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A NEW BEGINNING IN LOWELL
BY JAMES HIGGINS & JOAN ROSS
Foreword by Dith Pran Introduction by Hai B. Pho
����Southeast Asians
��Southeast Asians
A NEW BEGINNING IN LOWELL
BY JAMES HIGGINS & JOAN ROSS
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES HIGGINS
Foreword by Dith Pran Introduction by Hai B. Pho
M ILL TOWN GRA PHICS
�Published by:
Mill Town Graphics
P.O. Box 2168
Highlands Station
Lowell, MA 01851
Copyright © 1986 Higgins & Ross
The histories that begin the Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese sections
are excerpted from Peoples and Cultures of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam . Reprinted
with the permission of the Center for Applied Linguistics.
The poem "Yaws" © 1986 George Chigas. Reprinted by permission of the
author.
The Introduction is drawn from a 1983 audio-visual presentation of the Southeast Asian Program, Fitchburg Ethnic Heritage Program Series, sponsored
by the Fitchburg Public Library with Dr. Gunther Hoos, Chairman of the
Communication/Media Department at Fitchburg State College as Director
and Dr. Hai B. Pho as Humanities Scholar.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form
or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and
retrieval systems without the written permission of the publisher except in
the case of brief excerpts for use in critical articles or reviews.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 86-62068
ISBN 0-914613-04-9
Produced in conjunction with the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association
of Greater Lowell, Inc.
Project Coordination by Carol Keirstead
Book design by Joan Ross
Printed by Mercantile Printing Company
Typeset by Typographix, Inc.
Translation/Calligraphy:
Cambodian by S. Say
Laotian by Sompheth Phothisen
Vietnamese by Tran Kirn Lan
Manufactured in the United States of America
�ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
AUTHORS' NOTE
First and foremost we thank all of those whose words and pictures
appear in this book.
The quotations in this book have been written as accurately as
possible in order to preserve the authenticity of the speakers'
voices. In many cases the English is ungrammatical, however this
in itself is telling - learning a new language is a great challenge.
The captions and quotations are, for the most part, said by or
about the subject photographed. We have not attributed the statements out of respect for the privacy of those who helped us create
this book.
We thank Theresa Theobald and the Cambodian Mutual Assistance
Association of Greater Lowell for the organizational support needed
to produce this book.
Carol Keirstead, project coordinator, has been a valuable link to the
Southeast Asian community, where she is so well respected.
We thank the following people and organizations: Narin Sao, George
and Chanthy Chigas, Heng Bun Chea, Sopheap Kuth, Michael Ben
Ho, Joan Gendron, Leslie Yauckoes and all our friends at the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association; Silvia Sangiolo, Steve Lewis,
Khamsone Silavong, and the Laotian MAA; and Mr. Ong and Mr.
Gia from the Vietnamese MAA . We also wish to thank the following :
Reverend Steven Stager, Kim Jaynes, and members of the Eliot
Presbyterian Church; Vera Godley and the Lowell Ethnic Covenant;
Lydia Mattei, Kathi and Larry Flynn, and the staff at the International Institute; Frank Dalphond and the Merrimack Valley Vietnam
Veterans Organization; Jim Myers - Site Manager, Nate Kinnon
and Sandy Jolin at Digital, Wilmington, MA; Arthur Robbins and
the Lowell Hilton; Marilyn DeAngelis of Channel 56, Boston; Daniel
Lam from the Office of Refugee Resettlement; Joe Antonuccio,
Thoeun Thou, Evelyn Desmarais, Jim Doyle, Carol Merrian, Brian
Dunigan, Kang Song, and Lan Pho.
We gratefully acknowledge the special editorial support we received
from Paul Marion, Cultural Affairs Director, Lowell Historic Preservation Commission, who even walked our dog when things got crazy.
We appreciate the special advice and assistance we received from
Maude Salinger.
We thank Christine Reynolds for her design help.
A special thanks to our three translators: S.Say, Sompheth Phothisen,
and Tran Kim Lan .
Funding for this project was provided by :
rrrth
in
&P1:-'
M ass:1
chusc1ts Founda tion
for t-lu 1 mi 1ics and
m
Publi c Po lic)'
Massachusetts Foundation for Humanities and Public Policy, New England
Telephone Company, Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities
Heritage Program, the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission - United
States Department of the Interior, and the Massachusetts Arts Lottery Council
as administered by the Lowell Arts Council.
Additional support was provided by the Massachusetts Arts Lottery Council as administered by the Chelmsford Arts Council, Community Teamwork, Inc., St. Jean Baptiste Parish, the Church of St. Michael, the First
Bank, the Commonwealth Federal Savings Bank, the Union National
Bank, the Lowell Institute for Savings, and the Bank of Boston .
The Foreword, Introduction Summary, captions, and quotations
are translated into the languages of the Cambodians, Laotians,
and Vietnamese in order to make the book accessible to the
Southeast Asian community.
This book represents almost two years of work with the Southeast
Asian peoples of Lowell. Our respect for them is great - the
friendships made forever rewarding.
J.H. and J.R.
1965, it seems so long ago ... sitting in high school class,
Beatles music playing in my head, and a knot in my
stomach, wondering if I would be called on for an answer.
While on the other side of the world dark clouds were
gathering, clouds that would soon be heading this way.
Decisions being made at the Gulf of Tonkin by people far
removed from Mr. Hogan , my sleepy history teacher.
J.H.
��FOREWORD
by Dith Pran
The plight of refugees is a universal and historic story.
While trapped inside communist Cambodia for four and
one half years, I vowed that when I reached freedom I
would bring my message to the world. My story, as
shown in the film "The Killing Fields," is not just my
story. It is the story of refugees throughout the world.
