Once They Hear My Name: Korean Adoptees and Their Journeys Toward Identity

We Should Never Meet

by Aimme Pham (Fiction)

http://www.aimeephan.com/

Winner of the 2004 Association of Asian American Studies Book Award

Finalist for the 2005 Asian American Literary Awards in Fiction

A 2005 Kiriyama Prize Notable Book

Compelling, moving, and beautifully written, the interlinked stories that make up We Should Never Meet alternate between Saigon before the city's fall in 1975 and present-day “Little Saigon” in Southern California — exploring for us the reverberations of the Vietnam War in a completely new light.

Intersecting the lives of eight characters across three decades and two continents, these stories each surround the events of Operation Babylift, the emergency evacuation of 2,000 Vietnamese and Amerasian orphans from Vietnam under the executive order of President Gerald Ford just weeks before the fall of Saigon. Unwitting reminders of the war, these children were considered “bui doi,” the dust of life, and faced an uncertain, dangerous existence if left behind in Vietnam.

'Fourth Uncle in the Mountain: A Memoir of a Barefoot Doctor in Vietnam'

St. Martins Press

Memoir by Quang Van Nguyen. Co-author:

Margie Pivar

Set during the French and American wars, Fourth Uncle in the Mountain is a true story about an orphan, Quang Van Nguyen, who is adopted by a sixty-four year old monk, Thau, who carries great responsibility for his people as a barefoot doctor. Thau manages, against all odds to raise his son to follow in his footsteps and in doing so, saves his son, as well as a part of Vietnam's esoteric knowledge from the Vietnam holocaust.  Thau is wanted by the French regime, and occasionally must flee into o the jungle, where he is perfectly at home living among the animals. Thau is not the average monk; he practices an ancient lineage of Chinese medicine and uses magic to protect animals and help people.  As wise and resourceful as Thau is, he meets his match in his mischievous son. Quang is more interested in learning Cambodian sorcery and martial arts than in developing his skills and wisdom according to his father's plan.  Fourth Uncle in the Mountain is an odyssey of a single-father folk hero and his foundling son in a land ravaged by he atrocities of war. It is a classic story, complete with humor, tragedy, and insight from a country where ghosts and magic are real.  Quang Van Nguyen is the son of one of South Vietnam's most beloved folk-heros, Thau Van Nguyen. Quang became a Buddhist abbot before fleeing Vietnam in 1987. He now lives in the United States. 

Becoming a parent: Lesbians, Gay Men and Family

Damien Riggs,vAustralian scholar

There are details of the book at the publisher's website :
http://www.postpressed.com.au/academic/parenting.html

GENERAL VIETNAMESE BOOKS OF INTEREST:

 From the Editors: Migrant Communities and Emerging Australian Literature. 

Australian literature is no longer limited to writings produced by mainstream publishing houses and academic programs of top universities. Today, much poetry, fiction, non fiction, theatre and film has been produced as initiatives of representatives from Australia's recent migrant communities. These writings outside Australia's mainstream literary cultures may provide alternative but illuminating renditions of what "being Australian" means.

"More than two decades have passed since the time when literary activities of the Vietnamese-
Australian community seemed almost non-existent. It has been a long and challenging
journey. But it is a wonderful journey, indeed. Today, looking back, I feel enraptured with
the momentum it has achieved, and I strongly believe this journey still promises many more
beautiful landscapes.
I have said optimistically: “Literary talents are always hidden somewhere like dormant seeds
in the earth waiting for rain.” Now I want to add a few more words to it and make it like this:
“Literary talents are always hidden somewhere like dormant seeds in the earth waiting for rain
to open up, and they need light and warmth to grow into flowery trees.” in My long journey with new
and emerging Vietnamese-Australian Writers, Ngoc-Tuan Hoang

Cau Noi - The Bridge

Writers: David Phu An Chiem, Michelle Chuong, Khoa Do, Hai Ha Le, Hai Van Nguyen, Hoang Tranh Nguyen, Huong Thao Nguyen, Anh Khoa Tran, Matilda (Hang) Tran and Chi Vu

Since the fall of Saigon, 1975, three distinct generations of Vietnamese Australians - First, 1.5 and Second generation - have emerged distinctly all over the world. The 1.5 Generation belongs to people who are literally 'born in Viet Nam and made in Australia'. 'Cau Noi - The Bridge -Anthology of Vietnamese-Australian Writing' examines the complexities of the 1.5 Generation and the emerging works of the Second Generation of Vietnamese-Australians.

The process of developing this anthology has included bringing together of the editor, Ngoc-Tuan Hoang with ten commissioned writers.Dr Mandy Thomas, Deputy Director, Centre for Cross-Cultural Research, Australian National University, points out "These are the threads of 'Vietnamese-ness', the intense ties to an unforgettable homeland in memory or in story, and the spirit of social justice that arises from the refugee experience which leaves an unmistakable trace in every generation."

This anthology is a groundbreaking contribution to Vietnamese-Australian literature and worthy of literary merits because they are written not only with passion and honesty, but also with true intentions for literary innovation. The book will give reader opportunities to look into the strange cultural landscape of young Vietnamese-Australians and bring you on a journey along the wide spectrum of human feelings. The book will be launched by Dr. Frank Bongiorno, Chair, Literature & History Committee, NSW Ministry for the Arts & Senior Lecturer in History, University of New England.

Two special speakers - Thang Ngo, 1.5 generation and Sales & Marketing of SBS Radio and Michelle Chuong, second generation and Sydney Morning Herald Writer of the Year 2003 - will give insight into their own points of view.

For more info on how to attend or purchase a copy contact: Cuong Phu Le
Asian-Australian CCD Officer
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre & Liverpool Regional Museum
PO BOX 190, Casula, NSW, 2170, Australia
Cnr Congressional Drive & Hume Highway
Tel: (02) 9824 1121
Fax: (02) 9821 4273
Email:  cuong@casulapowerhouse.com