconut, I don't like coconut." I get coconut even if you dodge the tree and I still get hit by a coconut, it was so bad. That's all I have memories of that, otherwise the beach, children. You play, you know, you're just being an innocent children. I, I don't, I just remember that, but nothing else, yeah.

NF: So then you and your family came to the United States in the late 1970's?

LN: 19, beginning in 1975.

NF: Okay, so then that means that you, if you were in Guam for a few years then you left Vietnam in the early 1970's?

LN: Early, no we, we lived in Guam in 1975, no we came to, to Guam in '75. If I 00:17:00remember, I don't remember the month. I just know it's the earliest year, not, not the latest month, the earliest month. I remember that, but we stayed in Guam for like three years after that and we came to the United States, or is it we come, I don't remember. We just come to the United States in '75, I have no memory.

NF: It was the 1970's?

LN: Yeah.

NF: That this, that this happened, okay. And how long did it take you to, to adapt in terms of feeling that it was your home, does that, has that been a lifelong experience or as you were more in the school system, after a few years?

LN: I, when I like I said, it take a long time, but then after, when we came here and then a suddenly we Vietnamese month and week people start coming, you 00:18:00know. Start coming to the United States. And we have the community, everybody lived in Halsey Square; Vietnam was, I mean Halsey Square was Vietnam city. And we were very close, we were like keeping an eye on each other and like this is how we teach each other, you know. Our people, we have to tell them, this is what you have to do, show them how to go shopping, this is how much it costs, this is what, you know. You learn fast, children learn fast, we pick up fast. We transfer what we learn to transfer from one family to another, we make it close. The community was very extremely close, very, very close. So I was, you know a children so you must adapt. I pretty much in a year, but the beatings the, you 00:19:00know prejudice was for a long time. I think until, even when I get to high school, the prejudice was still there. It was you know, the white American, you get older, but they won't do anything. If you get meaner and you get, learn how to protect yourself and by that time we speak English now. So at an age of 14, I was starting interpreting already and the law wasn't really strict so I already interpreted for doctors, yeah, I do interpreting for doctors. By the time I reached 16, I already interpreted for courthouse, lawyers.

NF: You were working for them? Or this was for your, on behalf of your family?

LN: On behalf, I'm not working, volunteering. I don't get paid for this, you 00:20:00volunteer to help interpret for your people, you know.

NF: And your community.

LN: So that's, like I said by the time I reached 16 I already been in a courthouse day in day out because American at that time they don't know our culture what we do, you know how we get sick and you do the coin on your skin. A lot of that problem, they don't understand is that they consider it abusing our children, you know. And a lot of people do things and they don't understand the laws and so they go to court and our family was the first family that came here and all the children speak English so they always used our family for interpreting, you know. So yeah, I did a lot of that, growing up was fast, but being children was fun too. You had that part, but when it comes to, to when you 00:21:00go to courthouse, you have to be adult. Talk like adult and you realize, you learn that if you tell the truth they don't listen, you know. You have to fib and make a little, put more spice on it, you know. And there's a lot of things that people don't want to listen, just because we don't speak English. At that time they, they abused us a lot; we go through a lot, our people go through a lot. The refugees go through a lot, even now, you know.

NF: Do you and your family thinking back to that time consider yourself pioneers, that you were the first and then you were able to give back to your community and, and help them?

LN: We don't think that, we don't, you don't count when you help someone. I 00:22:00don't believe in that, I think I'm so grateful for that. I remember, there was an elder lady and I was interpreting for her and I was only thirteen years old and I helped her. I don't remember what it was and she broke down and cried and she always tell me, "when you ever grow up don't ever forget where you come from because where you come from is really important because it keeps who you are" - and I never forget that. And no, I, I don't think we are pioneers or anything, you know. You, I don't believe in counting what you do for good, you know, count. You just, that's what, we are Christian, I'm Catholic. I believe that God 00:23:00bring me here for a reason, you know, yeah.

NF: And how long was the time period, you mentioned that you and your family were the, the first family to be here, within a few months did you start seeing more Vietnamese families? So it was?

LN: Yeah, a few months.

NF: A few months.

LN: You start seeing people, one family comes, then don't just come at once, they just come one and then sometimes months or it'll be a month, a couple, one month will come twice, two families, you know. They start coming in a lot.

NF: So within a few years it was, was quite a substantial community?

LN: Oh yeah. And then you hear a lot of things. A lot of people died, a lot of people, you hear about your country, you know. About what's going on and what 00:24:00the communists did and I think that's the reason why I don't go back. I feel that it's, it doesn't, it's not, and they took it away. Vietnam use to be free, you know when we had our own government. Now we call it, it's Ho Chi Minh City and it's just weird to me. To me Vietnam is, it's just a memory, you know. For people that lived and born here it's a memory, country of your ancestors born and I don't see that. I see just a memory for me. People ask me why I don't go back. I said I have no memory. I just, they took it away from me, we lost the war, you know. My uncle died for our war, you know there's nothing.

