The Chance

Lisa Cheng [00:00:08] My name is Lisa Cheng, and I was known as Muoi Quan. Yeah. That is and actually the community know me as xinh mụi, tiểu mụi. You know. So, yes. 

Interviewer [00:00:25] Those are great nicknames. And where were you born? 

Lisa Cheng [00:00:29] I was born in Vietnam, but I lived in this Chinese community, so even though I was born in Vietnam. But all around me it's Chinese. I go to Chinese school. My community's all Chinese. Very seldom I get to use Vietnamese. I actually learn my Vietnamese here in U.S. Can you believe it? I mean, I know Vietnamese, I can understand it, but in Chinese school, they do have like one language class Vietnamese. So I do learn it, but I don't get to use it. So I actually use it more everyday now because of my job here in the U.S., more than I was in Vietnam. 

Interviewer [00:01:26] Oh that's great. So you said you were born in Vietnam. What city or district? 

Lisa Cheng [00:01:32] In chợ lớn district five. 

Interviewer [00:01:34] Okay. Yeah. Wonderful. And where do you live today? What do you do for a living? 

Lisa Cheng [00:01:38] I here live in Oklahoma City. I am a travel consultant. I own a travel agency. 90% of my clientele is going to Vietnam, so that's why I get to practice and use my Vietnamese a lot. 

Interviewer [00:01:58] How old were you when? When the war started in Vietnam. 

Lisa Cheng [00:02:02] So I was nine years old. Born in 66. 75. Yeah. So. What? 11. Not nine. 11 years old. Yeah. 

Interviewer [00:02:16] And what was the war like for your family? What do you remember? 

Lisa Cheng [00:02:20] Oh, gosh. I just remember that one night, my mom will gather all. I have eight sibling, and I'm the fourth in the family. And I remember that night it was dark, and you can hear things. I guess it, is very tense. Everybody was, you know, worry. And it was out, no electricity that night, and my mom would gathered all the kids around and starting writing, addresses or something to contact, putting our, you know, our pocket, you know, and then tell us, like, you know, if anything, happened and this is, you know, just tell us to, you know, to prepare and as a little girl, and we just scared. Yeah. 

Interviewer [00:03:22] So you were nine years old when your mom put little notes in your pocket with addresses. Did you feel like there was going to be a possibility that you'd be separated? 

Lisa Cheng [00:03:34] You know, at that time, as a little girl, I'm like a fearless and really don't know. I don't know about much about fear, but really did not know. We just, I just remember there is such a scene that night that my mom was telling us, even- Okay, I want to answer a question. I was going to fast forward to- 

Interviewer [00:04:01] No, please keep going. 

Lisa Cheng [00:04:03] Fast forward to, after the war then I think a year, a couple of years later, when the communist comes into the city and and I think they there's a period of time they really focus on the Chinese. They hated the Chinese. And specially, we lived in a hamlet and I think, the in that hamlet. And we are one of the Chinese family that have business. My my dad is a Chinese medicine maker. So we actually make Chinese medicine in our home. I miss that smell. So there's one day they raided our house. I remember it was really late at night. We all about, we were down and out. And they come raid at our house and tell everybody, come to the fourth floor, because our house is like five story, and they come and tell us all come down and stay outside the house, and they come raided our house and break all our records and, destroy my dad's medicine machines and just take whatever they like. And after that, they took the head of the household. Luckily at that time, it was my aunt was the head of the household, which is my brother's older sister, you know, at the hộ khẩu, the household registration. And the asked us who was the head of the household? And it was my aunt. So they took away my aunt instead of my dad. Yeah. And luckily, I guess it's the older woman and they did keep her about a couple of weeks, and we actually find out where he she was stay. Where she kept her, and we- I remember I went with my dad, and we bring food, and then we know, we kind of find out what was that place like and so at night I think after dinner or something, they will have my aunt and the rest of the group will like bring trash out, and it's only time that we can see our aunt, you know? And then that's when we bring her sneaking some food for her and all of that, and. But after a couple of week and she was released and come back home. 

