The Tran Family Journey

Sang Tran [00:00:00] Good morning. My name is Sang Van Tran. I was born in Cái Răng, Vietnam. We live in Oklahoma City area. Actually, Warr Acres suburb to be more accurate. I'm a financial advisor with Edward Jones Investment. I grew up in Cái Răng, Vietnam. And, you know, I that's always home, in Vietnam. So we live in one place. And, for whatever reason, we talked about it a lot and remember. Yeah. 

Interviewer [00:00:27] At what age do you leave Vietnam? 

Sang Tran [00:00:30] I left when I was ten. 

Interviewer [00:00:33] And how was that process, you left with your entire family? 

Sang Tran [00:00:36] Oh, yeah, we were very blessed. We were, among the Chinese that were given the opportunity to buy ourselves a way out of Vietnam. And so we got together and, you know, constructed a boat and, you know, there were two. One was on my father's side of the family, one on my mother's side of the family. And each boat held about 250 people. 

Interviewer [00:01:03] So you mentioned your background. Half of you is Chinese and your mom's Vietnamese? 

Sang Tran [00:01:10] No. Mom and dad are Chinese. My grandparents came from China. 

Interviewer [00:01:13] Okay. How, how was life as a Chinese Vietnamese in Vietnam for you? 

Sang Tran [00:01:20] You know, we live in a smaller city, smaller town. So, you know, it was just normal. I don't think it was anything different that we were aware of. Yeah. But there were a lot of I mean, a lot of Chinese were, business people. And so my parents owned a fabric clothing store in Vietnam. 

Interviewer [00:01:39] And what year did you leave Vietnam again? 

Sang Tran [00:01:41] 78. 

Interviewer [00:01:42] 78. And how was that being planned? It was by your dad. By the community or. 

Sang Tran [00:01:50]  Yeah. So, you know, we, we lost our home to the Viet Cong. They came twice. First time was in, toward the end of 75. And, you know, as they were going through the city trying to, I guess maybe equalize everybody's wealth. You know, they came to our home and gave a, an assessment of how much wealth my parents had. We were not rich, you know, but they wanted to find out how much money my parents had, and family had. And so they inventorize the house, shut down the business for a while, put surveillance on the family, and then, you know, didn't meet the requirements, and let us go back to business. And, then, it happened again a couple of years later. Did it similarly. This time, we were forced out of our home, and, fortunately, my parents had a farm, not too far away. We moved to the farm and live in the farm. And then that's about when the process started. That's when, about 78 is when the, the plan was that, you know, the government says, "Hey, if you're Chinese, by decent, we give you the opportunity to pay, buy your way out, we let you go freely". So bunch of Chinese got together, got together and construct a boat and pay our way out. 

Interviewer [00:03:08] And, what was the amount of people on that boat? 

Sang Tran [00:03:11] And about 250 on each one. Yeah. 

Interviewer [00:03:14] And how long was the journey? 

Sang Tran [00:03:16] Yeah, it was about four days. 

Interviewer [00:03:18] Okay. 

Sang Tran [00:03:19] Yeah. 

Interviewer [00:03:19] So you had the captain assigned for the, for the, for the, the boat. 

Sang Tran [00:03:25] Yes. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, it was, it was planned. It was planned. And it was, you know, so, you know, we didn't have to go through the escape route or anything like that. We departed freely. The question was whether we trusted him or not. 

Interviewer [00:03:39] Right. Yeah. Right. What was the experience like for you as a ten year old child on that boat? 

Sang Tran [00:03:46] You know, I don't remember too too much details along the way. The things I do remember was very cramped. We, we sat in a corner. Luckily, our family was nearby all the food storage and water. So we had, you know, some water and stores, and food along the way. But it was no, no sleeping space. And, and a lot of, you can smell stuff, right? Because we're all so crammed together and so. 

Interviewer [00:04:13] So the four days journey, which place, or destination you stop by first? 

Sang Tran [00:04:20] Yeah. So I think the, the goal was to head toward Australia, but, due to a storm, we were diverted, and we ended up in Malaysia. 

Interviewer [00:04:30] And how long do you stay there for? 

