Thuy Carroll, Bach Lien Duong , and Cooper Dean

00:00 My name is Cooper Dean.

00:03 My name is Cooper Dean. I'm 37 years old. This is March 2nd 2014. We're in Gainesville, Florida and I'll be speaking with my wife's mother Twee and her sister. My wife's Aunt Leanne.

00:20 My name is Trey Carroll. I'm sick.

00:23 Today's hits

00:25 2nd 2014 in Gainesville, Florida and talking to my son-in-law Cooper Dean and my sister claimed you.

00:39 My name is Richland you I'm 65 years years old today is March 2nd 2014 in Gainesville, Florida. I'm talking risk my Cooper I would Cooper Dean. That's my niece might get my tarot and my sister 3 Cheryl.

01:10 We can go ahead and again, I just wanted to start by talking you some questions about your life in your Village YMCA in in South Vietnam and asked you what were what was one of your favorite memories of your time in your village in Muncie IN

01:30 I remember when I want to go to school and I have to wait until 5 years old to be able to go to school. But at that time it's not a real classroom. They have to make from the temple, but I'm very happy to go there every morning to be able to go to school last time. That was one of your favorite things about your time and I'll see you in 30. I didn't it in Jeddah Temple room who are the teachers at your schools when I'm from there now where the girls and the boys together during at the school every day all the time there weren't separated and learn together.

02:29 What was some of the funny stories I guess from your time in Lime Sienna. Is there any particular funny story that stands out that you were call?

02:38 Funny story about me when you just in general just growing up. I guess what was that one of your favorite times, will you and your four sisters that you remember from from the village?

02:50 I was just sad because

02:54 Sometime wet on the map.

03:03 How about we?

03:10 Dramatic child

03:15 Conduct plays in like a direct people like my friend at my age. We do play like singing dancing Pastore and

03:29 One time I actually really into the place and it was singing and crying at the same time. The story of us the father that that we could waste. My mom died when we were little story for the kids with the stepmother who really mean to them as I was singing and crying at the same time. I feel good that I was doing something but the the funny thing is we build houses we can be able to go out and cut them balls and put steaks and really cook something and we don't have Toys R fantasy major on phone.

04:10 And we put things on hand dressed up and play. What's the flight time? I love to play and then I know your mother passed away when you're the five sisters were really young until you're raised by your father and your stepmother. And so you had both half siblings and step-siblings. Also. I wanted to ask you did, you know your grandparents growing up and did they live in your same Village?

04:36 Yes, I know my my mother father who live in a small really small town their body Cambodia and my mother mother passed away when I was not born yet.

04:57 And now on my father's side. I know my grandmother she lives about 40 miles from bike you give me a long story and I don't know my father fighter. How did most of the some of the people in the village I grew up. What were their occupations are at? What did they do you have for Eternal living where they Farmers or or a fisherman or

05:31 Variety, they have merchants and they have fun people farmer and teachers and it's a small village and that meant for patient that contribute to the Lost Village on my father is China opalus and he's pretty messed up the song medicine man in a little town. They accept them have different occupation like that coat certain foods and they sell them and make a living and I'm so hey.

06:06 The day they fixed person contribute to the whole place and run the town in the hole. So problem most make that I'll rule what to do when and every my trouble than that person get punished by the way like you supposed to do this this and not go back to the

06:33 Bother that person. So does the town ahead of the talking towel them was somebody that was the

06:44 So there's a party as a part of your education growing up. You had a decision where you could learn English or French you in addition to your native tongue of Vietnamese. Is that is that correct? When we get on up to like 6 grade with the border at on a mandatory foreign language and Alexis Friends toys the second foreign language. After all the one that you didn't realize I thought you had to choose one of the other what you each learned some of both V.

07:20 212 radio if you picked French and you stick with that antenna you had have to add on English. So when you all were growing up, when did you first get a sense that there is political conflict in Vietnam. Do you want when do you remember or Mio first being aware of that?

07:45 How much but I remember my desk Dre involved. Follow the news. Me listen to BBC News and stuff like that radio and I I I heard him talk with auto Alamance in town when I was about.

