Oscar Hong
Profilers: Anna Hsu, Jan Arroyo, Oliver Applebee, Samani Villanueva, Wesley Smith
Mother Refusing to Lose Her Sons
Question:
Where does your family trace your heritage in Vietnam? In what ways did geography perhaps impact your family’s interactions with the war?
Oscar Hong:
The new Vietnam was going to war again—with Cambodia or someone—and they were drafting all my uncles. They were teenagers at the time, and my grandma did not want any of her sons to be drafted because that was basically a death sentence. A lot of people were fleeing the country at the time. They had that same sentiment.
They were also trying to flee. They didn’t want the family to be broken up and all the boys be killed.
It was very risky. If you got caught fleeing, it was like a shoot-on-sight order.
My grandfather was hesitant. He wanted to hedge his bets—saying, “You shouldn’t bring the whole family.” At the time, it was like nine of them in the immediate family, plus uncles, aunts, cousins. He said maybe the youngest should stay. But my grandma said, “No. All or nothing. I’m not leaving anyone behind.”
He relented, and they decided to go.
They had to figure out the logistics. They couldn’t go north—Vietnam was now one country. I think they were trying to sail to a Western-controlled area, maybe Hong Kong, which is Cantonese-speaking and felt familiar.
They sold all their stuff—assets, businesses—and hired a boat captain who was also trying to escape. He agreed to provide the boat and sail them out.
captain agreed to get a boat and sell them to some other destination.
Smuggled to the Sea
Oscar Hong:
The port was in the north, and they were in the south. They had to take a train up, but needed a reason to travel or else it looked suspicious. They faked an itinerary. If they got caught, they could be executed.
Thankfully, nothing went wrong.
At the port, they had to pass a military checkpoint. So they bribed a military officer to smuggle them in a truck, hidden in the back, past the checkpoint. This was during typhoon season—heavy rain, wind, very high stress.
They made it to the boat—a small junk boat with one motor. The captain was supposed to provide food and water, but didn’t provide enough. There were way too many people for the supplies they had.
Sailing Past Death
Question:
How did your family hold on to hope in moments when survival seemed uncertain or when others turned their backs on them?
Oscar Hong:
Eventually, they were drifting and saw a boat in the distance. They started paddling manually—no engine. As they got closer, they saw a red flag—it was the Soviet flag.
They panicked. If the Soviets saw them, they’d likely be sent back to Vietnam.
Luckily, they weren’t spotted.
Later, they saw a Japanese cargo ship. The crew mocked them—didn’t offer help, food, or water. Just taunted them and sailed off.
A few more days passed. Eventually, their boat hit something—they realized it was sand. They landed at a remote village in the Philippines. The villagers were poor but shared coconuts and what food they had.
The Asylum Camp
Question:
What was daily life like in the refugee camp, and how did your family find small moments of routine or resilience during that time?
Oscar Hong:
The village couldn’t support more people, so they called in the military. The military flew them to a facility housing other Vietnamese refugees—it was a mental asylum. It was only meant for ~1,000 people, but now had 4,000.
There were only a few bathrooms. Food was minimal—bread, soup, stew.
They lived there for two years. My mom remembers looking forward to a baguette every Sunday. They had to dig holes to go to the bathroom. My uncles would run laps for fun and got really fit.
Starting Over in America
Question:
What do you know about your family’s early experiences coming to the U.S.?
Oscar Hong:
Eventually, they got sponsored to come to the U.S. A relative in the U.S. helped, and they were flown to New York in the mid-1970s. The U.S. government put them in a hotel for the weekend.
It was my mom’s first time on a plane—and her first time seeing a TV. She was amazed, playing with the remote. She was maybe 5, 6, or 7 years old.
My uncles were teenagers or in middle school. They had no property, barely spoke English. Some had taken English classes at international schools in Vietnam.
They lived in low-income housing—maybe Section 8. Grandparents worked different jobs, and all the siblings lived together, went to school, and learned English. Some eventually went to college and built their lives in the U.S.
Changing of Perspective
Question:
What experience made you more aware of your family’s history?
Oscar Hong:
We went to Thailand one time. It’s a tourist destination, but parts of it are very poor. We took a boat through the water slums—shacks on stilts where people live.
I remember thinking, “Wow. I would hate to live that life.” Then my parents said, “Well, we did live that.” It definitely grounded me.
Why We Need to Share Refugee Stories
Question:
Do you think the refugee experience is remembered or taught in history books?
Oscar Hong:
Definitely not. If I didn’t hear the stories from my family, I wouldn’t believe them either.
Question:
How should that change?
Oscar Hong:
Things like this—talking, sharing stories. I remember telling a friend once, and he thought I was lying. The story was too crazy. My parents have crazy stories, but I’ve grown up with them. It’s lost its shock factor. As a kid, I used to ask my mom to tell me those stories before bed.
Returning to Vietnam
Question:
Do you remember how it felt for them to return to Vietnam?
Oscar Hong:
They visited their old house. I was maybe 7 or 8. It was very nostalgic. The house was being demolished. They saw old friends, family friends. After Facebook came out, they reconnected with more people back in Vietnam.
From Refugees to Suburbia
Question:
They weren’t going back to the same Vietnam, right?
Oscar Hong:
Yeah, definitely. I don’t think there isn’t any hostility anymore. Or maybe there never was, because they were so young. If there was, it’s gone now. Governments changed. They’ve come to terms with it. In a way, they view themselves as American. They’re very pro-America now. They live in the suburbs of Boston—so different from life in the Philippines. The life I’m living is completely unimaginable to them at the time.