Sang Tran [00:04:32] Yeah. So we landed, at an island called Pulau Bidong at night. And I remember, you know, got up to the boat, toppled boat and looked out and there were, MPs carrying, machine guns, and they would not let us in. We were then escorted out, away from the island the next morning. And then, we made a decision that, hey, not knowing where we would end up and what, safe, island or, land, we would see, decided to ram the boat back into the island and jumped off. 

Interviewer [00:05:04] Wow. When you jump off, how was the people on the island, receive you? You all. And did they bring you elsewhere afterwards? 

Sang Tran [00:05:14] Yeah. So I remember, you know, we jumped off. I think the initial people were beaten up by, you know, the, Malaysian, military. And then after there's so many of us, they kind of were overwhelmed and they just let us be. Yeah. So we ended up, staying on the island for the remaining time. 

Interviewer [00:05:32] And how long was that? 

Sang Tran [00:05:33] Yeah. For us, my family, we were fortunate we were only there for about seven and a half months. 

Interviewer [00:05:38] Wow. Yeah. And how did, do you go to another destination before coming to America after Malaysia? 

Sang Tran [00:05:46] Yeah. So once we went through the interviewing process and having a, you know, a sponsor that was willing to sponsor us. And so the, the Minnetonka Lutheran church in Minneapolis area was willing to sponsor our family because of the connection that my mom had with my, her brother, who left Vietnam in 75 and ended up in Minneapolis area, met, had a relationship with a Vietnamese family that was part of their church, and the church was willing to sponsor us. And so we from there, from the island on, we were taken from, the Pulau Bidong island to, the mainland in, in, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. And then, we were transported to Singapore and we flew out of Singapore. 

Interviewer [00:06:33] Would you say that being in the island for seven months was a lengthy time, a long time versus, as others might left earlier. 

Sang Tran [00:06:45] Yeah. So I said that we were fortunate in that we were only there seven and a half months because there's people that were there for years. And, you know, part of the process of trying to find an entity, you know, somebody that was willing to take you on and that responsibility. 

Interviewer [00:07:03] Can you describe what the refugee camp like in Malaysia? 

Sang Tran [00:07:08] Yeah. So we, we were, we got there and there was no shelter was provided. We had to buy our own shelter. And, you know, my, my parents met an acquaintance, a family on the island from another part of Vietnam, and they said, you know, come live by us. We did, and bought a, a structure there and went and finish up the structure, borrowing axes and saw from people who were there already. And then completed the structure. And that's where my family lived for, you know, the time frame we were there. 

Interviewer [00:07:41] And how were you able to buy food and get a job or make money? 

Sang Tran [00:07:47] Yeah, that's a great question. So, you know, people come there, they don't know how long they would be. So capitalism, you know, became the basis of our living. Now the, the, the, the international bodies and, you know, that do provide substance. They do bring food and water to the island, but it was scarce. You know, not sufficient amounts. So we had to find means to, to live. So we work together to dig wells, on the island to get, fresh water. And then, my parent, my mom, my dad and his friend started a business venture, swimming out to the, the, the shore, you know, the ocean and buy goods from the, Malaysian, boat people that bring stuff by, whether they're fishermen or business people, who would take that and bring it to shore and sell it in the market and make some money. And everybody did the same thing. There were restaurants there were set up that were bakery that were built, because people didn't know how long they were going to be there. 

Interviewer [00:08:52] You mentioned before that it's your family. Do you have also relatives or any siblings that, went along with you? 

Sang Tran [00:08:59] Yeah. So we had a lot of relatives on the boat, but my immediate family, we were blessed and fortunate that we all left together, in one, on one trip. I have six sisters, four older sisters and two younger sister at that time. 

Interviewer [00:09:13] So your family got sponsored to Minneapolis. How about your relatives? Were they still there? 

Sang Tran [00:09:19] Yeah. So, you know, we were scattered some, but there were a lot of the family ended up in Minneapolis as well. Some ended up in other parts of the country, and some ended up in other parts of the world. 

Interviewer [00:09:32] Do you remember that day where your dad or your mom announced to you and your siblings that we are finally leaving Malaysia and coming to America? 

