Our Families' Immigration Stories

Question 1

What are the reasons people decide to move overseas?

Answer 1

escape hardships like war, starting new life, new opportunities, escaping from poverty

Question 2

How did David describe the lifestyle in Vietnam?

Answer 2

no higher education due to poverty
had to stay at home and take care of her daughter
discrimination

Question 3

What were their parents’ motivators to seek refuge in another country? (Thuy)

Answer 3

Unfair treatment from their uncle, they wanted to be free

Question 4

What were their parents’ motivators to seek refuge in another country? (Tiana)

Answer 4

poverty, see more opportunity at other country

Question 5

How did the refugees escape Vietnam?

Answer 5

have secret connection and network to leave in the middle of night by boat

Question 6

How hard was life on the boat?

Answer 6

not enough food
people passing over
throwing dead body off the boat
lack of space

Question 7

How hard was life on the island

Answer 7

Pirates raid
KIdnap women

Question 8

What did David’s mother do to earn living on the island?

Answer 8

sell pandan layer cake and mung beans

Question 9

Why Thuy’s mother escape from Vietnam was accidental?

Answer 9

She helped her aunt to take her aunt’s kids to the boat but then being pulled into the boat accidently.

Question 10

Thuy’s father’s first attempt to escape was unsuccessful. Why?

Answer 10

He was put into prison for 3 months and got shot at.

Question 11

The refugees starting to lose hope at sea. Why?

Answer 11

They have been out so long with no clear direction, food going out, running out of water.

Question 12

What did refugees do when they felt hopeless?

Answer 12

pray to deity person and see what happens,
carry out rituals

Question 13

One of the refugees was seemingly “possessed”. What was his instruction to the other people on the boat?

Answer 13

At 2a.m. there will be a whale swimming by, and just follow the whale.

Question 14

Where did the whale lead them to?

Answer 14

random oil rig run by an american company

Question 15

Why did Tiana’s mother and her family want to escape from Vietnam?

Answer 15

get out of war striking country

Question 16

Who rescued Tiana’s family and where were they taken to?

Answer 16

US Navy, they were taken to Singapore.

Question 17

What made Tiana’s father’s journey scary and challenging?

Answer 17

His uncle could not fit into the boat. Thus, he had to get to Malaysia by his own.

Question 19

What would’ve happened if Tiana’s father had not heard the announcement that his uncle had been looking for him?

Answer 19

They would go back to America.

Question 20

What is the commonality in all of their parents’ stories?

Answer 20

They were forced to take on all the responsibility and grow up very quickly to go to a foreign country

Question 21

Why did the incident after the hospital left a positive impression on Tiana’s father?

Answer 21

After hearing the news that her grandmother is in labor, he took a taxi to the hospital but they don’t understand what does money mean. So, the taxi driver didn’t force them to pay but instead he gave them a coin as souvenir.

Question 22

Why did refugees work hard and save money?

Answer 22

to help sponsor the rest of the family over

Question 23

What was life for David’s parents when they first arrived in Victoria?

Answer 23

They did not like Australian food, and did not know English at all.

Question 24

Why David’s parents struggled to adapt to the Australian way of life at first.

Answer 24

They did not like the Australian food
Poverrty

Question 25

David’s parents did not always feel welcomed in Australia. Why?

Answer 25

They are ignorant because his parents did not know how to speak English
racism

Question 26

What shocking thing did Thuy’s mother do at the train station?

Answer 26

Jumps on the train track to walk across to the other platform.

Question 27

Prove that David’s relatives still live in poverty in Vietnam.

Answer 27

Aunty and uncle live in a hut, floor is mud, wall is bamboo, roof made from dry palm leaves
The toilet is detached from the house beside the river
Primitive technology

Question 28

What are podcasters grateful for?

Answer 28

For their parents and grandparents for their sacrifice and willingness to start a new life and adapt to new culture