The Southeast Asian refugees, most of whom were
forced through hardships of war to come to the U.S.A. ,
are now adjusting to life in a new world . These Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese people have suffered
for years. When the war was over in 1975, an internal
holocaust within the Southeast Asian countries con-.
tinued. The survivors fled their country because they
could not live under the communist regime where
they had little food and no freedom.
With the help of volunteer agencies and religious
organizations, these refugees are being taken care of
and are learning to adapt to the language, customs,
and life in their new world. I applaud the American
people because they have a tradition of helping the
suffering people.
I am now a citizen of the United States and I am
proud to be one. I have a home and a country; I am
no longer stateless. As Goodwill Ambassador to the
United Nations, I will continue to promote peace all
over the world. Please share with me my concern for all
the suffering refugees. I hope that someday the people
around the world would join together in creating a
peaceful global society. I am glad you care.
����INTRODUCTION
by Hai B. Pho
To many Americans whose grandparents first made the long journey to the United
States at the turn of the century, the memories of their hardship, struggle, and often
prejudicial treatment are likely wrapped in a mist of sentiment and nostalgia. Through
hard work, education, and sacrifice, they and their children were often rewarded by
a better life. Today, as part of the remaining legacy of the Vietnam War, another first
generation of immigrants is beginning its upward struggle. Lowell is fortunate to count
these courageous people as part of its cultural mosaic, and this book is an effort, at
least in part, to document the upward struggle of the newest group of immigrants,
the Southeast Asian refugees.
Southeast Asia encompasses the vast mainland area east of India and south of
China including Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam as well
as the two island nations of Indonesia and the Philippines. Historically, it has been
a crossroad of cultural activity. For more than 4000 years China, India, and Polynesia
have influenced the languages, customs, and institutions of the peoples of the area.
To these have been added the European Christian influences during the past 500
years resulting in a great diversity of life-style, culture, and language. The region
abounds in great beauty and cultural riches.
Geographically, Indochina reflects the mainland portion of Southeast Asia comprised
of Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Politically, however,
the name Indochina applies only to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, the countries
which were once known as French Indochina. The history of French Indochina
began in 1893 when the French first proclaimed the Indochinese Union after it had
colonized these three independent states. The Union ended in 1950 when separate
treaties were ratified, recognizing Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos as independent,
self-governing states within the French Union. After the Geneva Conference in 1954
and the dissolution of the French Union, the name Indochina no longer had any
political or constitutional meaning.
Indochina's more than 2000 years of independent existence has been frequently
disrupted by series of border disputes, wars of succession, invasions, and colonizations. Since World War II, after all the great ideologies such as capitalism, communism,
and nationalism had swept across the Asian continent, the Indochinese peoples experienced widespread grassroots struggles for independence from the French and
the ensuing internecine warfare.
Following the decisive loss by the French to Ho Chi Minh's guerrillas at the battle
of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the Geneva Accords was signed which gave international
recognition of independence and unity to Cambodia and Laos, but divided Vietnam
into two portions with an arbitrary line along the 17th parallel. It also left Ngo Dinh
11
�Diem's South Vietnam in a highly vulnerable position to North Vietnam's battle hardened guerrilla armed forces, the People's Liberation Army. It was after this Geneva
Conference that the United States became directly and more deeply involved in
the region.
Speaking in 1955, at a meeting of the American Friends of Vietnam Association
in New York, Senator John F. Kennedy, then a presidential hopeful for the 1956
election, declared:
Vietnam represents the cornerstone of the free world in Southeast Asia,
the keystone of the arch, the finger in the dike. . . .
Vietnam represents a proving ground of democracy in Asia. . . . Vietnam
represents the alternative to Communist dictatorship. . . . The U.S. is
directly responsible for this experiment. . . . We cannot afford to permit
that experiment to fail . . . .
If we are not the parents of little Vietnam, then surely we are the godparents. We presided at its birth, we gave assistance to its life, we have
helped to shape its future . . .. And if it falls victim to any of the perils
that threaten its existence - Communism, political anarchy, poverty, and
the rest - then the U.S., with some justification, will be held responsible.
So, not willing to allow the North Vietnamese Communists to unify the country
either by political maneuver or by force, President Eisenhower authorized an expansion of U.S. economic and military aid to South Vietnam. The battlefields in South
Vietnam were then defined in Cold War theories and principles. South Vietnamese
people thus became freedom fighters and the 17th parallel became the frontier of
the Free World.
Initially, small teams of U.S. military advisors were sent to Vietnam. At first, they
were limited to a training role which was later changed to field advisors restricted
to a "fire when fired upon" rule. This unrealistic dictum was largely ignored by the
Americans and they took active part in skirmishes against the Communist-led front
in the South known as the National Liberation Movement Front or the Vietcong.
America went to Vietnam scarcely guessing the intricacy and pattern of ensuing
events. The War rapidly escalated shortly after the assassination first of Diem then
of Kennedy in November, 1963, and less than a year later President Johnson committed vast sums of AID money and tens of thousands of draftees into the war. In
the South, a succession of generals failed to unify and mobilize the public will to
defeat the Vietcong and the war dragged on. Like the French, the Americans were
suddenly bogged down in a war that seemed unending. Finally, after tremendous
resistance in America to the continuation and expansion of the war, the new strategy
became Vietnamization. Without defeating the Vietcong, America began to withdraw,
transferring all fighting responsibility to the South Vietnamese.
The failure of the U.S. to live by its commitments to support South Vietnam against
the North during the post-1973 Paris Peace Agreement period subsequently led to
12
�the defeat of the South by the North Vietnamese forces on April 30, 1975. Thus, the
last American presence that many South Vietnamese saw was the U.S. helicopters
leaving the American Embassy in Saigon.