Sang Tran [00:09:43] You know, I don't remember that day, but I do remember the process of multiple, I think interviews that were done and eventually, we were notified that, was the, the, the church was willing to sponsor us. 

Interviewer [00:10:01] What was it like the first time that you landed in America? 

Sang Tran [00:10:05] Yeah, so we flew from Singapore and, landed in San Francisco and, and had a red eye flight to Minneapolis, and we got to Minneapolis early in the morning. Get out of the, out of the, plane. And we were greeted by the, the, Vietnamese family that was part of the church and the, you know, representation from the church there as well. And remember this, this blond haired, blue eyed couple, wonderful family that that came and, and, you know, greeted us. And then they took us out to breakfast. 

Interviewer [00:10:42] Well, you remember the first? 

Sang Tran [00:10:44] Yeah. So it's. I don't remember what I had. And too many years later, I figure it out. But I remember the wonderful taste of it. The aroma of that one particular morning meal. And it took me until the, that was 19, that was, August of 79, but it took me until 1993 before I figured out what I had that morning. 

Interviewer [00:11:13] How was it adjusting to life in America? 

Sang Tran [00:11:18] You know, we, we we lived in Minnetonka, Minnesota. And the school I went to didn't have any any other individuals that needed, a translator, a ESL teacher. And so, versus other schools. Some other school had children, people with multiple ESL needs. So, the school brought in my ESL teacher once a week, and she spent a day with me for about a year when I started. Make sure she came back and, shortly, about a month or two later and into the year, she gave me a test and said, you mastered English. You're done. I don't need to come anymore. But it was very nice. I mean, we lived in a little area. I made friends with the kids around the neighborhood. 

Interviewer [00:12:08] Was the place that you lived in? Was an apartment, single home or? 

Sang Tran [00:12:15] Yeah, it was a single detached home, but it was a, it was on a property that one of the, church-sponsored couple live. And they had a nice, piece of land that I think believe this was, what I heard was part of their garage that they, converted into a home for us. 

Interviewer [00:12:35] You describe earlier of friends in the neighborhood? Are these also other Vietnamese or? 

Sang Tran [00:12:41] No, they were Caucasian. Yeah, yeah. 

Interviewer [00:12:44] How were you able to get along with them and not being able to speak moderate English? 

Sang Tran [00:12:52] Yeah. You know, I don't know, I don't remember. I think, you know, the kids were very nice. They were willing to teach us English. They were willing to spend time with us, and make us feel, you know, belong. 

Interviewer [00:13:08] So that's the neighborhood part. How about at the school you get any types of bullying or?

Sang Tran [00:13:14] Yeah. You know, the school I think in general was good, but there were some, there were some, you know, discrimination. Some bullying, but not, not substantial. But there were some instances where that happened. Not only in elementary school, but in middle school and high school as well. 

Interviewer [00:13:33] So you mentioned your parents have six children altogether? 

Sang Tran [00:13:38] 7 total. 

Interviewer [00:13:39] 7 total? How were they able to manage to, come to America with no knowledge, no experience, probably no money, to support seven kids? 

Sang Tran [00:13:53] Yeah. So, you know, we couldn't do it without the wonderful support of the church and the people that were helping us. Right? Of course, when we came, they provided us with a place to live. But then immediately, got my parents enroll into ESL class. So they help transport them because we didn't have a vehicle. But then also helped them find a job. So my parents work for a candy company initially. And, you know, then the church helped my parents get driver's license and then help, you know, my parents by us a car, vehicle, very cheap vehicle that at least they can drive, get around and go to work. And then help enroll us into school, as well. So, you know, and then shortly after that, my parents, you know, went from working one job to two jobs and, you know, candy company and, pots and pan, company. And then we, they open up a grocery store. 

Interviewer [00:14:55] Is there a grocery store still in existence today? 

Sang Tran [00:14:58] No. So they, they partner up with, other relatives in the in the area that came to Minneapolis area about the same time. They were same boat as well, along with my mom's oldest brother, who was the one that made a connection for us. They opened a one of the first grocery store in the area. Operated for a few years together, and I guess things didn't work out. So they separated ways and my parents and opened a restaurant, Chinese Vietnamese restaurant. And, we then operated 2 or 3 restaurants down the road. So. 