08:05 8th and I pay attention also because it had you beside them go here and there are certain thing that hand grenade explode because they put some place or mine or something like that. So we got more aware of it.

08:26 What was part of your decision at what age do each of you decide to do move away from Mom see in and you went to Saigon, correct? When you when you moved what was part of your decision to that led you to Saigon.

08:40 Actually, I

08:42 I'm not an owl family they have.

08:50 They think they don't fly that the girls to practice 11:20. So I'm just know I would like to study more after I paid 11 for it and my father allow me after 11:12 and my I asked my uncle to help ways to move me up to Shinedown to call like to continue your education in Saigon after I say what I want one time I come back home.

09:31 And I know that that's my father put the money in the floor step like somebody for me about a team of a 1400 of money and fuel Mayfield money for family. He said that for me. Gone I said, well, I cannot be selfish last time I have to do something so I go to find a job by myself and we got a job and after I got the job through the telephone operator.

10:09 And nice to be able to help you and also I can be able to help my sister option that they have to Pac-12 ready in order to go up there because I don't have we don't have money for her to the school system in Vietnam. Like the friends you've learned all year long and they called it the same in the end of the year and I am from the 5th grade to 6th grade they have so we have to take like 3 days of slaying all the subject and then you'll pass that when you get into the high school all the way you not allowed to and if you don't have money to go to the private school than you

11:08 My dad was pretty proud of it. We will talk and we all get into public school and and weed I never been inside you until we're finished high school that allowed to go in so early and was already in Saigon. And so she was she was being the eldest sister and then did you can go next and then they went on down line. So then and then and then until at one point we were all five of the sisters living in Saigon Ashley the manager at the hospital utility room, maybe the side and a bath and then I wish you had the bathroom and stuff and so the two of us sleep on their back to sleep on the floor without her money for school Lynnwood.

12:08 When I was six, and that's how we

12:13 Who enjoy life and I would imagine not a lot of Secrets five of you and me on one room safe and she's like my mother. I've never heard that before. So how many years then were you in Saigon prior to the conflict causing you guys believe I acted on by an authentic 8th and that time be called that at Adventure my hometown laundry in to take I do to have that separate with my family.

13:13 CC in the South Vietnam except Longview where I live we live in if we have a lot of river around here.

13:28 Anime

13:31 So when you all do your time with the Tet Offensive in the force is moving Southward. When did you know you had to leave to leave Vietnam?

13:43 On March the March 1975 did I do to work at the office and I have a lot of clients come by to ask me to hurry up to dinner take care of that paperwork for their family so that they can get out of the country sometime. I have Friday my relatives that he's very weak men are powerful and I couldn't able to come by to say well you have anywhere to help me to get out in a hurry and I said well something happened right after this car is going to leave. You know, something's yeah. I thought you asked Amber. See you looking like that and I look at people if you know something weird, and I'm sure we have to make a decision to leave.

14:42 A auto why do you know we're stuck in here. Come come from March sew-in wash those when you made the decision that you had to leave. So you guys are y'all on the boat? And you ever septic. Go ahead when with me when I hear the news that they start attacking that maybe like me any of April sometime. I'm going to start the field and I took like I talk to you earlier that feel like we we we going to have to leave the country sometime but we don't know how I don't know. What what way we can do it. So we start the repairs we start a repair for

15:34 Personal belongings some food and going to take with you into very least school and political on demonstrations and thanks a lot. And, this doesn't like lost dude and it all so we said we have to get out some weather high and so I bought back for each of us and we put food and clothes and medicines and 4 just in case we run somewhere and at the end of the year, so we have to take a final exam and we will just hop in and visit my page now thing happened was I miss a whole year. We don't stay in Tech. Damn.

16:23 And I was in law school and laying said we will not Sully and finish law school and she was practicing. So we we stay in the last day that you went out to she got to wait to go to the airport to fly out in the April 30th. Let me come back a week before we left.

16:52 My mom gets mad at me because of my problem. I have product and she took my heart brother about the laundry in my father you no doctor follow her to him everything but I might as well.

