Hoang Paul Nguyen

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:00:00] Yeah. My name is Hoang Nguyen. Nguyen Kim, Hoang is the Vietnamese way. But Hoang Kim Nguyen, and I use Paul as my Christian name since I came to this country.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:00:13] You can call me Paul.

Interviewer [00:00:15] And where were you born? In Vietnam.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:00:19] I was born in Thừa Thiên Huế. In 1956, Vietnam.

Interviewer [00:00:27] Can you take us back to when you were growing up in Vietnam.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:00:37] Vietnam to me when I grow up. Beautiful country. The South to me is beautiful and embedded in my memory. You know I spend, my childhood. And, you know, school and college in Vietnam until 1975. Everything is the history. I still, I still think it is the beautiful country in my memory.

Interviewer [00:01:12] So you were living at that time with both your parents and you have any siblings?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:01:17] Yes, I have three brothers and one sister. And we living grow up with my mom. My father was a soldier and always in the battle. He got home very few days per year. Very few times per year. So, my mom. She's beautiful. She's with us all the time. She spent all her lifetime to raise us.

Interviewer [00:01:45] When you talk about your father was in the battlefield.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:01:47] Yes.

Interviewer [00:01:49] And your mom was taking care of the family.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:01:50] That's all.

Interviewer [00:01:53] How do you feel?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:01:55] Because I when I was six years old. The Vietnam War starting in 1960. I was born in 1956. So I was four years old. Every families at that time. Father is a soldier you know, defend the country so mother at home. So to me the picture is same is similar and we live in that situation. We appreciate mom, but we still love, you know, still father. And when whenever father is home. That's beautiful. Beautiful time for us. Yeah.

Interviewer [00:02:32] What year did you leave the country?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:02:38] 1979. May. Sometime in May I don't remember exactly the date, but I left Da Nang Vietnam in the middle of May and I got to Hong Kong around end of May or beginning of June, 1970.

Interviewer [00:03:00] And how was the journey planned?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:03:02] Yes. It’s long. I attempt 14 times. Before I was successful, like 14 times. And, the last time, the 14th. We left Vietnam, Da Nang Vietnam and we land, we got, we have to stop in Hainan because we ran out of food and everything. We stop in Hainan, but luckily in Hainan we escaped the big storm that time.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:03:38] So two days we stuck. We stayed in Hainan for two days and we back to the sea for the journey. And we got a lot on, you know, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for about 3 or 4 days and total it's seven days before, you know, from Vietnam to Hong Kong.

Interviewer [00:03:59] I want to backtrack a little bit. When you say it took you 14 times now with those 13 times, what happened to you? How how were you How did it fail? Were you captured?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:04:10] Okay. 14 times, actually. Not all 14 times you know, we got to the ocean. Sometime we just got to the beach, and then we found out the problem. Sometimes we did plan and because in that time, you cannot question the owner of the boat is real or fake. We just close your eye and take ticket and go right? You cannot question is it true? That's why so many times it was deceitful. We lost money, and we couldn't get it. So, 14 times.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:04:50] About half or more than that, we got to the ocean. But we couldn’t get the big boat, you know, to help us. Then we return so that's what we asked for. It's really tough. Really tough to get out from Vietnam. From the land to the ocean, we have to go to several step. We got to the, beach. And then from there you had the taxi. Small boat. It’s a small boat can take you out and you get another small boat. So the boat from the beach is just like a, a sailboat. But you get the engine boat small one take you out there and with the boat the big boat. But the boat supposed to be in the river, not in ocean. So that's a boat we used that.

Interviewer [00:05:47] You pay these people in order for them to organize it.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:05:51] Yes.

Interviewer [00:05:53] But at the same time, some of them is also not trustworthy as well.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:06:01] They took a lot of advantage because no one can go to the police and complain. You know, we got rob or something like that like. So they just they knew we want to escape out of Vietnam.

Interviewer [00:06:16] So when you were escaping, is it just only you or with your family? Or any friends.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:06:21] Sometimes.

Interviewer [00:06:23] Relatives?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:06:24] Yeah, sometimes it's just myself. Sometimes with my mom and my brother. Sometimes only brother and myself. So depend how many seat they allow us to go. For example some have two seat. Okay. My mom say, you and your brother go. Right. Yeah. If one then just to me. So. So at the at the 14, it's just my youngest brother and myself.