Interviewer [00:15:35] Were you and your siblings helping your parents at the grocery? 

Sang Tran [00:15:39] Yeah, we helped at the grocery store. We helped at the restaurant as well. Yeah. 

Interviewer [00:15:45] How was that like to work with your parents and having your siblings working along with you? 

Sang Tran [00:15:51] I think, you know, because we were business family back in Vietnam already, I think, you know, not in the restaurant business, but as a business family, I think we all understand that we all need to work together, and that's just part of life. 

Interviewer [00:16:05] And how were you able to balance time? Working at the grocery and restaurant as well as going to school? 

Sang Tran [00:16:12] Yeah. So we clear that. So the grocery store, we we no longer part of the grocery store once we get into the restaurant business. So it's just a restaurant business. But, you know, we go to school, and at the end of the day at the school, we go to the restaurant work, and we rotate some as well, in terms of who does what and when. So. 

Interviewer [00:16:34] And did you attend college? When did you move from Minneapolis to Oklahoma City? 

Sang Tran [00:16:39] Yeah, that's a good question. I did all my education in Minneapolis area. I went to University of Minnesota, did my undergraduate and graduate degrees there. And then went to work. And then, I came here 21 years ago. 

Interviewer [00:16:54] You came to Oklahoma City by yourself or with your family as well? 

Sang Tran [00:16:59] Yeah. So good question. My wife also was Vietnamese and her family ended up in Oklahoma City area. She graduated from her high school and went to Chicago and to for her undergrad and graduate school at Northwestern University. Met my sister in Chicago area and I was in Minneapolis. She introduced us and we dated, you know, for a few months. I was finishing my, you know, graduate degree and was looking for a job. And at that time, I was interviewing with a company called Kimberly Clark Corporation. And Kimberly Clark goes, what can we do to get you to come and work for us? Do you have a significant other that also needs a job that we can help place inside or outside our company? That was a fantastic selling point. So we put her resume in. They liked her. They hired her as well. So we then ended up working together and, you know, getting married and had children. And then we came back here in 2002. 

Interviewer [00:18:02] Can you describe the differences between Oklahoma City and Minneapolis as to the Vietnamese community? 

Sang Tran [00:18:09] Yeah, so the Vietnamese community in Minneapolis, I think, were more business oriented. There's a lot, and, you know, Minneapolis is a little bit more of a thriving metropolitan and Oklahoma City. So there's a lot more, I think, people from the North, if I maybe, my assessment might be, might not be correct. I think more focus on education and maybe a little bit less on business. 

Interviewer [00:18:43] How much of an involvement do you have with Vietnamese community here in Oklahoma City? 

Sang Tran [00:18:51] Yeah. So I made a career change, when I came down here as well that was part of the the plan. My background is engineering. I worked for Kimberly-Clark Corporation for eight years. At that time, I designed diapers. So Huggies diapers fastening system on their the Velcro fasteners on there are my design. Fortunate to work on that and coauthored a couple patents on it. Transition out of engineering at Kimberly-Clark and got into, management and worked in marketing. But, you know, I also had, as I was working, I realized that while we went to school and learned how to be engineers and doctors and lawyers, we didn't know how to manage money. And you know, so I decided that's a good area to get into. And so when we decided to, you know. Then what happened is actually Kimberly-Clark downsized, and they asked me to move back to engineering. And I said, no, I'm going to take the opportunity to do something different because we've been want to get back closer to the family. My family's in Minneapolis. Her family's here in Oklahoma City. And so we took that opportunity and moved back down to Oklahoma City with the plan of getting to a financial industry. And so that's when I came down here, and started working for with [00:20:09]Edward John's [0.2s] investment, 21 years ago. And so as I began my career here and tried to establish my career, I got involved in the community earlier on, you know, helping the Vietnamese association with various things. And then after 2, 3 years of doing that, I felt it was probably best for me to kind of focus on my business a little bit more. And I did that for until recently. I wanted to get back into the community, because one of the reason I got into the business was to help myself, my family and the community because I think there's a tremendous need, in the financial industry for us from Vietnam. And so, recently I've been able to step back to the community we were. At with John's has a initiative that they started this year called Community Impact. And with that Community Impact, they allocated some funds that allows us to be able to put some proposals together to make some money available to the community. So I was able to request and put in proposals to help our community by granting $25,000 to the a newly formed organization called the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. And then we were providing $15,000 to the Vietnamese-American community here to help renovate a building, community center that we have and then provided $7,500 out to the Asia Society of Oklahoma for scholarship for students. With the intent of, you know, all of this to make the community more aware of their financial advisor career opportunity, because it's such a well, our community is so underserved in that area. That is a tremendous need for us. 