NF: And your parents and your siblings?

LN: Never go back. Well, my brother went back because he married a wife over there. My brother went back, my father gone back because my grandmother, when war was over and the United States come in, establish, then my father decide to, my grandmother and grandfather decide to go back home because I still have aunt and uncle there, I guess. And so they, he went back like twice and that's it. And none of my, none of our sisters go back, none. My mom went back once, one time; none of us go back. We go somewhere else besides Vietnam, yeah.

NF: So you mentioned that when, when you came to the United States that you 00:26:00really relied on the community support, that you supported the community, the community supported you. So at the time there were really no options, there were no services that were assisting the community?

LN: No. No, there is no like interpreter, none of that. There's none of that, there's none of like, "oh you go to the welfare, you get someone interpret for you" - that's not going to happen. You're going to go out there and you're going to try to survive. It's about surviving and there's hardly anything until later down the road. Maybe I would say about three years later we have someone that can, you know, older and by then us kids, we know how to speak English by then. We can speak English by a year later, you know. So we just teach our parents, 00:27:00and my parents, the way my parents work at is, like I said we dependent on picking strawberries. My mother become a, my mom doesn't have no education, but she's the most, I think my mother is one of the most intelligent women because she doesn't have, at that time in her time no education, no school, she doesn't know how to read or write, but she's very good at numbers. And my mother use to do janitory work, she finally got a job and she worked and worked. Every nickel and dime we have we saved in about after a year later, maybe over a year, my parents bought a house for very cheap, they said. Really, really, really cheap at that time; now it's different. And my parents saved up and bought us the 00:28:00house and yeah and we continue to go strawberry picking.

NF: May I ask where did you pick the strawberries, do you remember, was it near here, near--?

LN: No, they there's a bus that goes to Halsey Square. We go there in the morning, we would walk from our house to Halsey Square and wait for a bus there and they would take us. In matter of fact it was one called Fuji, I still remember that name. It's called Fuji and it's on Blue Lake. It's not far from Blue Lake and it's huge, they own blueberry, raspberry, strawberry season. They have all kinds of berry, Fuji was huge and that's where we picked strawberry every summer. We picked strawberry until all the berries being picked. You named the berry - each berry has its own season, and then apples and all that, yeah. 00:29:00And not far we have here and all the way in Hillsboro really far; the bus would take us everywhere. And at that time, children can, it doesn't matter what age, you just go pick.

NF: And you were paid, the children were paid?

LN: Yeah, oh my gosh, I, the last strawberry picking that I ever, ever picked, I made a $150 dollars a day. That was my last strawberry and my mom sent me to their friends' house and I have to sleep there for Monday through Friday in the summer. Then I get to go home on Friday night and then they take me back on Monday. And you know Sunday night and we go strawberry picking. Whatever money I make, it go to my parents.

NF: How many years did you do that?

LN: I don't know, a long time. A long time, very long time - until the law 00:30:00changed, I think. Until the law changed that, that you can't pick strawberries anymore because you have to be doing tax or something like that. I think even when I get, get into high school I still pick strawberries, yeah. At that age you can, you have a lot of fun though.

NF: And in the strawberry picking fields were there other Vietnamese families?

LN: Oh gosh.

NF: Was that the majority of the people or were there other groups?

LN: Oh yeah. Yeah, I think there's more for like refugee people. I think more of all of us, all the people all over the world. I mean, you know country, the war, Vietnam. That's how we survived, that's how we get money. Yeah, I mean there's 00:31:00American, but they won't pick as fast as we do. We can pick fast, we pick very fast and I remember my mom's hand is like machine; really, really super-fast. She make more money, she always come make fun of us all time for being too slow or you know, yeah that was the best memory.

NF: So you mentioned your, your strawberry picking and the work in the summer time and then that you would assist your community in the court system and the health system and school was very difficult, but were there parts of school that you enjoyed? Were there subjects that you enjoyed?

LN: School I, my, my favorite is science. That was my favorite. I love science and my other subject was; I love laws. I love to learn about laws. I remember in 00:32:00high school, I spend a lot of my after school time learn, go to courthouses and sit there and listen. I spend a lot of my time in the courthouse and at that time our family, by then in high school, I still working for my parents. My mom she's a janitor, she, she start getting job a lot of place like restaurants; we go clean restaurant. I would go clean when I get off school. I go there and clean, get home at ten, go to sleep, wake up at four o' clock in the morning, go clean up with your mom and then she'll drop you off at school and go to school. And we would do that through high school. I would do that all high school long and you just; you do what you are supposed to do. I clean a lot, so many restaurants, American restaurants, fast food that I know and Chinese restaurant that I know we clean when I was in high school. A lot of cleaning, a lot of 00:33:00cleaning, because that's the only way that we can survive. By then we don't, we've never been in the system. We didn't need food, we don't get on food stamps, we don't get assistance from the government. Only if my parents said we didn't use assistance, only at the church, that was it and that was, that's all we have. And we have food stamps, there was like a booklet of food stamps, it comes in a book. We have it for maybe five or six months and that was it. My, my we worked and we make our own money because at that time they make it harder because my parents doesn't speak English. How do you fill out paperwork if you don't, if you don't pay for the paperwork you don't get food stamps. So we 00:34:00worked, that's what we do, we, you know, work like a team.