Interviewer [00:06:57] Did your aunt ever share her story of what it was like for her those two weeks? 

Lisa Cheng [00:07:03] I bet she did with my family, but I was too little to remember. 

Interviewer [00:07:12] Why do you think they came into the house and raided you? 

Lisa Cheng [00:07:16] Because again, there's that's the time that they think Chinese was not supposed to in Vietnam. Making all this, doing all this business, big business and making money. And they want everybody to be the same, and they just, a lot of our relative, my dad's friend, and get to the same way. And that's why, little by little, even the group of friends that I have that I play together when I was little and, you know, every once in a while, you'll see, oh, such and such have left the country, go to. The quote, the phrase is called, go to another country, like the third country. And you know, when we were little because as a group  when we were little, we thought it's a glamorous thing, you know, because now they get to go to another country. You know. In your mind, you think that's the glamorous thing. But, you know, every once in a while you'll see oh, the. Our friends house it's, the door is closed. You know, they don't come out play anymore and they're no longer there. And you heard the rumors say, oh, they get to go to another country, you know. Yeah. 

Interviewer [00:08:50] So tell me a little bit about your family's planning process and the journey that they were going through. 

Lisa Cheng [00:08:57] So before my real attempt. Actually before that was the second attempt when I left the country. The first attempt I was, I went with, I escape with my two cousin, because. And these two cousins live in our house, and she have a friend in Đà Nẵng, saying that, there is a plan or there is a escape way that by train you can go get on the train and trying to go to Hanoi and pass Hanoi. I believe it's, I forgot what is this city called. Its really close to the border of Vietnam and China. And once you cross that border line and then you on the China side and you'll be safe because at. Before that, before that, our escape because this meant there's a lot of Chinese, in the north Vietnam there that they go over to China and they all welcome them so much. They give them, you know, they welcome them, they will provide help and assistance and food and, you know, shelter, you know, once you cross the border. So that is what we were trying to get to. So, my mom asked me because I am the fourth on our eight sibling, and I'm the most outgoing tomboy. You know, I always on the street playing with the boys, marbles, and coin toss and hide and seek ,and all that. So, I'm like a fearless child. I never stay home. Always out there and running and playing. And so my dad, my mom asked me is that do you want to go with my cousin? But at that time, I didn't really know was it's escaping or anything. I remember my mom asked me that this is like, do you want to go on this trip? But do you know that you might never get to come home, you know, and then because. Now on the other side you hear about this is go to another country. Now that is the glamorous things life that you know, I thought I get a chance to do that. So why not I say, mom, yes, I want to go. So, on this trip, it was, at first, my cousins say, oh, we're going to go to this, her friend's house, which is stay in Đà Nẵng. And I remember when we were getting there, it was kind of, I guess it's not the time yet to go, but they even take us to sightseeing, you know, seeing the beach go into the mountain. And, but at night when we come home, I remember this, because this friend is a tailor, and they actually use, put their jewelry, like their diamond, their jade, and they use this fabric to cover it as a button. You know, and sew into their clothing. And I see this and I just fascinating you know why they're doing this because again and now this is. Yeah, this is when I was about 10, 11 years old, you know. So, when the times come and we're about to leave. 

Lisa Cheng [00:13:09] Now I have two cousin, one is male and ones female. And my female cousin actually had polio and she use crutches. So, and imagine going crutches in the train. And then this person that lead us and tell us not to talk as much as possible because they say our accent will give away, you know, that we are not those locals and you know, we'll get caught and all that. So we're trying to just follow him and just not talk as much and just keep going. And there's few incident that our train comes and my my cousin that couldn't walk and run, and my other cousin have to pick her up, and then, you know, run with the train. We got to Hanoi. And I remember when we get there, it's kind of like a hotel-like. But, when you get in there, it was still, it was kind of like a hotel but its kind of like a warehouse. Outsides looked like a hotel but when you go in there it's kind of like a big warehouse and it's kind of dark. When we got there was not that many people and there's some bed, and we were so on those bed. And then the day goes on and it just like more and crazily it fill up the place. I'm about to, we were about to lay down and somehow this all kind of soldiers and police and comes in the place and say that we are the criminals. We are the people that, you know, not supposed to, you know, tội phạm (commit crimes). That we doing illegal things and they took us out. I remember walking out that place. It was like paparazzi. People like, I mean tons of people outside, I don't know what do they tell these people. I don't know where these people come from. But when we walk out that place, it was tons of people, all those, you know, I feel like there's lights and shining on us and, you know, and and it's go take us straight to the train station and get on the train. 

