June marks Immigrant Heritage Month — and people across the country are sharing their American stories. Whether you’ve recently embarked on your first day as an American or want to share how your ancestors came to arrive here, we want to hear from you. Add your voice to the conversation today.
I am a proud Vietnamese American who is working at the White House for the President and the First Lady of the United States on education and youth empowerment domestically and internationally. My parents reminded me and my two younger brothers day in and day out to appreciate being born in this country. They taught us to work hard, focus on our education, and go to a good college.
My parents.
My parents rarely spoke about their past, and it wasn’t until I was older that I came to fully appreciate the odyssey each of my parents undertook in their journey 40 years ago. They had very different stories about their pathway to citizenship but similar journeys of looking for refuge and starting a new life chapter in America.