NF: And you mentioned your mother's employment, what was your father's employment?

LN: My father worked for Techtronic from day one and he was assembly, that's all I know. And he'd been working there until he retired or until the company shut down, yeah, but my mom is a janitor and then because of her, herself and only herself raising all the children and she in a few years later we, my parents opened a Chinese restaurant, a Vietnamese woman opened a Chinese, a Chinese buffet restaurant downtown by the Old Pioneer Square, we were, we were there 00:35:00that's how I in high school, that's how I know so many police officers because they always come to our restaurant and I end up knowing them. So many of them become friends and good, good, good friends to this day and that's why I, I was so fascinated by the law. And I used to work for this lawyer and I don't even remember his name, in high school. I use to interpret for him in, in high school. I interpreted for criminal law.

NF: Wow.

LN: Yeah, years ago back in 19, starting 1980 the Vietnamese started coming in, but a lot of boys getting bad, gangsters was huge. They're not afraid of nothing, not like now. Then, there oh my gosh you go, it doesn't matter what bar 00:36:00or what club you go into you are going to have guns shooting at you. There was a Chinese Restaurant called [?] that was like the big thing for us. There's nightclub dancing and everything there, it's like fighting every weekend and, and gangster was huge, gang member was huge even the one from Oregon, that one was huge. My, my cousin owned [?] a building next to [?]. He opened that thing and it didn't last very long because the gang just come in and destroy everything, yeah. They was bad, this is nothing, they said gang here, children doesn't compare to back in 1980. It was huge, it was, it was like mafia. 00:37:00Everyone, every person, you know carried a gun, everyone, yeah. It's, it's, yeah it's big.

NF: And what did you do after High School?

LN: When I got, when I was in high school I went to community college and I finished, I go there. And at that time I was interpreting for a lawyer and you know when, when you are young they at that time, they don't check your ID when you go to a bar, none of that so. Oh god, I hope people don't know who I am. I use to go clubbing a lot at you know 16, I already go clubbing already. And a lot of the Asian community gang, they don't understand that I helped, helping 00:38:00them interpreting for them; and so one day I went to a club in Gresham and there was one gang member came up to my face and he hit me and he pulled a gun on me. And he's calling me a snitch, yeah, and I didn't understand. "What do you mean a snitch?" "That I work for the police department." I said, "I don't work for the police department." So I finished my school in community, I took off. I left for a while and had gone to California and lived because I was so scared, you know. So I went to school there and worked there, yeah.

NF: Where in California?

LN: I live in Hayward, California just a tiny little town, tiny, tiny at the bay 00:39:00area. So I lived in Hayward and then I lived in San Leandro. I lived in Pino [?], Pino was my first town.

NF: And this was in the 1980s?

LN: Yes, 1980, yeah I left in 1980 after '86 I left, '85, '86 I left.

NF: And how long were you away from Oregon?

LN: I don't, I didn't come back until 1989 and then I went back again to do interpreting and to.

NF: For the court system?

LN: Yeah, I use to do that and that's, I kept doing it, interpreting. And I just helped my family and just I meant to come back in 1989 just to make peace, you know.

NF: Had things changed enough that you felt safe coming back?

LN: That and plus, I didn't tell you the part is that in, in when I was in high school I met a boy and he's American boy and my parents start, my dad start abusing me because Asian don't go with white boy.

NF: So then you, you left and you went to California, but then your family remained here? None of your siblings left, so when you came back they were, they were still here?

LN: They still here, I come back to make peace with them. To ask them why they did what they did to me because I go with a white boy. That white boy end up to be my husband for a long time and then he become Asian, he started hanging out with Asian gangster and he start abusing me too, yeah.

NF: So then in terms of, your, your work and your interpretation then now that you were older were you being paid for that, it wasn't just volunteer work?

LN: More volunteer.

NF: It was more volunteer?