Interviewer [00:06:50] Okay. So on that 14 time between you and your younger brother, your mom also knew that you guys were leaving. Okay.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:06:58] Yes. And for 14th time, my mom with us, you know, several times with all of us floating in the ocean, just like in water underwater. You know, one time all of us was in the water for two hours, and we know that all at the, you know. We get back there. Come back, come back.

Interviewer [00:07:25] On that the 14 time where you were actually on the boat. Probably seeing your country getting smaller and smaller because now the ball is getting further and further away. At what moment in time that you feel, wow, this is finally real, that I am leaving the country? Can you describe.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:07:46] To be honest with you, on the 14th. Actually, at that time I was a captain.

Interviewer [00:07:51] Okay.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:07:53] We have no experience and no training. I just learned how to ride the boat. By, after the 14th time, I saw them to do it. And is it kind of long story. But no one. You know, I, I force, you know, force myself to be a captain, to get, you know, the boat from Vietnam to Hainan. So. No time to look back at that time. Because at night. You just follow because a two, two boats together to boat together.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:08:29] So I took the second one. And at night, no experience. And how do I try to get my boat to follow the first one. The first boat. The first experienced captain. So no time to look back and see how the country. On our mind at that time is, "How to get out, how to get out and get safely to the ocean." So these are very funny, you know, some story. It is very hard to understand it. Very hard. But it happened at that time.

Interviewer [00:09:07] When you say you were captaining the boat. You also drove the boat.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:09:10] That's because actually the organization, organized the very well. But nothing smoothly like that. But at the end, when you get to the big boat, the whole family of the captain get arrested a day before

 because the police disclose the plan. This is the plan. They pretend to go to fishing. Right. So two boat went to the ocean fishing.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:09:46] A day before. And then that's the when the D day they pick up all the escapee like us and carry out to the boat. They floating in the ocean at that time at night. So but when all of us got to the boat, the captain found out that. The wife and children did not escape. So he decided to return home.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:010:24] He decided at that time. We About midnight. About midnight. It's a very hard. Every plan, every escape, every attempt. We have to go get back home before 2 a.m. because at the 2 a.m., all the local police comes back at the post office, so they can watch and they may. Find out who's, you know, doing something, you know. Anything.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:10:57] So at that time, I told the captain, we told the captain that we are cannot we cannot go home at that time too late for us. And he said, okay, if you guys want to go. You go, he couldn't he couldn't help us to drive the boat, you know, as the plan because actually, at the time, he cried like a baby. He said thinking, “Man, how can I leave with my family?” But we said, uncle. You can go home. But we cannot. We cannot. And he said, "Okay, what do you want to do?" And then look around.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:11:38] And one of the, men I was very close with right now. We could go right now. He said okay, if you. I said, I ask him can we go if you and me and I can drive the boat. He said, Really? Okay, let's go. So we decide. So I took the captain seat and I drive the boat as it went. Very simple. You have a stick in as you guide, the direction, the hard, the hard part is how to follow the first one, the first boat is very fast. And we had to at night, very dark. You had to look in the shape of the boat and follow the problem. One big problem on that escape is that the big compass very sophisticated. You know go the direction was stuck at home with a captain right. Family. So we use the Boy Scout.

Interviewer [00:12:50] Guide.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:12:52] The small one. And that's what I remember is a crack. In the glass. We know 45 degrees to go to Hong Kong. And I did look at night. I don't know what kind of degree I made this. I don't know how to.

Interviewer [00:13:07] How many people were on that boat?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:13:35] Total 31 people in two boats. Right. But in my is about 15 and another one about 16. So we go in the ocean. The second time we get lost in the ocean, we had to abandon my boat. So because we ran out of, you know, fuel and everything. So we load everything onto another boat the companion boat right. So. Total 31 people total at that time we count, we have 31 people get to Hong Kong.

Interviewer [00:13:53] And we're talking about a small fishing boat where everyone has to sit next to each other.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:14:01] No, no. Let me tell you a little bit. The small the small boat is. Pretend from this side of the river to another side of the river. Carry other worker from Da Nang. So when people got into the book, we are several most like that because each checkpoints pick up the people about 6 or 7 people 6 or 7 and then about I think 3 or 4 small taxi like that pick up. So mine about 4 or 5 people, right. So when they got to the small one and we tried to sneak to underneath of the smuggler and pretend no one on the, on the boat. No one.

Interviewer [00:14:40] Yeah.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:14:41] That's why to go.

Interviewer [00:14:43] Got it.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:14:45] We see all the, you know, watching of the, police.

