In addition to my siblings, two cousins came along on the journey to America. Both cousins were teenagers at the time. They definitely remembered much more details than me. It was fun to interview them both and listened to their perspectives. This article will be about my cousin, Huy Bùi.
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Huy Bùi
My cousin, Huy Bùi, left Vietnam at the age of 16. I called him Anh Huy. Anh Huy’s mom, Bác Hoàng, was my mom’s older sister. Bác Hoàng had enough money for only one person to leave with my family. Anh Huy was selected to go to America because he was the oldest. Another primary reason was his age. He was becoming of age for war. By 17, Anh Huy will have to submit his paperwork and would be drafted to fight in Cambodia. Anh Huy despised the Việt Cộng’s philosophy and did not want to fight for their cause. America was his ticket to freedom. Anh Huy did not want to live where communism existed.
Anh Huy was aware that he was going to leave with my family a month ahead of time. He was excited and prepared to go. However, the exact date of leaving was not disclosed until the night before. In the last few weeks, life was as usual but the knowledge of leaving Vietnam created anxiety of excitement for Anh Huy. The secret of leaving was kept hidden within the family and behind the safety of their closed door.