Interviewer [00:22:06] And as a successful professional like yourself right now, how would you tell someone who's in college or someone who is struggling right now? What recipe techniques to to overcome that struggle? 

Sang Tran [00:22:24] Well, I don't know if I have the recipe for for success, but I think, you know, you seem to be. Looks like you're very successful yourself as well. But I think, you know, as we think about what makes, us successful, what make, you know, is really having that vision, having that goal and don't don't let go of it. Grit. Perseverance. Hard work. Nothing can replace those qualities, those characteristics that we have to get to where we are today. 

Interviewer [00:23:00] Looking back to 1977. Have you ever reflected and wonder if the decision that your dad has been made to come to America was worthwhile? 

Sang Tran [00:23:15] Yeah. You know, it took a lot of courage, right? For them, for your dad, for your family. A lot of courage for my family. My parents to make such a bold, courageous decision to pick the family up. Put them on a boat. Not knowing where life could lead us, right? But I think. The outcome of where we are today with where you are today. I think it's worth it. Because we do have a better life now. 

Interviewer [00:24:00] What are the status of your parents right now? Are they still in Minneapolis or?

Sang Tran [00:24:05] Yeah. My dad passed away. Excuse me. Earlier this year. My mom passed away three years ago. 

Interviewer [00:24:43] Where your siblings right now? Are they still in Minneapolis or scattered? 

Sang Tran [00:24:49] Most are in Minneapolis. We have one in Phoenix and one in San Francisco area. 

Interviewer [00:24:57] And how often is the family get together? 

Sang Tran [00:24:59] Yeah. So we get together at least once a year. In fact, I'm going to head up to Minneapolis here, next week for Thanksgiving. 

Interviewer [00:25:08] Why do you think today's interview will be important for those who are hearing this?

Sang Tran [00:25:19] I think it's good for various reasons. I mean, one would be. For all of us to share our stories so that future generations can remember. 

Interviewer [00:25:41] Do you have any last words for our audience? 

Sang Tran [00:25:45] Sorry for being emotional. 

Interviewer [00:25:47] Take your time. 

Sang Tran [00:26:03] I think we all have our own stories. This. It is good. That we capture the stories. Our perspectives. So that others. Can get to know who we are. Where we come from. The struggles that many of us had. While my family's experience might not be as traumatic as some other people. Maybe yours. But I think it is good for us to capture regardless. For our children. For the next generations to know. 

Interviewer [00:26:56] I just want to thank you very much, Sang Tran, for sharing your story. And we all have stories and they are all powerful and the world is ready to hear your stories. So if any of us have a story, please continue to share. Thank you for coming. 

Sang Tran [00:27:12] Thank you. 

Interviewer [00:27:14] So when you attended the university and you mentioned your background was business because your parents had a the grocery as well as the restaurant. What makes you go into engineering? 

Sang Tran [00:27:27] Yeah, actually, I wanted to get into medicine. So I realized that, you know, there's a risk of not being able to get in med school. So engineering became my backup plan. And didn't quite know which engineering, but my sister was a couple years ahead of me and her degree was, she was pursuing chemical engineering. Her boyfriend at that time was also getting his degree in chemical engineering, but he also was planning to go to medical school. And they sold me on the fact that chemical engineering was the best way to prepare you for medical school. It was the most respected degree of all engineering degree. Was most well-rounded of all engineering degree, and it pays the most. I said, sign me up. You know, so. And so I pursued my chemical engineering degree. In my senior year of my chemical degree, my professor says in the design class, you said, you know, you might have the best idea, but it was not economically feasible no one's going to support you for it. Right. So as I said, that sounded interesting. And having background in business as well from family, I realize that maybe I need to pursue something in economics. So I went to the econ department and asked, what do I need to get to do to get a minor or a major or, you know, and they said, well, here's what you do and here's what you do to get a degree. So I said that didn't look like much different. So I also got a degree and in economics as well. Then graduated and applied to medical school. Medical school didn't like me. So I then decided, you know, I'll pursue a graduate degree. So I did my master's in biomedical engineering, as well. And then graduated and went to work. 