Interviewer [00:16:02] Who are these people? Were they the military?

Lisa Cheng [00:16:06] The military, the police. They all with guns and armed, in uniforms and, they put, I mean the whole, that whole place is people. 

Interviewer [00:16:21] How many people would you say were in that warehouse? 

Lisa Cheng [00:16:28] I don't know, 70, 50, 70? It's quiet a lot of people and I because there's so many of us. So afterward that, you know, I heard my cousin they talk about. And usually if they caught these people, they will gonna put them in those cải tạo or something or they will put in jail or something, will never come home. But because that night there was so many of us, they didn't know what to do. Instead, they put on a train and sent back, send us. Just put on the train. And then who, wherever this train will go from Hanoi to Saigon. And they supposed to. You supposed to go back where you come from. So a friend that come from Đà Nẵng, they when they get to Đà Nẵng, they get off. They actually also get put away, put in jail and do labor works for a while. So and then my two cousin and I, we went back to Saigon, but when we get to Saigon my male cousin, his name is Huy. He's afraid that because he's a man and they might draft him, take him away, because his brother had drafted before. And to this day, he never did come home. We don't even know if he's dead or alive. So when the train get to Saigon and he's telling us he's going to jump the train, he's not going to get to there, he's afraid that they're going to take him away. So when the train get to Saigon and when you, you know, get close to the stop, the train's kind of go slowly and on a hitch on the train. And because I was a little girl and my, other cousin, chị Trân, she is handicapped. And we didn't think that she going to do anything to us, you know? So we ride a train back to Ho Chi Minh and surely didn't do anything to us and we just go back home. And I remember my sister had described me. Oh, my gosh. But when we walk in the house, she thought that we were some homeless, that because we were so dirty, we were so. We went through a lot, you know, and, we were like, really like a homeless that haven't been bathing or to have a place to, you know, bathe for that long. 

Interviewer [00:19:21] So how are you feeling at the time? What were you thinking when your cousin jumped the train? 

Lisa Cheng [00:19:28] I mean, at the time that we doing the whole process. Yes. Then I feel, you know, kind of. I mean, the feeling is like, oh my gosh, is I can't believe this. This is like a dangerous thing that we are doing. And I have no sense of why we are escaping at that time. Well, I mean, I know they have talk about the communists due to, you know, Chinese family and they taking away, like my cousin, they never did come back. But I didn't know it was that extent. I mean, I know the different of before the war and after the war, because even my bowl of rice, you know. Before the war is pure white. You know, white rice and all that. And little by little my rice is had mixed in noodle or barley or oats. You know, it's not pure white anymore. Or in my kitchen, my mom don't cook with propane anymore. You know, you go from propane to charcoal or to tree củi (firewood) you know and after củi (firewood) and anything that burns like sugar cane leaves and, you know, peels and things like that. 

Interviewer [00:20:59] So when you were ten and 11, you remember those? 

Lisa Cheng [00:21:03] Yes, I do, because, you know, you have propane anymore. And then you bring in this big bag of charcoal. You know, now you're burning with charcoal. I mean, these things like that, I can, that's why on my books. I mean, I tell the story in my context, you know, things that I see, things that I experience. There's also, there's one experience that I'll never forget. I think is traumatized me that I went to the market with my sister, and while we in this market. And, we're walking back home. And then just, on this street, you know, like this, kind of like the circle, the roundabout. And then they have, a tree, I mean, not a tree, light pole, you know. And actually that place is called, five light pole, you know, because that the light pole will come out five lights, you know, and then there's the street roundabout there. And, you know, we walking there and then there's again, there's like, whole bunch of people. You know, how back then when they wanted to announce something and they have this, you know, speaker things and yeah, so and then trying to tell the neighbor and all that stuff. And they chant come this and watches and this, this little boy have steal and, you know, steal things and all that and they literally blindfolded this kids and shot her. Shot her on this light pole. 