Interviewer [00:14:48] Right. What was the first challenge you encounter in the ocean?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:14:58] How to get how to first thing, how to get the second taxi. We are very lucky because is a funny little miracle. My first taxi had to get the second taxi. There’s not a one you know, like, scary moment. Because at night, at dawn, we don't see anything. We don't have any light right?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:15:25] So. So the second one wait for us for a long time. They pass several pass already to wait for us. And in that last pass, they said we will go. We are. And finally they found us. They got to that one. And they got to the big one and get the big one. The beach. And I thought, I don't know. But only the scary moment. We get lost in the ocean after Hainan again.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:15:53] We lost in the ocean. And when we looked at the sea water, the sea water color changed drastically. Right. And. They measure the deep. They could not get the deep at the bottom. So they know we are in the danger zone because that boat is not supposed to be in that, you know, in that deep zone right so they anchor.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:16:20] But they could not anchor and so they saved the fuel they couldn't go at that night because no direction we don't know exactly where we are. So at that time at that moment. My brother. He got sea sick my youngest one. He's 13 years old at that time. He had seasick really badly. So I have to tie him to the pole of the boat.

Interviewer [00:16:43] Wow.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:16:45] And I watch him all night for several nights because. I just worry. He, you know, get into the ocean. So that moment was really scary. And tried to make sure that my brother is okay.

Interviewer [00:17:05] Yeah. So how many days you spent on the journey.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:17:07] About 3 or 4 days in the ocean like that. And then we decide to you know, give up one boat and abandon that boat in the ocean. Right. So we put everyone out on the second one. So that one, we put all the food together and we went about, I think 4 or 5 hours after that, hopeless no land around all water. Basically we found a Taiwanese fisherman.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:17:50] Taiwanese fishing ship. So they found us. So they give us the signal to stop right there. So they gave us food. They gave us some direction. How to get to Hong Kong. Yeah. With their help, our boat we got to Hong Kong the next day.

Interviewer [00:18:10] Wow. Yeah. So when you get to Hong Kong? How do you know that it's Hong Kong. You got picked up by another ship or what?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:18:20] No, no, no. When we. The Hong Kong, Macao, and Shanghai it all together and when we got there at night, you know, right away, the sky is all bright and the across, the whole horizon. Right. The Sky so we know that. But we don't exactly where is Hong Kong.

Interviewer [00:18:38] Right.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:18:40] So we stop. We stop right in front of Hong Kong and Macao or China. And in the morning. At that night. At that night, one battleship or patrol ship of the Hong Kong found us. So they capture they know exactly the identity of the boat by the I.D.. And then in the morning, when we got to Hong Kong, the police know right away they greet us right there. So they took us to the, in the Hong Kong. They took the to the, Pier.

Interviewer [00:19:24] Salang

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:19:25] Yeah, the beach so. And then all the boat, they. All the boat people, all the boats. Stay there and they you know, screening, screening one by one and get to Hong Kong.

Interviewer [00:19:38] Because I was also on the beach as well for seven days. How long did you stay there.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:19:44] I stay there are 

7 days.

Interviewer [00:19:45] 7 Days as well.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:19:46] Yeah, seven days.

Interviewer [00:19:48] Yeah, Yeah. And then after that, where did they bring you?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:19:52] Kho Den then they got at that time they got to the dock yard they call Kho Den because the painting black. Kho Den I stayed there for eight day or 9 day and eight night, something like that. So more than a week in Kho Den.

Interviewer [00:20:18] When you stayed that refugee camp, can you describe how many Vietnamese refugees were there? How was life in there for the for those eight days.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:20:26] In Kho Den that alone in Kho Den alone. They have many huts. Each hut could could, you know, could have about 4 to 5000 people in each hut. Wow. That's a lot right there. Right. So a lot of people. I think. Could be hundred thousand refugees Vietnamese refugees and most North and the South. You know that time. So I think a lot of people. And, the living hood. You been to Kho Den before or No?

Interviewer [00:21:05] No, I'm in a different camp. They change the name, but probably the same location.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:21:11] Same Location?

Interviewer [00:21:12] Yeah.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:21:13] I know Kho Den they stopped after I left Kho Den.

Interviewer [00:21:18] Yeah.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:21:20] After I left. Kho Den to Ma Ta Wa.

Interviewer [00:21:21] Right.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:21:23] I heard that they, you know, disband. You know Kho Den.

Interviewer [00:21:28] So when you stay there for eight days, what was in your mind? You feel I finally escaped Vietnam, and now I'm going to head to America? Do you even know you're heading to America or even any other country?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:21:43] We just. Yeah, we got out of Vietnam. Right. So we thinking about what they did because we tried to communicate with my brother and sister in, in, in the US at that time.