LN: Yeah, I, I have a lot of compassion for people even no matter how bad your 00:42:00life is or what obstacle that you go through. You, you accept life, you know what I mean? You accept life for what it is. My parents disowned me for ten years. Never spoke to me, never see me. For ten years they never talked to me until I have my first daughter and you accept all that and you grow up and you just accept everything. And giving back to the community is something that you must do because I, I'm a very compassion and I love people. I love people and I love people - it doesn't matter who you are. You and me, we are blood. Your blood and mine all run the same. We're brothers and we're sisters, and the only 00:43:00thing that is different between you and me is our hair our eyes, our skin, but deep inside I love you. Even though I just met you and I see that and I'm so grateful for that every day. That's what God give me and what that old lady tell me to do, so helping and giving is something you must do because that's how human. Now look at where we are, look how we are now as a society - we are so short of humanity because we don't even look at each other and say, "hello, hi, how are you?" because why? Just because we dress different or is it because we, we're poor or is it because we don't speak the same language and that you treat me that way - no, don't do that. We need more, more of that. That's why I'm 00:44:00here, I'm here because I do my job when they tell me my duty, I just don't do my job, but I also protect this agency and I'm so grateful for this agency because this agency has given so much to the people and each one of us that walk into this door; I have been here nine years, and which each and every one of them just incredible what they give to the people. It's just amazing, we don't judge. I know that when they come to AFC, we don't judge no one. When you walk out the door I will make sure that I am one less thing that you need to worry about your 00:45:00life. And, and I, I'm here because I make a difference in someone's life and I do know that I make a difference. AFC give me a duty to do is to help people that are poor and people always said you are a case worker, I need to know when you become a case worker, I want you to tell me what the definition to you, what is your definition as a case worker? Most people tell me it's to help other people. I said no, you are the voice for the people that cannot speak for themselves. You are your purpose here, it is not just a job, it's a duty, it's a calling, it's the love and compassion that you need to give the people and with 00:46:00no judgement, that's how life is. Our life, we are the people that should not have no judgement and have to have humanity because we are short of that right now. And I, I love this agency because this agency gives that to the people. There's a lot of good people here.

NF: Well let's talk a little bit about how you became involved with the AFC, did you hear about them and reach out to the AFC, did they invite you to join?

LN: It was a really bizarre way. I was, I was divorced by this time and my partner to be honest with you, I was in a domestic violence and for a long time 00:47:00I don't leave my house because of him. And I was working; I owned my own business, I use to have my own business and because I left, I left everything behind. The only thing I took was my children and I start over. I went back to school and at that time, you know, you're getting older, you know. You don't, you can't afford to go back to get your master's degree, you know your bachelor's degree, you know. You need money, so I go, I go to school and do nails, you know.

NF: Was this in the early 2000s?

LN: No this is, yeah, 2004. I got divorced in 2001 or 2002, something like that and I went back to school and I become a nail tech six months later. And I, I 00:48:00couldn't do, I couldn't be in a system because he's looking. I don't want to get him mad so I have to raise my two children by myself, so I needed another part time job. Nail tech, you make good money; you make good money at that time. And I needed a part time job and my sister told me that IRCO was hiring for part time only. And I said, "okay, I'll do it." It was supposed to be two days a week and I guess they loved my work and they asked me to do three days and then three days come to five days.

NF: What was that first position when you started?

LN: Same thing what I do, energy assistant. And, and I just, and I quit my job. I quit doing nails and I still do nails on the weekend, you know, once in a 00:49:00while I'll do that. But I got, then I got trained by one of the guys from, from Multnomah County, his name is Gary, really nice. And he showed me the way, how to help people and I was good, I was really good. I was very good at what I do. I you know, I used, you know, this agency give me an opportunity to do more. You know, people come in to see me and you know they said, "Oh I need help, my you know, my family, my husband, I lost my job and I have this electric bill, could you help me?" And you say, "Okay" - you come in and you help them and then they start talking to you. They start telling you about your, their life and what they short and what they do and I have connections; people I know from the past. 00:50:00And I say, "Okay let me help you" - introduce them to another person. You see, case worker not just to help someone, but you are their voice. You are advocates for them. You use that power behind the desk because when you send your client out, they go to that place, the people don't listen, right? So who do you need to speak, me. I call and I say, "Hey I'm from here please help" - instantly I get help for my client. I have one story about this one man. I think six years ago, maybe. No, not six years ago because it happened here, it happened. One here and one at old one, but the one here I remember, maybe three years ago. 00:51:00There was a gentleman, he walk in and he tell me he was looking for energy assistance and he have a, he was bad- he had really, he use to have a really god job, professional job, beautiful house, wife and kids, and he was down on his luck by, you know, company got laid off. Remember that, you know, they have recession. Lost his job and then his wife left him, you know and so one day he walk into the park and some kid or somebody mugged him and beat him so bad that he was in the hospital for like a week. A week long, and he come in and he need energy assistance to keep his power on, so I give it to him and he broke down 00:52:00and cried. And so what do you do? You forget you have appointment, when your client sits there, each of my clients I will tell you, when they walk in, whatever problem I have, whatever issue I have, I'm with you. I'm focused on you.