Less than two weeks before the capture of Saigon, Communist forces had seized
control of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. But after four years of genocidal
ruthlessness by Cambodian Premier Pol Pot, supported by the People's Republic of
China, the Vietnamese Communist Army rolled into Cambodia and engaged the
savage Khmer Rouge. Vietnam ultimately installed Heng Samrin as a new Cambodian Premier. Laos too came under complete control of Vietnam's Communist ally,
the Pathet Lao in December, 1975.
Since the middle of 1975, the great question in Indochina has not been freedom,
but survival for those who hadn't given their loyalty to the Communist forces. Thus,
after the Communist takeover more than 1.5 million people had escaped the new
Regimes and started a search for a new beginning. Some fled for fear of reprisal. Some
were pushed out because they were dissidents. Some, like the ethnic Chinese, were
forcefully evacuated. And some left in search of freedom.
The Vietnamese exodus took place in three phases. The first came after the fall
of the Saigon government in April, 1975. In only three months over 130,000 Vietnamese
refugees entered the United States. Vietnamese who had worked for the U.S. government as well as members of their families were evacuated along with the officials of
the South Vietnamese government. Phase two refugees left Vietnam for a number of
reasons including the steady nationalization of the private sector, the erosion of personal freedom, and the establishment of reeducation camps, actually, concentration
camps. When registration for these camps began, many took small crafts that were
readily available and headed for ports in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. Of all who left by boat during this time, more than half never made it to their
destination. The Vietnamese dead may total 400,000. The phase three exodus began
in 1978. This phase was characterized by the forcible eviction of Vietnam's ethnic
Chinese population. No transportation was provided and they too were forced to
leave on any available vessel. A conservative estimate was that between 30,000 and
50,000 persons drowned each month from May to July, 1979.
In 1975 the Communist Pathet Lao took total control over the Laotian government.
This also caused a massive exodus of many anticommunist Laotians as well as the
Hmong people of Laos. The Hmong had worked closely for 15 years with the U.S.
military and were involved in the effort to rescue U.S. pilots who were shot down
over North Vietnam. During their 20 to 25 days walk from the hills of Laos to
Thailand, many Hmong were assaulted, abused, or killed. They slipped over the
Mekong at night aboard logs, make-shift rafts, or even lengths of bamboo underneath their arms to make a break for freedom. Once the survivors made it across
the river to Thailand, many were placed into jails and ultimately into Thai camps.
When Pol Pot ruled Cambodia, only a trickle of refugees escaped across the
Thai border with unbelievable tales of horror. It was after the defeat of the Khmer
13
�Rouge by the invading Vietnamese forces that a flood of Cambodians spilled into
Thailand. While a complete story of this modern day genocide may never be told,
it was estimated that over three million, or nearly half of the Cambodian population, died at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. Anyone found to have some association with the West was summarily executed. The urban population, including the
old and the sick in hospitals, was forced to march to communal labor camps in
remote jungle bases. Infractions of the harsh, inhuman rules were punishable by
death. Food shortage was rampant and, in the fall of 1978, famine threatened the
survival of the entire country. The plight of the Cambodians attracted worldwide
attention.
The Indochinese refugee situation became a major international issue in 1979.
Countries of first asylum sometimes refused to accept anymore refugees. International resettlement efforts were slow and bound up in red tape as well as politics.
The July, 1979 Geneva Refugee Conference acknowledged an important principle.
Refugee assistance should be considered an international responsibility. As a result
of this conference, resettlements were doubled. Another development at Geneva
was the Philippine Government's offer to provide a site for a facility which would
serve as a refugee processing center. The U.S. strongly supported the establishment
of such a site as a means of relieving the pressure on the countries of first- asylum
and thereby encouraged them to continue to accept all new arrivals. From these camps
of first asylum in Thailand, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, the refugees were eventually
processed and resettled in many parts of the world including the U.S.
Many regulations had been written to facilitate the resettlement of Indochinese
refugees into the U.S., however, it was the enactment of the Refugee Act of 1980
which helped to speed up the resettlement of Indochinese refugees throughout the
United States. This law which defined a refugee as any person who is unable or
unwilling to return to his/her country ''because of persecution or a well-founded
fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion," established the Federal Office of Refugee
Resettlement and enabled the government to raise more funds for refugee reception and placement, cash and medical assistance, and language skills training as
well as employment services. Refugee resettlement also increased in Massachusetts
as a result of the Dukakis Administration's leadership with prominent citizens
advocating for speedier family reunifications and less restrictive regulations for
persecuted Cambodian applicants. The Refugee State Plan was extensively revised
to facilitate access to state programs and services by refugees with linguistic and
cultural barriers. Supplemental funds were appropriated by the State Legislature
to assist cities and towns which received a high number of new immigrants and
refugees.
Nationwide, the refugee resettlement program was carried out by eleven U.S. volunteer agencies including among others the American Council for Nationalities Service,
the American Fund For Czechoslovak Refugees, the Buddhist Council for Refugee
14
�Rescue and Resettlement, and the U.S. Catholic Conference. These agencies, under contract to the government, work to find individual or group sponsors who can assume
responsibility for the refugee family. It was through such sponsorship that refugees
from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos found their way to Lowell. The sponsors, sometimes organized through churches and sometimes by the agencies themselves, played
an important role for the new residents. Initially, they provided food, shelter, and
clothing for the arriving family. Later, they assisted in finding employment, enrolling the children in schools, and helping the immigrants to understand and cope
with the American customs. Through informal sponsorship duties, the sponsors
often became close friends of the families and provided much needed personal
support and encouragement during difficult times.
In Lowell, the Indochinese refugees were mostly received and placed by the American Fund for Czechoslovak Refugees and the American Council for Nationalities
Service. They were also helped to resettle by local churches as well as the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association (MAA), the Laotian MAA, the Vietnamese MAA,
and the International Institute of Lowell. These organizations are active in finding
sponsors for new refugees as well as in providing job development and language
training. Agency people continue to assist the new immigrants in their adjustment
to life in the new country.