Interviewer [00:21:56] Oh Okay.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:21:58] Yeah, we have the address. So we ask the Red Cross to send the mail, you know, to my brother and sister. They got it. And they, they talked to the sponsor. So their sponsor, you know, work with the immigrant office. Try to, you know, get us from Hong Kong to US.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:22:18] So at that time, we know we are freedom. I even still know freedom at Hong Kong at that time. But we know at least we get out of Vietnam. We get out of Vietnam life in refugee camp it's terrible. But if we compare ourselves with Thailand camps, Malaysia, or Indonesia camp. We have it much, much better. Compared with them.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:22:47] So it's been. But it the life my life in some camp. Some camps in Hong Kong is terrible. Ma Ta Wa is a camp. Really you know, like we starved. We, you know, starved for two and a half months.

Interviewer [00:23:08] Yeah.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:23:09] Yeah.

Interviewer [00:23:10] So when I was there in the camp in Hong Kong, there were.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:23:13] What camp were you.

Interviewer [00:23:14] I forgot the name off the top of my head.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:23:16] Sham Shui Po?

Interviewer [00:23:18] No, no.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:23:19] At Kowloon?

Interviewer [00:23:20] Yeah.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:23:23] At Kowloon. Yeah, at Kowloon very good camp in Hong Kong. For the people that are ready to take, you know.

Interviewer [00:23:30] Well the thing is so we came then in 82 and we stayed for three months before we got transferred to another camp. And within those three months, I have seen and witnessed a lot of violence going on between the North and South. Right. So even at your time, do you see any of this? What was your reaction?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:23:50] No one, to protect the refugee at that time. So we better protect ourself, right. For protecting ourselves. We are not involved. Try to stay away. I'm not really involved in that in the conflict between the North and South. So luckily I live in Kai Tak at that time Kai Tak. The, the camp is very bad. Battle between North and South is the Sham Shui Po and Jubilee. To two camps. They have a lot of story then.

Interviewer [00:24:26] Now I remember yeah that my camp was Jubilee. Jubilee is my camp.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:24:32] So in that time of fighting. Most of it every night. Every night. North and South. North attack South, South attack North at that time we live at Kai Tak far away from Sham Shui Po and Jubilee.

Interviewer [00:24:43] Right.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:24:44] So I heard a lot story about the people in Sham Shui Po and Jubilee.

Interviewer [00:24:50] So even, you know leaving our country so that we can find freedom. And yet coming to Hong Kong where all of us have that same common goal, you know, to get to have a better life. Yet now we are fighting among ourselves. And it's pretty painful to watch.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:25:05] Painful to watch.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:25:06] But one thing I realize that we all escape from the South we escape because we cannot live with the Communists, right?

Interviewer [00:25:13] Right.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:25:15] The people in the North. They escape. They got kick out more than escape they don't use the boats like us they use the sailboat. So the sailboat they flow from North to across the border. The shore of the Vietnam. Hainan and all way to Hong Kong. So when they got to the Salang, one thing shocked me is they still have the logo of the Communist in their head.

Interviewer [00:25:51] Wow.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:25:52] So when we talked to them, they still proud of Ho Chi Minh. And all the Communists so to us that insane. But I don't know why they left. But that's a that's the conflict between the North and South. Big conflict, ideology. They still believe in Ho Chi Minh and Communism. It's good. So we against them. That's why with April 30th. Is Tet the Black April. Right?

Interviewer [00:26:28] Yeah.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:26:29] They celebrate. We, we mourn.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:26:37] We mourn about the Fall of Saigon. So, so conflict. That's that. That's it. You know, the foreign people, they know that. Why the Vietnamese, you know, fighting each other. But that's the problem with the country, the North and the South.

Interviewer [00:26:56] So, after eight days when you got sponsored to America, which state did you.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:27:04] It was six months.

Interviewer [00:27:04] Oh six months.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:27:05] Six months. So together from beginning of June to the end of December.

Interviewer [00:27:10] So six months at the Hong Kong refugee camp.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:27:12] Several three camps. Three camps, Right. And then I know I got a settled in the US. I flow from Hong Kong to US in December 21st, 1979.

Interviewer [00:27:28] Which part of the United States?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:27:29] In California.

Interviewer [00:27:32] So Livermore is the city. The first city. I stay. I live.