And I listened to him, thank God I did because he told me I was, we were the last hope for him because everyone he go always turned him down because you either need your children or you have to have certain things, you know. And I said, "Well our agency, we have this, but you are here to see me. I will do my best and I am one less thing for you to worry about, but I am here. I will be here and I will be sitting right next to you and whatever the problem is, let's talk." So we talked for like an hour and a half, come to find out and I told him 00:53:00later and I told him to do me a big favor. In all our life, everything have its meaning, everything have its root to survive. Water for plants, must have root, you have to have root and water to nourish everything. And I said, "Okay, now take a deep breathe, do me a big favor, walk out of my office, I will take care of your bills. I will take care, I will find you someone to help you pay your rent, but you have to, before I can do this you have to agree with me, is that you will take a deep walk and you promise me you don't think of nothing and you surrender yourself to God." Whatever you believe, doesn't matter what religion, 00:54:00you have to have faith, you must have hope and you have to have to believe in someone, power than you. Surrender to that, promise me to do it and he did. He, he wrote me a long letter, he told me that he was going to commit suicide if I was the last one, he was going to kill himself. He said that he listened to what I said and I asked him to do me one thing, is to walk. And he walked to the Grotto here, he's not even a Catholic, and I told him to walk there because it's really beautiful, it gives you peace, it gives you hope. And hope that's all we have, is hope and faith. And he did, he walked, he said he walked for hours he 00:55:00said, and he cried and he said thank you, thank you for saving him. Do you see? Working here gives me that and that's who I am. I am the woman that speaks for anyone that comes to me; I am the case worker that, I am the voice for the people that cannot speak for themselves because we are that compassion people here. I am really grateful for that.

NF: And did you know about the AFC before your sister mentioned it? You never?

LN: No, never heard of AFC, don't even know IRCO nothing because like I said IRCO never exist to us, in our family. And the building or IRCO building was 00:56:00building here. We, I drove by there when it opened back in I don't remember what year and I saw that building and I, we never think of it, you know, never heard of them. I, I didn't know nothing about this agency and I usually don't, I never speak Vietnamese, but I, but I speak Vietnamese fluently, you know and I, I didn't know. I learned a lot here, I learned a lot about, a lot of our culture change and the people change, you know.

NF: And your, your position is within the anti-poverty department, correct?

LN: Yes, yes.

NF: Can you explain a little bit about that department and you already mentioned what you do, but can you talk a little bit more about how the service works?

LN: Oh, the way the service works is that it, you have to meet the guidelines. 00:57:00There's guidelines that you have to meet because there's Federal guidelines and state guidelines, but they are both the same, same thing. Same amount, you have to reach, meet the income. So if you have, you need help with your utility bill and you are getting ready to be disconnected, you don't have no way of paying it so they called in, now they use, they have to call in to be on a waiting list because I am by myself . I, I do, I scheduling clients; I make sure I monitor my funding. I do meetings; you know, not, you just don't do energy. Well you're supposed to just do energy, but any some reason energy always ends up to be counseling other people, you know. You just don't, my job I don't just give them energy, you just you give it to them, but you educate them how to be conserve, 00:58:00how your utility works, how your water works, you know. When we give you water discounts, how does it work. And what they need to do, you know.

So my entire, my program is that's what we do. We give people, pay their electricity when they are in need, when they're in a bad situation. Their electricity is getting disconnected or because they are on oxygen; that's so outrageous, the bill for oxygen, you know their, you know their life depends on it. So that's what we're here for, it's to help them. And sometimes because we say Asian Family Center, they always think that most a lot of American, they call and they go after you schedule them an appointment, you go, "You do know I'm a white person." I say, "Oh my goodness I guess we have to find a way to 00:59:00turn you to Asian so I can help you" (laughs). I always use that and I say, "No, this is an open door policy, we have no judge in what color, what race you are. If you need help we're." And the way our rules, the way we work is that we don't judge no one and we make sure that we don't make you feel uncomfortable. We make sure that you are, you know. You need help and you don't lecture them, you don't belittle them, you know when they're down. Sometimes people come in and they get so nervous. They're so nervous they're shaking and because they are so humiliated, so embarrassed, but when they come into our agency they feel very 01:00:00comfortable, they feel so welcome, that's what you want to do. So that's my duty, it's to help people that can't pay their utility bills.

NF: And because you help anyone and everyone who, who fits the criteria in guidelines - though because you are within the Asian Family Center do you specifically reach out to Asian populations and Asian communities?

LN: No.

NF: No, it's the program is for?

LN: Everyone.

NF: Everyone.

LN: I don't, I don't just. Well in the beginning when I first started, when I first started they only Pacific Asian, API, you know and AI. And like I said there was a gentleman and he worked with the county and he's the, he worked at the county. The state funds them and we contract with them and he told me, he 01:01:00said, I go, "Oh this is money, who does it belong to?" He said, "It doesn't belong to anyone" - it is, he explained to me what it is. API what is it for, the population, but if you want to help, it's there to do whatever, so I start opening it up to everyone. And he backed me up on funding, the more I do it, I go, "Oh, oh if I spent this amount we allocate this amount." One year when I first started I didn't understand how it worked. If you, they give you, for example they give you, they allocate fifty thousand for six months and you take that fifty thousand, you keep on stretching out your, you know your hours, your times, you know. Then you just, you know to last that long. But when I first started, the person that trained me, she wasn't that great, you know. So I, he 01:02:00trained me, he teach me so he give me seventy five thousand, I said, "Oh I spent it all." He go, "Oh do you want more, do you have more people?" I said, "Please I have a lot of people." So my first years, I bring in like a hundred and fifty thousand for one program. I was like this is good, so I, I did the second years I went over two hundred some thousand, this is one. I have three, okay; I have federal, state, PG, and Pacific. Then my, my, my second years I did two hundred thousand and then my third year, I made a million myself. I run this program, pretty, at AFC by myself. I do scheduling; I work a lot, a lot of hours. Agency 01:03:00that's big, agency they come in they want to do how many applications, maybe ten a day, maybe less. I do like twenty, twenty two, whatever I can do. I do that many a day, I see that many families, you know, I'm you know, you have the money; I have the strength to do it now. That's why I'm breathing because right now I have like seventy something call today and you know if I go, if I stay, now I stay late to schedule appointments so that way people can get in because a lot of people don't have electricity and so that's what I do.