Interviewer [00:22:52] How old was the child, do you think? 

Lisa Cheng [00:22:54] I don't know. It's a little. It's a boy. It's a little boy. 

Interviewer [00:22:59] And you witnessed it? 

Lisa Cheng [00:22:59] I witness that. That is. This is. You know, then you understand why parents, I mean family wanted to get out. And I think because also the changing money, you know, no matter how much you make, you know, then you had to put it all in, and you start with, what, $200 or $400? Everybody the same. Doesn't matter how much, I mean, how big or small family you are, and you think the first time and its all because they come in a different, you know, regime in different, you know, but after what a year later they did the same thing again. You know, you think that you built up and you work hard and, you know, a year later. That's why I think people lose their trust. It doesn't matter how hard you work, you don't get to come ahead. 

Interviewer [00:24:05] So tell us about -

Lisa Cheng [00:24:06] My escape. My real escape. 

Interviewer [00:24:08] Yeah your actual journey. 

Interviewer [00:24:46] Ounce I think. 

Lisa Cheng [00:25:45] Yeah. tám lượng vàng (eight gold bars) and, that's all my family saving. You know, there's only, only that they can afford. So to prevent my brother going to draft to the military. So, they are going on this trip, and I guess there's the hush hush thing again, it's not like you go on a cruise or something. It's, you know, đi chùi mà (escaping secretly) right. So it's something you're not to announce to the world. And I guess my parents have planned this, I have no clue. And on that day, they was supposed to take him to Long Xuyên thats where the boat is going to take off. And I was still out playing, and they come and snatch me and say like, hey, mụi, we're going to go on this thing. Come on. You need to get going. So I said, where am I going? I'm playing and I'm saying my dad is like commanded is like come on, let's go. So I went with them. So didn't pack anything. I'm just like go as whatever I was and go to  Long Xuyên. And I guess they're supposed to leave that night. My brother's already there a couple days before because they need to was preparing get their luggage, you know, not luggage, but bag to to get there first to get ready. But and then my parents came later that day and took me. And when I get there and somehow that night the weather wasn't right or something. And we spend another night there. So the next day, by the time that they called, so when they getting ready to get on this boat, we are in this area. All the people that don't, not on the name list, have to go out this area and but on the area on this fence, you can still look over to see to kind of they call their name and get on the boat. And so I was out there with my parents because I wasn't on this trip. I wasn't on the list. So I was climbing out there on this fence and watching they call one by one the name to get on the boat. And there's- I remember where they call the name at the table, and then they put a big jar, and then they saying that, you know, you been, you know, if you have some money in your pocket or anything you get on this boat is not going to be used anymore. And you can, you know, leave that in the jar, you know. So my mom said, I think your brother still have some money in the pocket. And as a little girl, you know, you hear money and I say like, okay, I'm gonna find a way to go to him. And, you know, I can keep this little change. And I go to the gate and I ask him, oh, I forgot to get some from my brother, you know, can I go get it? And I guess they see me as a little girl, and he just let me go in, and once I go in, I was. I just want to stand there with my brothers a little longer. So I just stand there and wait till his name get call. And they call name. They call name. They somehow they call this name three time nobody get over, you know, to get on this bridge, to get on the boat. One of my uncle, it's just my dad's friend, he's standing with my brother, and we are in the same area he's happened to right behind me. And he kind of say like, they call your name three time. Why are you still standing here? Go, go, and just push me. And here I am, walking and walking. And get on the boat. And I just sit down where they instruct me. And it was on this front, under, it was on the bottom deck of this boat. I was on it. 

Interviewer [00:29:26] And how old were you again? 