In some ways, particularly with sponsorship and the state and federal governments
taking a pro-active role, it is now easier for the new immigrants to assimilate into
the American way of life especially when compared to the settlers at the turn of the
century. Some problems, however, have not changed, such as the need to acquire the
English language so that economic opportunities may be realized, the difficulty of
finding employment during hard economic times, and of course, the problems of prejudice and suspicion. But as other immigrant groups before them, the Indochinese
are ambitious, hard working, and greatly value education. These characteristics have
been and continue to be the classic ingredients of American upward mobility. The
earliest Indochinese refugees settled in Lowell only ten years ago. But many have
already succeeded in improving their own economic situations. Families have become
home-owners and have acquired other material goods. The high schools are regularly
graduating sons and daughters of Indochinese immigrants. Some are now enrolled
in colleges. Others are already working as technicians and engineers in high tech industries. And of course, most members of the Indochinese community are looking
forward to receiving American citizenship papers. Although assimilation into American ways is important, the Indochinese immigrants greatly value their cultural traditions
and keep them alive during celebrations and festivals throughout the year.
The first generation of Indochinese refugees can never forget the horror of war
and persecution that expelled them from their own countries or the Americans
who welcomed them and brought them here. But like other ethnic groups before
them, they are busy preparing a secure and stable future for themselves and for
their children in a new land.
15
�16
�17
�Gulf of
Thailand
KEY
INDOCHINA
~ Refugee
Escape Routes
I Refugee Camps
�The recorded history of Cambodia dates back to the first
century A.O., when it was known as Funan (100-500 A.O.).
This was followed by the Angkor period which lasted until
1432. It was a period of great accomplishments in culture,
arts and architecture. At its peak, the empire extended from
the Annamite Chain in present-day southern Vietnam to the
Gulf of Thailand . The temples at Angkor were erected during this period, which has been described as the height of
Cambodian domination in Southeast Asia.
At the end of the 13th century, the empire disintegrated
into small kingdoms often ruled by Thai vassals. The struggle
for territory between the Thais, Cambodians and Vietnamese
has continued to the present . Cambodia became a French
protectorate in 1864, and achieved complete independence
under the leadership of Prince Norodom Sihanouk after the
1954 Geneva Conference.
In 1970, Sihanouk was overthrown by his Prime Minister,
General Lon-Nol. That same year, Cambodia was the target
of attacks from the spreading war in Vietnam. This spurred
the growth of the Khmer communist faction (Khmer Rouge),
which gained control of the country in 1975, under the
leadership of Pol Pot. In 1979, the Vietnamese communists
overran and occupied Cambodia, installing a government
headed by Heng Samrin. The Vietnamese communist occupation, along with the Pol Pot generated holocaust, caused
an increasing number of Khmer people to flee their homeland
and become refugees in Thailand. Some 8,000 Cambodians
who are here today in Lowell, are victims of this continuing
war and turmoil .
19
Cambodians
�Most Cambodian refugees wait
in the camps (holding centers)
in Thailand for one to five years
while arrangements are made
for their resettlement . Language
instruction and cultural orientation are then received at a processing center before leaving for
the United States. The Mom
family waited in the camps for
six years before they could leave.
After a twenty-five hour flight
from Bangkok, they arrived in
Boston where Ing Mom ' s sister
and niece (on left) were there
to meet them .
20
�21
�A newly arrived refugee family is
given a demonstration of a hair
dryer found in a donated box of
clothes and small appliances .
22
�23
�Keo Saray' s parents are still in a
camp on the Thai-Khmer border.
They are not recognized as refugees by the Thai government
or the U.S. government. They
are considered '' displaced persons." Their only choices are to
go back to communist Cambodia
or wait in the camp with the
hope that someday their status
will change .
24
�25
�Poeun is forty-two years old.
She's had ten babies but now
there are six - four of them
died during the Khmer Rouge
regime.
"In Cambodia there are lots
of trees - hammocks are very
common. It's so easy to 'string
it and swing it. ' "
26
�27
�"Last night I heard a tape with
the songs of my country. In my
mind I went back to my grandparents' farm where I walked
through fields of coconut and
orange trees and ate fresh pineapple. I felt like there's no place
like home ."
28
�29
�Bun Vong and a friend were driving on the Revere Beach Parkway
when they became involved in
a traffic dispute with another
vehicle . A fight started and Bun
Vong was knocked unconscious .
He died of brain damage eleven
days later. In the second of two
trials, one of his assailants was
convicted of manslaughter.
The press converged on Bun
Yong's widow as she left the
funeral home . There was a barrage of questions and then an
awkward silence as she began
to cry . . . the only other sounds
coming from the click and whirl
of cameras .
30
�31
��33
�Rom was a village leader in
Cambodia . When he started ESL
(English as a Second Language)
classes, he had a strong motivation to learn . He entered the
clerical program but became frustrated with the level of language
skills required . He would say,
" I can 't keep it in my head - my
brain is too old." After transferring to the electrical program
that offered more hands-on skills,
Rom made good progress.
" When I go to look for a job,
maybe I will bring this to show
and say to them 'this is my
certificate. ' "
34
�35
�Division of Employment Security
" When I tell them a job is
available they ask if any other
Cambodians work there. If I
say no, then they don't want
to go. If their own people are
working there they feel comfortable . They are away from
their own country and things
seem strange here ."
36
�37
�The Moore Street School opened
in January, 1986, to house the
rapidly increasing population of
Cambodian students. The school,
segregated until June, 1986, is an
example of the emergency conditions facing public institutions
that deal with the Southeast
Asian refugees .
