Between worlds; belonging fades, identity searches.
Jake Dinh, Lake Forest, CA Being Vietnamese but born in the US created a feeling of disconnection for me neither fully connected to Vietnamese heritage...
Yes, I swear, I am Vietnamese.
Mariana Arneaud, Lakewood, CA. Why do I need to “prove” it? Since I don’t LOOK Vietnamese, I shouldn’t say that I am?
Delicious ambiguity: the permanent inbetweener.
MaiLynn Stormon-Trinh New Zealand I am the only child of an American woman of Norwegian descent born in Fargo, North Dakota and a Vietnamese man...
Vietnamese is difficult, love is stronger
Tho Nguyen, Greenbelt, MD. Tho is from Vietnam and grew up in Tacoma Amanda is from Oroville, grew up in the Tri-Cities Tho and Amanda...
Vietnamese, torn between remembering or not.
Thien Kim Ho, Somerville, MA. I grew up in what seemed like a movie representation of my own race. My mother was a nail technician....
Don’t ask me, “What are you?”
Cecile Nguyen Austin, TX Alternative title could also be “I hate the Asian Guessing Game.” I really don’t mind people being curious about my ethnicity....
I didn’t know english, but learned.
Phillip T., Elk Grove, CA. Prior to going to school I didn’t know a lick of English. My parents spoke to me either in Cantonese...
Black Vietnamese. Speak spanish. Eat rice.
Hao Nguyen, Durham, NC. I wanted to say… Black Vietnamese. Speak english, spanish, vietnamese. Eat suong kho, pho, and corn dogs. Words that describe my...
White and some kind of Asian
Miles Foltynowicz, Edwardsville, IL. I’ve dealt with racial ambiguity most of life. It is not uncommon for someone to ask me, “What are you?” in...
“Your name doesn’t match your face”
Kimberly Jackson, New York City, NY, Most people do not associate the name “Kimberly Arlene Jackson” with a half-Vietnamese, half-White American person. The surprise is...
Race isn’t real …
Kaitlyn Cook, Fairmont, MN. When I was little I lived in an apartment building in a small town. I grew up roaming the halls and...
Not all Asians look the Same
Michelle, San Jose, CA. Are you I never got Vietnamese. Looking back, people may have responded that way based on my features or because they...
See me for who I am
Rob McCollough, Asheville, NC. Interfaith; Vietnamese & “Other”. Because I am told that I am ‘lucky I can pass for white’
I can’t believe you are Vietnamese!
Stephanie Do, San Jose, CA. Whenever I tell people that my ethnicity is Vietnamese, people are usually shocked and then say that I look like...
Are you Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean or Japanese?
Tenzin Palmo, Fridley, MN. A question that get asks a lot to Asian people.
“Ching-chong” isn’t an actual word.
Tu Nguyen, Philadelphia, PA. I am a 9th grader at central high school in Philadelphia. I wrote these words because I know that I’m not...
I’m white, he’s black. They judge.
Ashley Gremler Ft. Meade, MD I’m White, well mostly. I am a quarter Vietnamese, but you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at me....