NF: So has the program, you've definitely been able to help more people and spend more money, do you foresee in the future maybe having an extra person assist you?

LN: That's always, I would love that. I would love that, but the problem is, it's hard because the funding, you know. And it's hard for us to, it's really kind of hard because by the time when they're ready to get me an assistant and I'm by myself, I have to train the new employee and you have to be very, very careful because I'm you know, there's no time for you to, to make mistakes because you make a mistake, you that money can be taken away or the agency have to pay out. We have to pay out if we made a mistake and we pay, we spend over. There's a lot of things that people need to learn, you know documents, you know 01:05:00that we need from clients. We don't just give you the money, we need documents because we do get audited by the state and the federal and you know this agency comes first, you know, even though we love to help, but we need to understand that I do work for this agency and this agency is here to help the people. I don't want to make one person to get me in trouble, you know what I mean? Because I have to worry about my funding, so in the future I'd love to have someone to help me because I'm, I'm by myself. I schedule appointments, I do intake, I go meetings, I have to monitor my funding. I have to make sure the building is right, I'm the one person that do all that. And when you call people 01:06:00to schedule appointment, there's a lot of things you need to tell them to do and one phone call takes forever, and yeah, it's a lot of work. It's a lot of, especially in the winter is when I'm really stressed out, in the summer I'm just more easier; it's not as bad, but in the winter it's what kills me.

NF: And in, in terms of the community seeking your, your services in terms of barriers do they, you mentioned that some people are nervous or they, they may not be aware of if you're able to help them, is that one of the barriers?

LN: Oh, yeah.

NF: When people just come in to ask for help?

LN: Asking for help, a lot of people get nervous it's because the embarrassment. They get so embarrassed and then they get nervous. That's why my office is very privacy. People that my coworkers sometimes they just don't, but then they, they 01:07:00get it. I explained to them it's very personal, you know they need to be open with me. I need to understand them because when I do your application I, after I'm done, I have to send it to the county and they have to overlook that. If I make a mistake then they going to deny me, then what happens? I'm going to, your power is going to be turned off, then I will feel bad, you know. Every application I do I try to make it perfect, I want to make sure that it's guaranteed that you will get help. And I'm very careful with that because I overlook at everything. Energy assistance is one thing that you need to be more careful; you know and don't just give it to them and just no. You, people get nervous is a lot of them are because they're new at the program and then, you 01:08:00know the people get nervous it's because they have children. They're scared for their children, they you know, you don't want your children to be known that you, you lost your job and you failed their electricity. You don't want them to worry that, you want, you don't want any of that. And there's a lot of families, not a lot of clients abuse the system to, you know I explained to them, you know I do understand your low income, I understand that, but all of us we have to do our part, you know. You have money to pay it, why are you not paying it? You, you live in subsidized housing already, you pay a hundred dollar, fifty dollar, twelve dollar, and you're telling me that you can't pay something and now your power is disconnected and you're yelling at me? They will come and yell at you, or cuss at you. I get a lot of that and I would tell them, "I'll turn you on not 01:09:00because of you; I'll turn you on because of your children." They didn't ask to come to this world. We're adults; they're my children too, like I said. You, there's a lot of people, a lot of people who abuse the system. A lot of people live in, come in here and a lot of people making seventy thousand dollars they still want to get assistance, oh yeah. There's a lot of that too.

NF: Wow.

LN: Yeah.

NF: So are there other organizations that provide a similar service that you do?

LN: Oh yeah, there's fifteen different agencies in Multnomah County. Our agency we have two, AFC and Africa House. I have another co-ed her name is Salome and she do half that. She do half and half; half energy assistance and have rental and, but AFC we do, we do the most here.

NF: Do you work within a certain geographic range of, of people that you assist? It's the city of Portland or, or the county?

LN: Only Multnomah County, as a matter, from Multnomah County all the way downtown, all the way to Troutdale, all the way up. We don't rent in Clackamas, we don't do Washington County, you know. They have their own funder so we do only Multnomah County. Multnomah County is huge and there's twelve of us, yeah.