38
�39
�"12 Sisters" is a Cambodian folk
story that has been handed down
from generation to generation
and carried to Lowell by the
refugees . The film was shown
at St. Patrick's Church with a
translator for the English speaking viewers .
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40
c1,c,1; ck
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�41
�" Under communist regime we
lost more than three million
people. We lost everything all of our culture which took
more than 1000 years to build,
and all of our trust for each
other. We only trusted the
Buddhist monk. Only the Buddhist religion can rebuild our
culture."
42
�43
�The day came for celebrating
the opening of the new Trairatanaram Temple, which had once
been a Knights of Columbus
Hall. Everyone dressed up everyone 's spirits soared. The
next day they found out that it
was illegal for Venerable Khon
Sao to stay there without an
occupancy permit. After contributing much time and hard
earned money, the permit was
finally granted .
"In Cambodia if you want to
build a house or a temple and
live there, you go out and cut
away some bamboo, drag it to
where you want to build it, and
move in."
44
�45
�"An American man come two
times to our house and ask me
if he can have my son to be his
son. He say he will give him
everything he need and send
him to college. I have one son
- I don' t give to somebody. I'm
his mother - he 's a good boy
and I love him too."
46
�47
�Many Southeast Asians became
Christians in the refugee camps
where there were missionary
nurses and workers . When we
asked Cheth if we could photograph his family with its newest
son, he wanted to make sure
that his pastor was included in
the photograph .
48
�49
�50
�51
�Formal education in Cambodia
stopped under Pol Pot's regime.
At thirty years old, Salay is
graduating from high school.
"I' m not really proud yet until
the next diploma - then I'm
born again . When I finish with
college, if God wants me to, I
would like to be a missionary .
That's why I try so hard to study.
I want to go back to help my
people - if not my people then
others who need help ."
52
�53
�" The main reason I buy a house
is so I can be independent. Now
we can welcome everyone here
without having complaints from
a landlord . My father-in-law ' s
friends live here too because
they have nowhere to go . We
all live together; it's Cambodian
custom to receive anyone that
needs a home ."
t.<
r-
9
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nn'"' ~u zou r::nu:J tn t.9ul rs9JJ
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54
�55
�'When we fight in the Cambodian Army we believe the more
tattoos on the body, the more
protection in the war:'
56
�57
�L.<-
"My grandmother says 'if my
country is free, I want to go
back,' but we like it here . Even
if it's free, I don ' t think I go
back - I stay here ."
,
I,..,
t,..
_ ...
'
cc. ....
rr.vc'>UJt&u,:n::n ,z,r./:,cno
p...
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v (:i\_ C'\., ')')
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ff JJ.v.>J .uurrfu
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58
>>
�59
�I
Mother and child at home in
the U.S.A .
r Q..'Q._ ()
<f.JJ rr;;,~ -;:)>'HJ ,n r:seu1u t.fs r~:::I:.
tnt::x> ~= ,_!}~,n .
60
-1-iu· ~
· u
h
tvJ·
{;,(Jh
O L ?tk-
�61
�Phalik performs traditional Cambodian dances - her brother likes
the "moon walk" better.
~/<._--&,~~
ot;~
Vc,/-f¼ ::J~ f{lc,~
u/4 Wl? -~ -~
Gm fw• 'c ;
'
I
·
~~
~ '' /vu;oh Sa.f.):_ ' MIL-_
1
62
�63
�mJ.J~:r~.u.d=~~C;jq~'-:Jr.,
Cambodian New Year Celebration
t. • .ui..J
64
.
�65
�The first wedding of an American
man and Cambodian woman
in Lowell.
"The priest gives the couple a
haircut as a symbol of cleanliness. The locks of hair will be
mixed in a bowl to symbolize
the sharing of the bride and
groom. The monks advise them
to use the plural, not singular,
when speaking in the house .
They should say we instead
of I."
66
�67
�YAWS*
A scratch was doom
if their village had it.
Without penicilin
it could hide in blood forever
burning holes through skin that won't close.
She said her mother put leaves on infected sores
to draw the tiny worms started by flies
far enough out to get at with toothpicks.
My experience doesn't even begin to touch this.
The closest it ever came
was the summer I got poison ivy
chipping out of rough to save par.
And when I ask her, she'll just shrug it off.
To her it's just something terrible that happened.
We even laugh when she tilts back on her heels
with fingers and toes spread
to show how they walked.
*A tropical condition caused by a bacteria, characterized by skin
lesions on faces, palms of hands and soles of feet .
68
�69
�The Lao people moved from the Yunnan area of China and
settled in the northern part of Laos in 658 A.O., eventually
spreading throughout the present-day areas of Laos and
Thailand . Many wars were fought among clans to gain domination. There were three major kingdoms in Laos by 1707. By
1779, the kingdoms were colonized by the King of Thailand.
Many unsuccessful attempts by the Lao to free themselves
from Thai domination followed . In 1893, France took control of Indochina and pressured the King of Thailand into
relinquishing some of the Lao territory. A treaty was signed
in 1907 dividing the Lao people into two nations, one under
French control, the other under Thai.
During World War II, Japan conquered Laos, pushing the
French out of the country. Its rule was short-lived, however,
and France regained control in 1946. This resulted in many
Lao leaders fleeing to Thailand to create a "Free Movement."
The Movement was successful in 1949, when Laos was given
greater independence by France, and many members of the
"Free Movement" returned to Laos and participated in the
70
�formation of the new government. Others, however, remained
in Thailand and founded a movement known as the "Pathet
Lao," led by Prince Souphanouvong. The Pathet Lao was
headquartered in northeastern Laos.
Subsequent years saw continuous power struggles between
various factions for control of the government. During this
time, in 1954, Laos achieved full independence. The power
struggles continued, and Prince Souphanouvong was arrested.