17:18 And I thought your aunt my father to stay with us and then I got to find out if I can where do I get my mom coming back? But my fighter jet, you know, he want to go with her. So I told my sister I said you should make a decision. You stay with me. I'll go with them.

17:37 Because we have no time and Manchester or stay with me.

17:43 We are at that time because I'm work for you as you go with me or just you and me for the other telephone operator. So I have the Saturday ID and one of my friend know that they can help me out, but get by myself. I winded.

18:05 And I say no I can just go by myself. Then. I come back home to fire another way to go with them and lucky lady. I make that decision. Right and I was very emotional days for us. I'm sure I wouldn't say goodbye and she went out to the airport.

18:25 Okay.

18:37 And after she left with no, we're not going to see her again. So we was just like we cook up with me and talk about how many hours later she just come back later. Let me eat. We would just shocked and I should come back with a friend who has those cheap with cup of Soulja stepping in front of the Jeep. So it's like today and ass people running around like crazy trying to get out.

19:07 So get your back, let's go. Let's go out the door and run to my uncle and my parents along soon so we know when we get in touch, but I think before that many weeks before he say if you can get out yet go we okay and so we went down to the the

19:34 Dumb

19:37 The dock and we couldn't get into gay to go down there because it's for custom custom sheep and people that person that the social with the gun so they wish they wouldn't let us pass and happened to be Wonder General have five daughters or something like that. So I say that those cheap Five Dollar General in Atlanta. Now I said they did the last time we went on the boat and we have a very just like stay for it and real quiet and it's jam-packed right? Not just like about 30 foot boat with about thirty people is on the show people.

20:33 You all left on the boat with a Daytime Nighttime, they didn't take all of them. But so in the morning and they did over the radio say all the law student have to report to the schoolyard. Could it took over the city? They going to put us all in the concentration camps and the people who run the ball to say we need to get out but some baby fighting sleep. We don't want to go yet and then the bump behind the boat behind us one of them sound. So that's why I know we all took that they took off you all were separated for part for part of your time.

21:33 And we would all still together on days. We got picked up by the big black cattle barge about 2,000 people in the bar and then rooms and ran and Heath and Kohl's and distraught ultimately though and that time we got separate because like they just left the small children or so that the leaves and babies and and so we will try to push this smoke just might my little sister little sister. They call us kid baby look like 14 day trial young so I'm going to go that's the four of us got stuck back there. So she went to do this relationship. And so we all wear now than they

22:29 Molalla to warm in your reunited in Guam one of the facilities there and then ultimately you made your way to Fort Walton Beach to facility at Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Florida. We will respond to Alton Niceville. Are we we we solved my back will winter finish school. That was a draw. Taylor maclaurin stop with the Yard-Man shoppingtown that they look for good interest. So they went to the Cameron find and the people say these girls so very well and then I said come to my place.

23:29 See if the clothes that we hang up and I saw that's how we saw them. It's okay, you're hired and I'm so so that's ham dip me going because nobody wanted to leave dismiss everything. I say I want to go and so they so they say they they can hi to people. So do you and I you and say I can't let you go by yourself. So she went with me to your older sisters in between you and Leanne and they stay on Congress and then so once you started a life here or you know, what were some of your thoughts for each of you about starting a new life new here when she finally started to get established Union Gainesville. Think about the next move. What were you thinking in terms of your next moves when you first came here?

24:28 Last time we were not sure you know what we

24:35 What we want to do and we just said well with try to find somewhere to have a job first to make a living by and then think about maybe next that you all were selling to begin with and then started thinking about the restaurant.

25:01 Lynnwood Mall

25:02 Wow.

25:06 I have I have the different things I say we got to get the little kids to school first. So my two younger sister, we send her to school when I came over here. We left I feel like I always feel like

25:22 I'm not afraid of anything.

25:25 And I think my my dad say that when we was younger, he always instill in us the value of

25:34 That respect and Southwest

25:39 So he say that.