NF: How do people find out about your service, do you reach out to them or are they referred to you?

LN: Well there's a place called 211 Information, my name, our name is on there. There's brochures for Multnomah County and you know 211, most 211 refer to you, to us. And sometimes one person knows somebody or like a case worker calls from 01:11:00a hospital for example, I do this a lot. Hospital at OHSU, okay, case worker at OHSU knows a Vietnamese person and, and said, "Oh we don't know where to go" - and they refer to us and that case worker go, "Do you do anybody else?" and I said, "It's an open door" - it doesn't matter. And they go, "Can I use?" "Yeah sure" - that's what your job is. Your job, you see, you see your client and you understand your client and refer them to me, email me and see what I can do. I work a lot with OHSU, Emanuel Hospital, I do few at Providence. I go to them, I would drive to the hospital because I need their signature, I need their paperwork because some cannot leave the house. I do a lot of home visits with seniors that are homebound, that can't leave their home and when I have big 01:12:00quantity of funding I send the application. If I know that I'm short and I have this distance, I have to run and get them to help them and hurry and come back because I know that I need to guarantee that they get out. So I don't just, sometimes I sit in the office, no, I go out there too.

NF: You're out in the community, reaching out to them?

LN: You don't have to do it, but who's going to do it for them? You wanted to make sure they, they feel safe. That's your job, that's our job, that's the job of IRCO. This is, who they are, they're here I don't know what year, I should know, they're going to kill me if they find out (laughs).

NF: Well the AFC was established in the early to mid-90s, so you've been with them for?

LN: For nine years.

NF: For nine years now?

LN: Yeah.

NF: About half the time. And because IRCO and AFC especially provides so many 01:13:00different services do you find that within the different programs, the different departments, you refer each other - so you will listen to someone's story and then if they have children, would you maybe refer them to some of your youth programs?

LN: Yes, that's why we're here. Yes, come back to it, we are the voice for the people. So yes, you, if people go to school to become, they say, "I want to be a social service" - and I run into a lot of that because I do nails and their children go, "I'm going to school to become a social worker" - and one thing I will tell them, "Please when you become a social service, a case worker don't forget why you go to school there for. Don't think about money, how much they pay you, always remember to be the voice for the people of the purpose of what 01:14:00you're going to school for." I always tell them that, so if they go to school to become a social worker, that's what I always tell them. Don't forget where you come from and just because you have the power sitting behind a desk, don't use that, don't use that on them because I see that. When I see, go to DHS and I see a lot of people do that because it's a job, it's about controlling; no, don't do that. I don't believe in that, don't use your power to do that to people when they are down and hit bottom because you don't know what behind the wall, you know. I, I, I work here nine years, I save I think four people, that don't, do stupid stuff to themselves, that's a lot.

NF: And over the years that you've worked here it sounds like you've seen an increase in the communities need for these services; is it because there has in fact been an increase or more people are just aware of the service and so more are asking for help or is it a combination of the two?

LN: Its getting, now funding is starting, cutting the Federal funding is cutting, you know, more, you know a lot of funding cutting is shorter than last time, you know. Yeah they, its, its, its, it's pretty sad, I don't. It's sad that you can't help a lot, you know. And you always go out there and trying to 01:16:00beg, you know they don't know what I do. I always, always call the county, "Can you please, please, please, please help this family" - you know. You have to give them a good, good, good story, yeah. And right now our community is so many people because job wise, you know a lot of people get laid off, poverty is a lot now, to me. If you notice, a lot of people are homeless now because why they lose their house, they can't pay their mortgage because they lost their job. They can't afford to pay their rent, everything is increased, but minimum is still there, you know. Food is expensive, everything is expensive, but wages is short, you know. I see more poverty people now, a lot of poor people now.

NF: Well compared to the, the experience of your family when you first moved here and there weren't any services, do you feel that at least new immigrants, new refuge, refugees, do you think at least the environment is, is a better, a better community for them and that they have this services?

LN: Oh yeah, and even to me, all the refugees that come now are very lucky because there's a lot of service here because American acknowledge and a lot of poverty people now work in the government, you know. And they speak out and now we are less more, prejudice, you know. We, a lot of people because we have one person, you give one they pass down, you call it, you know. A lot of, a lot of 01:18:00people caring for each other and a lot of people speak out for each other. So yeah, there's a lot of service out here. If you're low income you get what is it, health free, right? Dentist, doctors, you can go get food stamps, you, you know. And you can, there's a lot of things. You can go to a place and go look for a job to, to what is it, Work Source. You can get, get help to help you get a job, yeah. Refugee people right now, they, there's a lot of service like AFC; there's job, looking for jobs for refugees, teach them how to catch the bus, 01:19:00teach them to learn about how to pay their bills. IRCO, that's what they're here for. They give them step by step like teaching a newborn to walk again. We didn't have that then.

NF: Right.