Interviewer [00:27:38]

 How long you lived there?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:27:39] I lived in Livermore for, one and a half years. And then I moved to San Jose. After that, I'd stay in San Jose until I left California in 2007.

Interviewer [00:27:58] Okay.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:27:59] So I settled for 27 years.

Interviewer [00:28:03] 27 years in California.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:28:04] Yeah.

Interviewer [00:28:04] When you came in 1979, I was just wondering, for California in itself, were there a population of Vietnamese?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:28:12] No. Especially maybe in San Jose. But in Livermore, only 10 or 15 families. And not many Vietnamese people in Livermore. But in San Jose it is crowded, but not as crowded as right now. Right.

Interviewer [00:28:29] Right.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:28:29] So when we move to San Jose, we found a lot of Vietnamese people, you know. But compared with it now ten thousand maybe more. Yeah. The population is grow in San Jose.

Interviewer [00:28:43] So you mentioned earlier that your sisters were in the United States and sponsor over.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:28:50] My two brother and sister.

Interviewer [00:28:51] Okay. And where did they live?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:28:54] They live in Livermore. Actually, they came and live in Oakland.

Interviewer [00:28:55] Okay.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:28:56] And Livermore, they live two places, right? So when I came, I moved them all to Livermore together. Yes. So we reunited, you know, in in Livermore. And I'm the like a brother old brother or the father at that time. So, you know, take care of them, live together, working and, you know, surviving.

Interviewer [00:29:23] But what was your first job or how do you adapt into America?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:29:30] Very amazing. When I got to the Livermore. I have no even a penny in my pocket. That's a reason. And I talked to my brother. “Can you talk to the sponsor and find me a job?” I cannot go to school as my mom wish. You know, I would go to school after I get there. I've got to find, I got to find a job. And after my brother, he talked to sponsor my sponsor and they took me to the Intel at that time in Livermore they have one Fab. We call it Fab 3 small Fab of Intel in Livermore. So it took me over there to apply for the job.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:30:15] I. To be honest with you, I have no idea. I just help with help with the Vietnamese people in Livermore live there. And she helped me to, you know, fill out the application. And I just drop the application, but I've no idea whether or not I got a job. I left the resume in the morning at noon I walk home, went home and after dinner, as I remember after dinner. The phone rang. And my sponsor pick up the phone and talk to someone something like that. And at that time, we were in the room and my brother you know, came into the room and say, "Brother, dress up, dress up." "For what?" "Dress up for the interview."

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:31:12] To be honest with you at that time, the word "interview" is scaring me. Because in Hong Kong. When you get interview that means you have two choices. You have two options. Either at the interview you back to Vietnam you fail right the screen or you can go to a third country. But I got to the US just a couple days ago, so, I mean. Something wrong? I said “No, why interview?” My brother told me “You applied to the job this morning.” So they call you interview? I said, “Oh my God,” I felt worried because I don't know how, you know, how this happened. How you going with the interview? Right. So.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:32:04] I get to the car and my sponsor drove us to Intel for interview. And she looked at my face and she saw my face. Kind of worry for worry face. Right. And she told my brother, Hey, tell your brother. Don't worry. Just tell, at the interview. Just say two words. I, I said what? The two words. "No problem." That's it? And then I thought, wow, "No problem."

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:32:40] To me. Powerful words. I No problem. So I just say No problem. No problem. And at interview when the HR ask me all the question. I pretended I knew the question and I just answer "No problem. No problem. No problem." And she moved me to the second interview next door. And the supervisor, my supervisor at that time, Steve I know, I remember him. You know until now, he showed me the three inch wafer at that time in my life.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:33:17] That's the first time I saw the piece of silicone. And I said, no problem, no problem. He just he walk me back. And he told HR this guy everything is no problem. And HR asked me the last question. How much? How much you want? I just said, no problem. She gave me $3.52 an hour, a minimum wage at that time.

Interviewer [00:33:39] When you apply for this job, do you even know what you are applying for? You just want to make some money.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:33:44] Just make some money and survive. That's it. I have no idea what Intel do. I had nothing. And I went to went to the whole battle with how to survive. For example in training. Training, you have no idea what they were talking about, no idea. And get to the Fab for training, no idea. But the only thing is to survive, it help me.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:34:15] One thing I remember are deeply in my memory. You know Ernest Hemingway. The famous author. Right.

Interviewer [00:34:25] Right.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:34:26] Right. His book, the one I read in 1977 or 78 during the time I escape. I read that book. The book called the Old Man and the Sea. Have you heard that?

