When I was in Jr. High, my social studies class was assigned a project, a family timeline. I thought it was going to be easy, just from Laos to America. But as I sat there pondering what events to include, I was stumped; I didn’t know how my family got to America. I went to my grandmother for help. Here is her story…
Back in the mountains of Laos, our family had a nice, humble farm. My grandmother raised 4 children, my mother, 2 aunts, and uncle. I had 2 more uncles; they died when they were small from diseases. My grandfather was a handsome man, who was strong and took care of the family. But, once the Vietnam War came around, he was recruited by the US army to fight against the Vietcong.
My grandfather never returned from war.
My grandmother tried her best to take care of the family. When the US started to drop bombs, the family dug huge holes. When they heard the airplanes coming close, the entire family jumped into these large holes. This would protect them from any debris that exploded towards the farm.
When it came time, my grandmother escaped with our family to find refuge in Thailand. She learned how to use a rifle to protect her children from enemies. They traveled mostly by foot then boat to a refugee camp in Thailand. From there, they made it to America.
My grandmother still misses my grandfather dearly. She misses the farm back in Laos. She single-handedly brought our family to America safely. At that moment, I deeply understood how strong my grandmother is and why she constantly pushes me to work hard at life. She motivates me to preserve our Mien culture, because WE have a story to tell.