LN: We have that now. So, you made me realize something today, you did. You made me realize that IRCO is here, they speak and teach a new, teach their children how to walk again, how to live again. You just made me realize that, I never think of that, I didn't see it that way, but if you really look at it, you really look at it: every refugee that people come to IRCO, to the main IRCO office, IRCO job is to teach them how to walk, talk, and learn new things again, 01:20:00yeah. They do all that--at IRCO. And then when they learn how to pay their bills, they can't do it because they couldn't find a job because they can't speak English fast enough and they have trouble, the case worker over there calls me up and says, "Can you help this family?" "Okay, no problem." If I don't have money, oh believe me, I'm going to go find it for you and we'll find somebody to help you. I won't stop; people can't say no to me, I'm good at that.

NF: Well then, looking back at your childhood and now having children of your own and seeing this younger generation, in your opinion are things better in the community for them?

LN: Yeah, in my generation, our parent doesn't say, "I love you." I think I'm 01:21:00almost fifty now and I never heard my dad say, "I love you" or my mom. My children, this generation, we give them love, we teach them to appreciate, compassion, mostly love and not to be selfish and we, we teach our children to be free; then they, years ago, children that from a different country, parents can be very cold, you know. Not no more, our children in America now, they have so much freedom and they know how to express their feelings. Then they don't know how, I know how to express my feelings, it's because why? First of all, I married to American, now I'm married to a Cuban, but I married to American and I 01:22:00know that love is not just giving, giving, giving, it's also returning and not abusing it. So I have two kids and I teach my kids values of life and learn how to give to other people, not just yourself. And I do tell my children, every day, and my daughter is 23 and I still tell her "I love you." In matter of fact, I just tell her just now today, "I love you, I love you very much." And, and you know my generation, we would never hear that from our parents and everyone will tell you that. We don't hear that, it's very rare to hear that and yeah I talk too much (laughs).

NF: Well, that's wonderful. Well, do you have any recommendations for the Asian Family Center, any ideas that you've had that you'd love to see implemented in 01:23:00the future?

LN: How can you ask? I don't, I just want them to never stop. Never stop, what, what they do right now is great, it's beautiful. I'm so busy with working I didn't see that until I'm sitting here talking to you and you, you make me speak it out and I think (laughs), is that not funny? I just realized that. I just realized, this agency is beautiful, it's incredible.

NF: So I take it you foresee yourself working here for many more years?

LN: Yeah, yeah. I, I'm good with what I do. I'm very good with what I do. Sometimes I don't know if my boss know that, but it's not about that, it's not 01:24:00about him, it's not about my boss, and it's about how I represent this agency and yeah. It's, it's amazing, I never realized that about IRCO teaches newborn adult how to read, how to speak, how to walk into a new country, a newborn. They teach a newborn adult how to live, how to survive and not be afraid and learn how to express your feelings, yeah, yeah, they did that. They have class for adult, they have class for children, how to communicate with children and how to 01:25:00give, not to be, how do you say that? not keep everything inside, you know. They don't know how to express their feelings to their children. Yeah, IRCO did that because I've seen them doing it because I have class for that and I see them teach people how to catch the bus. They give them ESL, to teach them how to speak. They have class to show them how to spend their money, how to value the money, I see that. I never realized that, but I see that.

NF: And so it, it sounds like several, several decades ago it was very much about survival, but now it's more than that. Now it's about thriving too, the IRCO helps people thrive not just barely survive, but really, really thrive.

LN: Yeah, yeah. You have interviewed all day, right? How long now? Ten, a week, a week long?

NF: Overall, I've done about ten.

LN: Ten, you did all ten and you, you listened to all of us speak and I see it in your face that you, you glow, you glow with so much compassion and that you and I, we learned something about IRCO and I think that's, isn't that great? I think that's so great. Yeah, I will be here for a while. I hope this agency will be here, it will be here. I know it will be here, yeah. And when you interview all those people, I hope they realize like I realized how appreciative it is, yeah.

NF: Well is there anything else that you would like to share, anything that we've talked about that you'd like to share more about or any closing thoughts?

LN: Oh, don't you think we've speaked about everything? You let me speak so much, I learned so much and you made me see something I didn't see and didn't 01:27:00realize that about my agency (laughs). We're not just IRCO, we're not just AFC, we're more than that. We're more than, we are an agency that I wish we had when my family was here. That can teach us how to walk and talk and protect us, you know. That's what I wish we had, but now we have it so there's not much. I'm, I'm really grateful for this interview so thank you, thank you very much, I appreciate it.

NF: Thank you not only for the interview, but thank you for everything that you do and the impact that you have on people's lives.

LN: Oh, thank you. I hope, I hope what I say is (laughs) I don't know. You, you're sitting here, you, you interview me, it's more like you're counseling and make me open even more so I should be very grateful for that, thank you and I appreciate it (laughs). I think it's great. So now when I go to work tonight, when I go downstairs and making phone calls I will think of you and thank you, yeah.

NF: Well, thank you as well. Anything else before we close?

LN: No, no thank you.

NF: Thank you.