Interviewer [00:34:39] Mhm.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:34:40] That book is shape my philosophy. The one of the famous quote, Hemingway said that in the last chapter. After the story. You know, he found in the ocean. Men can be destroyed, but not defeated that shape by philosophy.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:35:08] And get every battle in my life, after escaping to Hong Kong to here, I never give up and never surrender. Without trying the best I can. So that's why the last story when in the interview, in training, and then get the Fab look at all the equipment look like in the spaceship. I have no idea. Never seen that before. But just use all the surviving skill pretend you know, you learn you could and survive through that. And a lot of funny story.

Interviewer [00:35:54] I love to hear. How, how, you stay disciplined and not let yourself be defeated. It's very powerful and I really, truly believe in that. How were you able to thrive living making $3.52 while supporting your siblings? And for how long?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:36:15] One and a half year after I work out talking everything at Intel I learned the English and the policy. So Intel paid the tuition reimbursement to the college. So I took the college, you know, after college, I train for the university. Intel paid for that. And I went to Santa Clara University, the private school. And Intel paid everything for that. And I got that. And I graduate in Chemistry degree in 1983.

Interviewer [00:36:48] Wow.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:36:49] So, so Intel promote me to be engineer. And then I work, you know, I just continue working until I retired in 2006.

Interviewer [00:36:59] Wow. So that's your first company you worked in and all the way to retirement.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:37:04] Time of retirement. And then after that, I went there's a second round, I planned six more year after I worked for Northrop. I will retire. This

 is this is completely. This is final. The final retirement for myself. And, that that's my just, you know, complete the journey.

Interviewer [00:37:22] What makes you move from California to, I believe right now you live in Maryland?

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:37:30] I moved to Texas. For Symantec, after I retire from Intel 2006. Sigmund Mr. Mom and then move on again, I they look at me to Symantec and from Symantec, I work for two years and then I left. And then I move to defensive startup company at that time and I moved to work from New Mexico, North Carolina and back to Texas.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:37:58] I work for Samsung. And for Samsung. And then from Samsung, I took a risk for a startup company in New York. So I went up went again working for the main Startup Company Acoustic in New York for two years. And COVID I moved, I got a job in Northrop and relocated me to Maryland. So I moved from California to middle Texas moved to the New York and not the only I left New York because. Too cold. Too cold. Snow for three and four months in the winter.

Interviewer [00:38:36] Yeah.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:38:37] So now I Maryland I happy and very happy with Maryland with the company here.

Interviewer [00:38:46] I'm really inspired to hear, you know, your stories and along with other Vietnamese boat people who really, you know, gave up our life at sea. Really because you don't know you want to find freedom yet you can also find death at the same time.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:39:00] Exactly.

Interviewer [00:39:01] But yet when we come to America, we were not defeated. We thrive to become somebody because our purpose is to change our lives.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:39:08] Exactly.

Interviewer [00:39:09] So I want you to give your last minute or two to our audience to explain or give them some your message so you know they can be empowered.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:39:20] Everything happened to my life since 1975. And today, 1979, I escape out. You know, I left the country and get all risk my life. 1 per 1000 chance to survive in the ocean. Everything just for only the freedom. Only the freedom. And living in the Communist country. To me, like living in a prison. But if I had a choice, right? Either you live in the Communist country or you live in the prison in US. I will choose to stay in the US prison without any hesitation. I say yes, let me out of the Communist country and live in the prison here, because that's the only thing. The message I just wanted that people know that freedom is not free is not cheap. And the only thing is you have to fight. And don't give up.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:40:34] Don't let everything destroy, you know, defeat you. Let them destroy you. But you cannot let them defeat you so that something. And one last thing I want to know. To let everyone know that America is a beautiful country in the world. The last beautiful country in the world I lived in 44 years. The people in America is so wonderful. They are angel. They big heart. They open their heart, open their let their hands. Well, everything open to the refugee like us to make a new life. Right. So I thank you.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:41:25] In behalf of all Vietnamese people in the world, I want to thank you, America. Thank you, American people. The so beautiful, so generous. And they something no word can explain. That's why I wish everything back to the last 30 years when I leave the country is a beautiful country. Everyone like a brother and sister, a living working together. And when no question or no conflict, you know everything you know within us.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:42:01] So that's, you know. And thank you very much for having me the opportunity to talk about this one. And it's the first time. This is the first time of all the story in my life of 44 years of more than that. This is a first time in the camera. I talk about this man.

Hoang "Paul" Nguyen [00:42:25] Thank you. Thank you very much.