Lisa Cheng [00:29:29] I was 12. 

Interviewer [00:29:29] Wow. 

Lisa Cheng [00:29:29] Yes. And, I have goosebumps. And I'm sitting on this, bottom deck there, and. And I see this family where the night before we get to, when we will stay in that place and waiting. And I, my mom, have kind a something, It just happened that they were not like, you know, neighbor and I'm see her face and before and then I kind of know her and she know that I, because I think we have talk, and she know that I was wasn't supposed to be on this thing because you know that was my brother. But I was in there and, and she say, okay, just okay to sit with us and all that. But I was worry. I was so worried first, I don't know. Because at that time there was two boat supposed to go out. I don't know, I get on the right boat with my brother or not. Second, I don't know my parent know that I'm on this boat. But I know I cannot leave. I could just get on here for free, you know? And I just sitting there and tight and sit tight and waited and wait till when the, you know, dawn and, the light, you know, I hear moving the boat. I mean, I hear the sound. And then the boat was moving and I sit tight, until the boat go out some time. And I said, I got to find my brothers, you know, I don't know they're even on the boat. So I kind of. You know, they do have, like, security, not security. You know, they dedicate a few thing to make sure the boat, things around. And when they come around and say, I need to go to bathroom and they let me. So that's the. You know, I said, I want to go look around, see if I found my brother. Walking from the front of the boat and my brother is at the end, at the very end of the boat. It's nothing but people sitting, you know, because where  I in the bottom, it was just a little kind of little hole. Yes. We are sitting full of people. What you get on the top, is even scarier. This is nothing but people sitting, like this sardine pack with people, and I just have to keep looking and looking for my brother and just keep walking and get to the end of the boat. I found my brother and my cousin, and I stay there. 

Interviewer [00:32:16] So, all of them made it. All of you made it on the same boat? 

Lisa Cheng [00:32:18] Yeah. So I stay there in, you know, the entire journey with them in the back. I did not go back to where that little bottom deck. 

Interviewer [00:32:29] Did both boats make it out? 

Lisa Cheng [00:32:33]  We didn't know at the time that the other boat make it or not, but when the day after day. We actually saw another boat. And they're both didn't make it.  But I don't know that it was the the same other boats or not. 

Interviewer [00:32:58] And tell me about how long you were out in the open seas and what was that like? 

Lisa Cheng [00:33:04] Total five days. So on the boat. The environment on the boat was I guess it was like a sardine pack. You see people, just most people, like, I don't know, seasick or sleep and they're. I mean, I guess I was little and I stay most of the time awake. You know. I don't remember, I eat. I don't remember. I don't remember eat and drink on the boat really. Because there's like there's there's things happens and I watch. People will throw up. And I remember this long the giggle long ago the formula. This aluminum can people use and it's the the baby formula can and they like to bring water with them. But then because it's so jam packed, you cannot run when you throw up. And they use this as also he throw up and other people were mixed it up. You know. But anyway. When the boat go out to the open sea, when you really don't see anything but water, you know, and that's when it hits me. And you know, on the trip, on the train, I don't realize that I really left home yet, you know. But at that moment, when you really see nothing but water and nothing nothing. That's when it really hit me that I really left my parents. You know I don't. That's when I realized that I don't know when I get to see them again. Then is go on. I think about the second or third days, there's a pirate boat come. The pirate boat come. I guess, but when they get on the boat, there's too many of us. There's like. Supposedly that boat was like 300 people. That's when they collect the money. But once we get to Thailand and when they do the head count, it was like 456 people on that boat. 

Interviewer [00:36:00] So you had 456 people in your tiny boat, and you were out in sea for three days. And you ended up- So did the pirates board your boat, did they take anything? 