Interviewer [00:29:12] Can you describe that first job? 

Sang Tran [00:29:15] Yeah. So, you know, that's job I was mentioning that my wife, that point, you know, girlfriend, you know. They hired both of us, and we were going to work on the same project and then, you know getting there. It was interesting because they had us sitting next to each other almost when we started. But then when I got actually got there, they moved her to a different department. And it was nice having, you know, at least, Diêm there to, you know, someone to, to, you know, interact with because we didn't have any relatives in. We lived in, we were in Appleton, Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, we had no relatives around. My family about four and a half, five hours away. And her family's in Oklahoma City. So, quite a distance to drive here. But, you know, that first job was a little challenging because of the environment. The town we lived in wasn't too big. And the people all very close knit. And and it took us a little bit of time to kind of, integrate into the community. 

Interviewer [00:30:33] You mentioned earlier of you applying for or your name got on a patent. Explain to us how how did that go about? 

Sang Tran [00:30:41] Yeah, so I was fortunate to work on the project. It was called a mechanical fastening system for Huggies. And, the concept was already developed, was created, was conceived. I was on a teams call, a product development team, to finalize the development of it so we can roll it out. Commercialize it. And, we took the Huggies diapers fasteners from adhesive tape at that time to Velcro like mechanical fastening system. And it was going through iterations of trying to find the right hook material, like right look material, the right amount of engagement. So we worked closely with Velcro USA to develop the the hook material and working with other internal external vendors to develop the loop material so they can engage properly. We also needed to be fine enough, soft enough that it would not scrape and hurt the babies. But also engage enough that, you know, it was not too difficult to remove, wasn't too easy to remove. And causes pop open and causes all kinds of issues. You know, a sort of diaper might do. Right. So we sent products throughout the whole country for parents to test on the child. And then we get the comments back. And what work? What does not work? We ask them to provide us with used products, in the Ziploc bag and send it back to Appleton, Wisconsin, in Wisconsin, where we could evaluate the product and go through the iteration, before we can finalize the the final design. And that's when we patented the concept. 

Interviewer [00:32:20] To me, I feel that having a patent is prestigious. So when you receive that patent and holding it your hand. Describe the feeling. 

Sang Tran [00:32:30] Yeah. I mean, we're very proud. We were able to coauthor a couple patents. You know, and you know, of course, as a researcher, you know, everybody's ultimate goal is to patent something, right? And, you know, you work in that industry you understand that is a very difficult process to go through to be able to get that approved. 

Interviewer [00:32:56] How are you, may I ask, you have children? 

Sang Tran [00:33:01]  I have four. 

Interviewer [00:33:02] How old are they? 

Sang Tran [00:33:03] My oldest is 23, so I have two older girls. The oldest one is 23. The next one is 21. Two younger boys are 18 and 13. 

Interviewer [00:33:13] How do you tell them about your journey coming to America? 

Interviewer [00:33:55] So your story is based on struggles and perseverance. And how are you relating that to your children so that they can overcome, struggle and persevere like yourself? 

Sang Tran [00:34:07] Yeah. You know, I think it's important that we share with them. The reasons why, you know, their grandparents chose to leave Vietnam. And the things that we have to overcome to be where we are today and for them to have that perspective and for them to understand that, you know, for them to be successful, that they need to have the grit, the perseverance, you know, to be able to overcome any struggle. They should have or they should have less struggle than we do. Right? Language is already a big issue for us to to learn English and to be able to communicate appropriately and effectively. But for them, that should be second nature. For them, education should not be very difficult compared to what we had to go through. Financially, they don't have to worry about that either. So they should not have a whole lot of things that would impede their ability to pursue their dreams, pursue their desire, pursue the things they want because we're trying to help and clears a pathway for them. To give them that opportunity. 