25:41 Keep your head high and took go forward that's in his own words. I like that and we will prepare poor but he takes it keep your integrity. And do you import I don't have money for your Dowry. But how is your vacation and your hard work pay off? So you keep that that's all know we can steal from you and your brain. So I say wake up your hand and I ran so we just work and so we saw it was scary at first, but we have a lot I have I had a lot of Hope and a sack to be separate from family and Vietnam uncertain CW to reuniting days and stuff, but I had a lot of hope I know that we going to be okay since care whose idea was it to start the restaurant.

26:33 What happened was I am when I came with will a seamstress and that my fan from Vietnam. He responds to help. I like my semi light Horseman. He will always go out to Asian people. So he sponsor told my friend out and my friend when I we walked there and they came to pick us up and give us a ride home something like that and my late husband was a widower them for 4 years 3 years or so and I think it would look in the house look for why what's up, so we would he map with us and he talked to him. Owner of the shop. We got pee hours a day, but was picking them up at 7 in the morning and go home at night at 7. So we will actually 12 hour with Type A.

27:27 Wolf in the attic and very hot noise season 3 and so one day that's a panda to friend of mine. I can give us a ride home.

27:38 And I heard come downstairs. We were up in the attic and her sex they quit and so and he said Unity come down here. I'm not quitting this my job you quit and I trust him because I know he's an honorable man and and he can help and I also feel like I've been taken advantage of by the fire employers provide enough.

28:18 And we start song from home. We got couple sewing machine from the Catholic Charities the lady donated to with that song from home. We will make good money. So we didn't we were on welfare for one month. We got off from your receipt in 2 years and then we had that one week. That's when they could come within have a place yet.

28:59 So

29:01 Will move into saying what has several room is his his house and room to share the seven of us and one bedrooms. So she asked for 1 weeks when we find a place. So we found the three-bedroom one-bath how we move out after with but during that work with Coke a lot. We do the cooking and cleanings and help out and hit it even throw a party for his friend at the University and they say disappointed of food. You got your open to restaurants and and that's how it's supposed to start again. So I like pain his car and sell his torso whatever the heck can gather borrow money. He helped everything. We only come in and cook.

29:58 House of the lady down 13th Street, and and we will all go there physically break down the wall and pain and clean and strip out pain and we could do it all by yourself. All the girls come out in the winter bundle app for cheap the walls and do all the stuff and I even try to paint the pens and put in the picture and we don't cook and then choked while you're running the restaurant though, each of the sisters were taking turns going to school and game night because I was the last one went back to school. So I I open for lunch and I work with the capital Thai lady they are in school and they come to do the do white dressing and cooking. So we have a couple other people for help. And so so they all in school for under day and work at night. So come home and have a few hours sleep enough.

30:58 And then so each of the sisters got their degrees Lee and you earned your computer science degree through the engineering department at we went to nursing school and interviewed at 2.

31:13 So you out of that organ to Leanne and Tweety both live here in Gainesville and you have two sisters and Austin, Texas. And then the youngest is near Sacramento in Santa Ana with my father and my stepmother. What are each of you the most of the proudest of

31:41 Is there any certain one thing that you can put a finger on that? You're the most proud of?

31:46 For me, I feel I'm

31:50 I proud I make the right decision to mow them over here. I don't know why something make me make that decision if I'm 26 years old, and I don't know much about the other work but something.

32:11 Somewhere somehow someone push me to the edge.

32:22 Proud the race at me and my children and my most proud of my children and I feel like we I did have some contribution to raise them the way they are honest people and I love her and made this inhuman begin of my proudest. What advice do you have for your granddaughter Belen? Do you have any advice you'd like to pass on to her or any words? I would like to ask why I feel and that's why you need to know that she's very lucky to be born in the US.

32:59 And I would like her to try to improve herself right education and she can be able to help us out and drive to reach out to have order if you can.

33:19 The most important that you need to be a good person sounds like advice your father would have given you your grandchildren.

33:32 I want them to believe in themselves and live a honorable life integrity.

33:42 And how work but I think enjoy life is

33:48 The best thing family life and not like worry about I'm not not not down that I don't say no more about money. But but the happiness in life come first remember the important things for us.

34:05 Thank you.

34:09 Thank you.

34:16 Cheers