Lisa Cheng [00:36:12] They they first was going to come rob us or something, but when they come up there's too many of us. But instead they say, okay, you guys have to, like, give, you guys give. I remember the the the captain go around and tell us, each of us got to give out a little of whatever felt that have valuable. Give it to them. And so they would not do harm to us. And not only that, they is going trying to pull us to to a safe place to đến bờ instead of be on the water. So everybody say, okay. I remember my brother have a gold ring that my mom have gave us, and that was our contribution. And just give it to them. That gold ring to them and. So we thought that, okay, then that's good. Now that we're like lost in the open sea and they tie the rope to our boat, and we even send, like, the male, like ten. I don't know a number of our people over their boats. So just be safe, you know, think that, they gonna be good. So kind of like a good thing to take us to a safe place. And so they took all our stuff, and and this ten, a few, gentlemen over their boat. And then when the nights come and all of a sudden the captain say, oh, they cut up the rope off. And the next thing we know, our guy was in the water calling, yelling, help! 

Interviewer [00:38:27] They threw all all the men into the water. 

Lisa Cheng [00:38:30] They kind of threatened them want to kill them all trying to leave so they have no choice but to jump over to the, you know, to water. And then we in the back and we were trying to get them back on to the boat. 

Interviewer [00:38:45] Were you able to get everybody on? 

Lisa Cheng [00:38:47] Yes. All of them get on, get back on. And after that it was really, we got really scared because now that they know, you know, what we have and they're probably going to come. We were afraid that they're going to come back and get us. And, I remember the captain, tell us that, you know, find something tied. Tell all the men did find a shirt or something tied to your right arm, so we know that we are the the same side. You know we are our own boat people and trying to tell all women, you know, find something dirty or put on your face and something, you know, get ready, you know, just in case if they come back to us.

Interviewer [00:39:36] What was the fear there with, having the women make themselves look dirty and. 

Lisa Cheng [00:39:43] I'm only a nine year old girl at that time, I just did not. This. I just, seeing this chaotic. Everybody was scared. And then just like ready. And then the captain just turned off all the lights on the boats and just keep running. You know, we lost our direction. We don't know where we going. We just need to know that we need to turn off the lights. Just, you know, hopefully that they couldn't find us in the dark, you know, and the boats just keep going and going. And luckily they didn't come for us. 

Interviewer [00:40:17] So ultimately, how many days were you out there and how did you get rescued or taken to a refugee camp? 

Lisa Cheng [00:40:22] So another day later and there's actually a couple boat come by. The first boat was a Holland boat and they come by and they saw us, they only give us some water and some food. And they say by law they cannot just take us, you know, on to their boat. And so one big boat came and went and then we know and then another day then we come. This is the Thai boat, the Thai ship come and have, this is a wood ship, a big freight ship. And first, when they come they see there's a lot of women and kids on this boat. And first that they say, okay, they only want to take the woman and the kids on to their boat. So, at first, the woman and the kids get on the boat first, and all the men will stay on our own boat and keep following them. And, so the the captain say, now we have to damage our own boat, or else, you know, they're going to send us, you know, on our own. So they have to, on that, while we, I'm already on this big ship, and we actually watching a boat that they have to destroy our own boats. So it's sank and and so all of the other men can get on the big ship. 

Interviewer [00:42:02] Okay, so they were able to get the big ship. How many men would you would, you guess were left there to destroy your own boat? 

Lisa Cheng [00:42:10] I don't know. I don't know, but I remember I was on the big ship and saw them, you know, and later and then they got on and then saw our own boats sunk because they destroyed it. 

Interviewer [00:42:24] And then tell me a little bit about your your camp that you were in. 

Lisa Cheng [00:42:28] There's no camp. So we were very lucky one. So this big ship, actually, this ship's called, cương and they actually take us right into the Bangkok. Later, I find out the area was called Paknam. That's where the place that we were dock at. But it was still in the water. We stay on this ship. So imagine this big freight of wood and they still have splinter. All brand new wood at the time, but after three weeks that we stay on there. All this wood, it's so shiny and you know there's not splinter anymore. We stay on this ship for quite, like two, three weeks. And every day there's charity people bringing food to us. They bring food to us and. 

Interviewer [00:43:36] Do you remember what you ate that you may have liked or disliked? 