He later escaped to the jungle to join the Pathet Lao. A coalition government was formed in 1962, under the leadership
of Souvanna Phouma, to demonstrate solidarity. This government received aid from the United States. This support was
phased out, however, in 1973, when another coalition
government - between the communist Pathet Lao and the
Royal Lao Government - was being created. Communist
control was total by December 1975. The current exodus of
refugees from Laos began at that time, as those who resisted
communist control escaped the country. Some 2,000 Laotians
are here in Lowell today.
71
Laotians ·
�"There are several things that
bind all Southeast Asians: the
suffering they have experienced,
religion, and good food . When
Chanthip and I opened the restaurant we wanted to make sure
that the food was authentic . That
meant not worrying about the
Americans and what they would
think of the smells or the taste
of the food . We wanted to have
a congregating place for the
Asians - something that they
could call their own. "
......,
,
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72
--,"")
�73
�Somdeth has been in this country for less than two years. He
escaped from Laos by swimming
across the Mekong river at night
with a plastic bag he filled with
air to help keep him afloat. His
seven brothers and sisters and
parents remain in Laos .
"When I came to Lowell I went
to Adult Education classes for
ESL, and then to a special banking program at the Vocational
School. I feel very lucky to have
my job at the bank. The people
who come here always ask how
to pronounce my last name . They
want to know why I came over
here, but I have a hard time to
explain ."
74
�75
�0 Q
I
"':!JY,.,,2:!)1,'0 :::))-.>/U.JJI..J.
A Lao/Cambodian wedding .
WV)
Neither bride nor groom speaks
the other' s language, although
they both speak a little English .
The bride's relative says " they
need an interpreter by day, but
not by night. "
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76
0
c.l,:nt.c.1,.e,~JJ9:1'? ''7)".UJ..J
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- o~ ......... '6 •
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�"When I dance I feel like a thousand eyes are looking at me."
77
�'When we get to America my
sons grow faster. It's sports and
American food that make them
grow tall. They don't like Lao
food - they like McDonald's
and Papa Gino's and they
drink lots of Pepsi:'
78
�79
�80
�81
�, ft.i' l<f_ d,·o/ilM
IU/W) c1-u; ~ I :6-t; Il{_ (._
v~ do-,-:6 ~~
fedi Ouw-c Lao cf-e ... ~
~t)rf_ t1J ~ ~
~
Centuries of migration caused
the hill tribes of Northern Laos
to create a portable art. For
hundreds of years textile designs
have been passed down from
mother to daughter . This Hmong
tapestry, made in a refugee
camp, is an example of Pa'ndau
which means "Flower Cloth ."
C..0 /
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a
11.,6 i .
~
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82
Va-<
fka._. .,
u:
�83
�0.
0.,..
The Pink and The Purple
f):JJ:::Si_,JJb
"We know the Lao music but we
like American better - it's the
beat I guess. We like groups like
Kiss, Dokken, Keel, and Motley
Criie. Right now we just play for
fun, but you never know . . . . "
H;::)~
I
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84
�85
�"My parents have a lot of kids,
they can't raise them all so we
have to separate and go to live
with different relatives. That way
we can have something to eat
growing up and we can go to
school instead of work in the
fields. I don' t know exactly
how many brothers and sisters
I have . When I was seventeen
I try to track them down and
I found two or three of them .
Then after sixteen years away
I meet my real mother again.
She cries and tells me she feels
very, very sorry but that it was
the best thing she could do .
When I come to this country my
sister try to help me out so she
wants one of my twins for her
own . I tell her I want to raise
all my kids. I don't want them
to separate. I want every kid
with me no matter where I go ."
86
�87
�"When my son was three he
got poison from lead paint and
took a lot of medicine . I move
to another apartment but now
I patch up all the holes in the
wall because I'm afraid for his
sister."
88
�89
�"We all share the bathroom.
There is no electricity - if we
close the door we can't see. "
90
�91
�"I leave my first job at 2 p .m.
and get home and pick up my
son from school. I feed my son
and daughter and when my wife
gets home from work, I leave
for my second job . Many times
I work overtime on Saturdays .
On Sundays we usually do the
shopping. "
92
�93
�" I have lots of problems here
- broken windows, the ceiling
broken down, toilet and sink
that don't work. Every time I
have a problem I call the landlord but nobody ever come. I
need a better place for her."
94
�95
�~1-'·a- Nj
'"t>"la;,
'1n Laos, the elderly spend their
time in the yard . The yard is
not grass but a large vegetable
garden that provides food for
the famil y. Now, she lives on
the third floor of a tenement
building. Below is a parking
lot. She speaks no English,
there is nowhere to go."
nef /JA,U ca/ ~a:_
ck'-cd
M-ue
Vdoh..
d:ii c//.,c, 'fr'e<-
c/40,. . ¾ J'?,- /!:a-~
~ f-ih Jdj -t/l._,J' '3 0,,,i'aw~.eu') j-.w"ci ' Mt
~- ~ alfk ;c-e-. .3a rtwy
~~
~- cf~~
~~
Offd;/, JJ
1.-
96
-h~i
,1,,.1._ vd
eo' c.A.o~ ),ac, ah.'-
�97
��99
�"Now that I'm a United States
citizen I feel more confident living
here . I feel different. Not only
my appearance is different, I feel
different inside. . . being one of
the people in this big country."
100
�101
�The ethnic Vietnamese are believed to be mainly descendants
of a Mongoloid race who spread southward through the
Red River delta. The Chinese conquered the area in the second century, B.C., and ruled for a thousand years.
After many revolts against China were attempted and failed
during that long period of domination, the Vietnamese finally
succeeded in regaining independence and founded the first
national dynasty in 938 A.O. Subsequent invasions from the
north were repelled, including the major one by the powerful Mongols in the late 13th century. In the 15th century,
China tried again to re-establish its rule but was defeated
by the Le dynasty after ten years of war.