Lisa Cheng [00:43:40] Oh, foods are good. I mean, it's hot. There lots of charity. We would have abundance of food, you know? I remember the Lions Clubs also come and, but for sure that one big boat to always bring us the meal, the big meal, and they bring us soup. You know, like big bucket and then the people will kind of share up how many in a family. And there are things. There's soup, there's rice, there's stir fry. Foods are good. And then they will like, the charity come and they will give us mì gói (ramen). You know, we have so much we kind of stock it up. Now is like we have our own living space, you know, just dividedly in the ship. A month in this ship and this people even have like long hair. And I remember this. Of course, you have hair stylists and all that. They cut hair for noodle, a pack of noodle, you know, things like that. Yeah. 

Interviewer [00:44:55] Can you share about your sponsorship experience? 

Lisa Cheng [00:45:00] So, three cousin, we put the same name. Before we leave, my mom and dad have told us we have a distant uncle that we never met that he was a he was in the Navy in Vietnam. And he left when the the country was at war and he was in Oklahoma. But, we never met him before. So we only have an address and because we asked. And this is the only thing that we have a point of contact. And again that's what we have. So when we at the boat, when the people come say do you have any relatives oversea, all three cousins put in the same address, but somehow I don't know why my brother and I was become, he's our sponsor. My other cousin was sponsored by some church family in Colorado. And my third cousin he waited and waited and there was no sponsor. And he said that after we left and he kind of scared that if nobody come sponsor him and he has to go to some refugee camp or something. And when the Italy group came and asked people who ever wanted to go and he volunteer and this or how he stay in Italy even now. 

Interviewer [00:46:39] Were you able to eventually reunite with everybody? 

Lisa Cheng [00:46:42] I actually just met him a few weeks ago when I was in Europe. Yeah. We contact. We talk all the time. 

Interviewer [00:46:50] That's wonderful. 

Lisa Cheng [00:46:50] And so this uncle might become a sponsor. We only stay in Thailand. Roughly about a month or five weeks, and we get to get on land and wait for a flight to come to Oklahoma. And, I usually save all this. A bed is still somewhere after so many move. American airline is what I fly. How do I remember American Airlines? Remember those wing? You know, when the little kids fly and they give you this plastic wing? I kept it for the longest time. So we get to come. So when you come, usually you have this little x ray bag. I don't know remember. So when if you are in refugee you always have to go to the health process and they x ray you and you get to carry this your own x ray. Come to the U.S. So when we carry that, when we arrive to Oklahoma, nobody can pick us up. So we sit there and sit there with this little x ray bags. And I guess people know that we were a refugee. The Laos people know that we are refugee, but I guess he notice us,  but nobody can pick us up. We waited and waited that day. I also have a story to tell, while we're waiting. Because we waited for so long. Besides the ring that my mom gave my brother is a valuable, he also have–each of a cousin have $100 bill. You know, back then, we call them the man with the beard. Because, you know, it's a beard with the man with the beard. So that's the only thing that my brother have $100 bill in his pocket. So we waited so long. And as a little girl, you're sitting here and waiting and waiting. And they have this candy stand right outside the walkway. Right. And here you think that is like, how would they know if I grabbed it? You know they will probably. You probably don't know. Because you in Vietnam they always have those, you know, people selling. They don't have to watch it. But I'm a good girl. I didn't do that. 

Lisa Cheng [00:49:36] So I come to actually, I waited for so long and I was kind of like. And I go to my brother and I say, do you think I can get a gum? You know, I remember those green spearmint little, probably $0.25 gum or less. So I said, I want a gum. And I guess he understand. He actually broke that $100 bill for my pack of gum. Oh. So we're still waiting. The the airport is closed, and this janitor finally come to us, and he is Laotian, and so we cannot speak their language. He could not speak ours. We don't speak any English. So he just like sign language is like just come with me. So of course we'll love to anybody take us, we'll go. So we went home with him. And when he go to this apartment of his and I guess his bottom unit is a couple of Vietnamese with chú Năm and cô Thủy. Yeah. And they bring us to them and I say, oh, we were so happy. You know, first somebody we're in the US, we had somebody that can talk, you know, understand. So we show them my uncle's name and address and he look at it and she said, we know them, we know him. And he tried to call and again, he couldn't, you know, call them. So we just stayed, I remember it was a bunk bed my brother and I share at the apartment and then finally, somehow she contacted. I don't know how she did. She find my uncle. We were sitting in apartment. I never met this uncle before again. So we come to the door there was two men, I was like, which one of you is my uncle? Yes. That's how cô Thủy and chú Năm help us the very first step when we get to Oklahoma. 

Interviewer [00:51:57] So what were the first few months like for you and your [00:52:00]brother? [0.0s]

Lisa Cheng [00:52:11] We stayed there with my, uncle. I want to use this ten minutes also talk to my family. 

Lisa Cheng [00:52:21] So. I actually, my mom and dad saw us on the paper first then we ever let them know that we were at somewhere, because the other boat was the first boat that ever come to, you know, the the Bangkok. And we were on newspaper. Because I, like I said, the Lions Club, the Chinese, have because most of this people on this boats a lot of them are Chinese. And I guess the Lions Club came and find out. Our head of a boat also, I have the Lions Club back then in, in Vietnam. So they have connected and we were on the in med- on the media a lot. So that's why I still can get the, the the picture of the boat and all that. Find out a lot of the information on the newspaper back then. So my actually, my mom can see me where. So when the charity come, we always trying to get there and then trying to get the. Believe or not, cigarette was my very first English word because all these men was on this boats on this side and keep asking. Because when they only bring the necessity, they don't bring cigarette. So all the men just like cigarette, cigarette, cigarette. And that is my very first word. English word cigarette. Two years later, my parents and. Six. My other sibling and my uncle and my other one other cousin. Ten of them came out the same way, also by boat. At that time, again, my parent didn't have money, but very lucky that my dad have known the person that built that their boat and they he love our family and he let us get on saying that when we get, if we ever get to some other place, we can repay him later. And that's how my parents and all other six siblings, also came out the same way that, that my brother and I did, and that was two years later, 81 that they got get they left. But, unlike us, they did have to stay at the refugee camp. First they get to, đảo Bidong and then, stay there for seven months. And then they moved on to, Malaysia and Philippines. And then 81, 82, that's when they and that time than we are there. They trying to reunited with family and they they come to Oklahoma. Yes. 

Interviewer [00:55:34] That's wonderful. 

Lisa Cheng [00:55:35] Three years later, and I can never, ever forget the moment that I was at the airport meeting my parents. 

Interviewer [00:55:42] Oh man, yeah. 

Lisa Cheng [00:55:44] And very hard worked. I have give. I want to dedicate this to my parents. They gave up a lot of sacrifice and for their children. They built a foundation for us. Very hard work. They only come to U.S. and work and work. But only a year and a half later, we get a chance. Very, very generous lady help us to open a restaurant. Mỹ Lệ Hoa was our parents. I remember all the family we get off the top, the roof, the top painting. We do everything. The whole family on our self, you know, painting, fixing. The day that we even opening, we didn't even have enough money to buy a round table. You know, for the for the restaurant. But we said we got to open because we ran out of money. And with the end we are very successful and I have to say Oklahoma will know. Always know Mỹ Lệ Hoa and even by now, till now, people meet me and they always refer is con cô Mỹ Lệ Hoa. They build up like legacy. The foundation for us to have what we have today and we're grateful. 

Interviewer [00:57:27] I want to switch over really quickly to your book. And you wrote a memoir. Could you just tell me a little bit about the title and what that book, what writing that book meant to you? 

Lisa Cheng [00:57:39] The chance. First there was the name was wanted to be Accidental because my accidental to get where I am today. But we changed it to The Chance. It had published two years now and I get because of this book, I get to big opportunity to go talk, to go speak in various places and also our book have get a couple awards that the books.  And I get to invited to the OCU teachers conference and as a speaker there and I get to travel to Tucson to this group and also to talk about this. And now I met this Boat People and have this opportunity. I am grateful.