Vietnam's sovereignty ended with the advent of French colonization which was achieved in 1883 and lasted for about
60 years. In 1940, the Japanese entered Vietnam with the
consent of the Vichy government. In March 1945, Japan overthrew the French authorities and granted independence to
Vietnam under Emperor Bao Dai, the last ruler of the Nguyen
dynasty. In August 1945, only a few days after Japan surrendered to the Allies, Bao Dai handed over the imperial seal to
Ho Chi Minh, who declared independence that September.
Negotiations with the French to implement this independence
102
failed, and the French-Indochina war began. It ended in 1954
at the battle of Dien Bien Phu, after eight years of enormous
casualties. The 1954 Geneva Accord divided Vietnam at the
17th parallel, placing the North under Ho Chi Minh and the
South under ex-Experor Bao Dai, now Chief of State, who
later lost control to his prime minister, Ngo Dinh Diem, in
a referendum.
After a few years of relative peace, the early 1960's were
marked by a steadily increasing penetration of South Vietnam
by Vietnamese communist guerrillas known as the Viet Cong.
Beginning in early 1965, the pace of the war accelerated
sharply. From being largely supportive and advisory, the
United States role increasingly became one of active combat,
with U.S. troops engaging in operations designed to search
out and destroy the guerrillas. During this period, the internal political situation in South Vietnam was in turmoil. After
the coup d'etat in November 1963, during which President
Ngo Dinh Diem was killed, rule was taken over by successive
military regimes. Corruption was a constant problem, and
the political unrest fueled Viet Cong efforts. Finally after
persistent peace talks and negotiations, a Peace Agreement
was signed in Paris on January 27, 1973.
�The Peace Agreement was intended to bring about a ceasefire throughout the country, the beginning of negotiations
between the two Vietnams toward a political settlement, and
the withdrawal of foreign military forces. All U.S. forces were
withdrawn within the stipulated 60-day period . While South
Vietnam lost the vital support of the United States and had
too little time to consolidate its own strength, North Vietnam
continued a massive infiltration of troops and military supplies.
As a result, the defense system in the South rapidly disintegrated, and Saigon finally fell into communist hands on
April 30, 1975, causing a massive and chaotic evacuation of
at least 130,000 people in only a few days.
The pacification, the unification, and the enactment of
economic and political policies by the victorious communist
authorities in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos produced a
continuous stream of refugees to the first asylum countries
of Thailand, Malaysia, the Peoples Republic of China, Hong
Kong, and the Philippines. By the end of January, 1986 nearly
1.7 million people had fled their homelands. Of these, 781,000
have been resettled in the United States, 728,000 in other countries, and over 154,000 are still languishing in refugee camps.
As a result of the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Policy some
1,000 Vietnamese refugees have resettled in the Lowell area.
103
Vietnamese
�"Before my husband died he left
a portrait of himself dressed in
his traditional mandarin robe
and seated in the ceremonial
position. I am 88 years old now
and must prepare to die. I have
nothing to leave behind but this
portrait of me properly seated so
that after I am dead, it will be
placed on the family altar, next
to my husband's portrait for all
my children to remember us."
104
�105
�"' [} '-u"r-i/..
'1 work on a TV station in Vietnam singing and dancing. My
husband was a conductor in the
army and write patriotic songs.
When Saigon fell in 1975 he
have to escape. One day I'm
home cooking and I say 'Oh
my God, my husband not come
home.' We don't think we meet
again, but three years later I
receive a letter that he is safe in
America . We make a plan for
me to escape when my daughters are older. When I get to
Thailand they take everything I
have, my clothes . . . everything.
Some girls they grab and rape.
Thank God my daughters were
only five and six. It's terrible in
the camps. After five years we
meet in America . Now we have
two more kids. We live for our
kids - they must grow up right."
N{Av._
~ /4;;.._
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106
\, _(~ UL,~
�107
�IN
Khanhnguyen's brother and
sister escaped from Vietnam by
boat in 1979. Three years later,
resettlement in the United States
was arranged for Khanhnguyen
and his parents. Khanhnguyen
is now enrolled in the College
of Music at the University of
Lowell.
Uv,·
v-4.-
UUI.~
d<J..,uJ, ~ ~
3
A-Ao, //,£1 -N:vm
h o '1,_,
~
~~ ~
~ ! f ft'l PCL.
~/rt
Jeu,,._ :J:..A_cu,J, I ~
V£tciJ:l ?Yee 4USc.,Aff
fef d 1 w -Jai. Mj'
h4
//-,0? ~ ~ ,{ 7::;entC..eo ~ c ~ ~ c
~ ~ ~ Lo we!/
d ~ k
d~
"When I first came to the University, I was very lonely and
depressed . It wasn 't easy for
me to make friends . The first
time I was to perform before
the school, I walked onto the
stage and back off again. I failed
because I was too nervous, I
could not cope." A month later
Khanhnguyen performed before
the school with his own improvised work . He received three
standing ovations.
;l-0;
.-a.ec,
~ ~
Ail CB c/oJ,J
-6-a~- C1,,;;;;,.
fo;
Vt,- +u},,;.__
/(l,,.,o 1 U-o-fo';
rltWJ ~ ({ ~ . ~
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d~ a'- Tw.1:t~ ... -lvi .teJx_
/,_a_
~ ~
,,(~
rua .
+ib'-" vao •/151 ~
!ITT ~J IN,~ c-fr,, ~
Jill'. "
108
~
-
�109
�Six days a week Dr. Tran drives
from his home in Connecticut
to his office in Lowell. He never
knows how many patients will
be waiting because appointments are not necessary.
"It's like a walk-in clinic here
- the people are used to it
that way. Back home they don't
make appointments because
people don't have telephones.
They like to keep it the same
way here."
110
�111
�"I believe nobody should work
for the first seven days of Tet
because it will bring bad luck
and hard life for the rest of the
year. I must prepare all these
special dishes in advance so
that at New Year all this food
will be offered to my Creator,
to the souls of the family ancestors who are expected to visit
us, and to all my children and
grandchildren who must come
to visit me and wish me a happy
long life."
112
�113
�Vietnamese New Year (TET)
'' All other activities come to
a halt, every sorrow set aside
before midnight of New Year's
Eve. This is a time when some
people shoot firecrackers to welcome the New Year and others
quietly pray at pagodas and
temples ."
114
�115
��117
�International Beauty Salon
" Asian hair is very straight and
strong. The men love to have
their hair permed - they can
do more with it. They don ' t go
to American shops because many
cannot speak English . Besides
Vietnamese, I speak Lao and a
little Cambodian. They are so
happy that I can speak their
language . "
118
�119
�Job interviews in this country
can sometimes be difficult for
Asians. Their interviewing
skills come from a culture less
aggressive than our own. Phu's
American friends helped prepare
her to be interviewed for an
engineering position.
"After my interview at Digital,
I think I better wait for this job .
The people are friendly and
always help each other. At work
I'm very Americanized but I
don't lose my tradition . Within
the family I'm very Vietnamese."
120
�121
�John at home with fiancee.
In July, 1979, John and his older
brother escaped from Vietnam on
a twenty foot fishing boat. Late
at night, sixty-five men, women,
and children met on the shore
and swam one mile to the boat.
The younger children were
pushed on floats . Each person
paid the boat owner one bar of
gold . After seven days and nights
in rough waters, without food ,
they landed in the Philippines .
" After we buried one boy at
sea who died from starvation, I
wished that the boat would capsize so that I would die. . . then
I wouldn't have to be so afraid ."
t /.,<>l.
122
I
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~
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0P--< - ··
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�123
�"Look at him - see what a terrible life he' s had . He was a
major in the Saigon Army . Look
at him now ... I don' t believe
this ."
124
�125
�Memorial Day Parade
" These guys are our allies . We
fought side by side with them.
I said to myself - who' s more
of a Vietnam Veteran than the
Vietnamese?"
126
�127
�''When I was in the refugee
camps I light a candle in a bowl
and turn it upside down so the
smoke go on the inside of the
bowl. Then I use the black smoke
on the brush to paint. I did this
painting after I get to this country. It' s about the boat people
from my country who would
rather die on the sea than live
under communistic atheism. "
128
�129
�The Catholic Church has been a
source of friendship and support
for the Southeast Asian refugees ... and sometimes vice versa .
"I won' t need to look in the
mirror to see if the cut' s a good
one. If it's done out of love,
it' s good ."
130
�131
��JAMES HIGGINS and JOAN ROSS work as a
photo/design team on documentary, editorial, and
architectural projects. Their first book Lowell - A
Contemporary View, has been distributed both regionally and nationally. They are currently working on
a book documenting the cultural aspects of Ulster
and the Republic of Ireland. They make their
home, with three children, in North Chelmsford,
Massachusetts.
HAI B. PHO, Ph.D. , Project Humanities Scholar,
is an associate professor of Political Science at the
University of Lowell. He is a member of the Board
of Directors for the Indochinese Refugees Foundation and serves as a Co-chair on the Governor's
Advisory Council for Refugee Resettlement.
CAROL KEIRSTEAD, Project Coordinator, works
as the curriculum coordinator for the Southeast
Asian Bilingual Program in the Lowell Public
Schools. Ms. Keirstead holds a Master's degree
in Administration, Planning, and Policy and has
worked as an advocate for Southeast Asian
refugees in Lowell for over five years.
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Higgins, James (Jim). Lowell Books Collection, 1983-1997
Description
An account of the resource
The James Higgins book collection includes 2 copies each of 3 books related to Lowell and the Lowell area Cambodian and larger Southeast Asian communities. <br /><br />The collection is completely accessible on this site. <br /><br />View the collection finding aid for more information, <a href="https://libguides.uml.edu/uml7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://libguides.uml.edu/uml7</a>.<br /><br />-------------------- <br />SEADA would like to thank the following individuals for their work in making this collection available online: Monita Chea, Julia Huynh, and Chornai Pech.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Higgins, James (Jim). Lowell Books Collection, 1983-1997. UML 7. Center for Lowell History, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA.
Relation
A related resource
The collection finding aid, <a href="https://libguides.uml.edu/uml7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://libguides.uml.edu/uml7</a>.
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Southeast Asians: A New Beginning in Lowell photobook, 1986
Subject
The topic of the resource
Refugees--Southeast Asia
Cambodian Americans
Laotian Americans
Vietnamese Americans
Black-and-white photography
Description
An account of the resource
A photography book designed and created by James Higgins and Joan Ross with a foreword written by Dith Pran and and introduction by Hai B. Pho. "Southeast Asians: A New Beginning in Lowell" highlights some members of the Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese community in Lowell, Massachussetts. Some photographs are accompanied by text translated into English, Khmer, Lao and Vietnamese.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Higgins, James
Ross, Joan
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Higgins, James (Jim). Lowell Books Collection
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Mill Town Graphics
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1986
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
UMass Lowell Library makes this material available for private, educational, and research use. It is the responsibility of the user to secure any needed permissions from rightsholders, for uses such as commercial reproductions of copyrighted works. Contact host institution for more information.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
140p.; 10.5 x 10.5
Language
A language of the resource
English
Khmer
Lao
Vietnamese
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
uml7_b01_f01_i001
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Lowell, Massachusetts
1980-1989
Books
Cambodians
Laotians
Photobooks
Refugee resettlement
Vietnamese