Interviewer [00:35:23] So you mentioned about our generation struggle, which is from Vietnamese to learning English. How do you describe this struggle from now speaking English and learning Vietnamese? 

Sang Tran [00:35:37] Yeah, so in some way is easier for us. In some way is more difficult for them. Right? You know, coming to the US as you and I did at roughly our age. You know, I think picking up English was probably easier than had we come a little bit later in life. Right. And and so but then at the same time, when you do that, you're now immersed in a environment where you're forced to learn the language, and so you get to pick up a lot faster for them. The struggle of learning Vietnamese is they're now surrounded by their entire environment of just English only, right. To be able to have that ability to speak Vietnamese is much less, it's lacking, and therefore, I think it's a struggle for them to continue to learn that language. 

Interviewer [00:36:35] What do you think? If we can build a community where we teach Vietnamese. To our kids, as well as letting them know about the Vietnamese boat people. 

Sang Tran [00:36:50] Yeah, I think that is a valuable, thing for us to help them to continue to maintain the culture. Right? I think. You know, while there are various organizations and groups right now that do give the opportunity for the children to go learn Vietnamese. I mean, we enroll our children at the church so they can take Vietnamese on the weekend, but that's a very finite amount of time. There's not enough, exposure for them to practice, right? To continue to maintain and grow and develop their language skills. Actually my second oldest daughter, who's a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and my 18 year old son is also there as a freshman as well. Madison, Wisconsin is one of the few schools that actually have a Vietnamese language class that they can take. So she actually took, a few semesters of it that helped her with her Vietnamese skills. Her I think her technical Vietnamese language is better than mine, even. She's actually has her own blog that she writes. During the class, she was able to to have to write a brochure, travel brochure, various other brochures. So, if you can create an environment where they are able to learn Vietnamese better, maybe in an immersion type of environment class, I think will be very, very helpful. And then, you know, other things where they can continue to understand the culture, as well, because we as parents ourselves are limited in our knowledge of. Because we came here so young as well that we don't know enough to teach them all the things that need to be taught. Right. So I think having a place that does that I think is very invaluable. 

Interviewer [00:38:40] What is that one tradition that sticks out between you and both your parents and your siblings? That you have done and now that you apply it to your children. 

Sang Tran [00:38:55] Well, that's a great question. I don't know. My family has really deep tradition. You know, that we that we do on a regular basis. I think what we've done is we have adapted. We have integrated, you know, into society here and, you know, so we celebrate, you know, Thanksgiving. We celebrate Christmas. We celebrate birthdays. And I think those are just the things that allow us just to get together. I think the tradition would be just having family time. And spending time with each other and value that time. 

Interviewer [00:39:38] For me, I love to celebrate that date for us. For us, Vietnamese is different compared to New Year here in America. And how do you celebrate that with your kids? 

Sang Tran [00:39:51] Yeah. You know, so try to maintain some of that culture and tradition by, you know, having them, greet us and wish us, you know, long life, good health, and lots of luck. And in return, we share our, you know, our love to them by giving them the red envelope, sharing our prosperity. And wish them luck as well. In their, you know, their success, in their education, and their career. 

Interviewer [00:40:27] And lastly, what is your vision as to the Vietnamese community here in Oklahoma City? 

Sang Tran [00:40:35] Wow. That's a that could take hours, right? But no, that's a great question. I think, you know, the Vietnamese community here is the one of the largest minority community in Oklahoma. I think Vietnam is actually the third most spoken language here in the state. We are a thriving, community with lots of things to give back to the overall community. I think we have done some of that. I think we can continue to do more. You know, we have a lot of very successful entrepreneur over here in the community, very successful educators here in the community as well, lots of doctors, lawyers and engineers and business people. That I think we can continue to pay forward, pay back to help those people that have helped us over the years that we've been here. I think that's a very, very important thing that we need to remember. That with all these wonderful people here in the community who are willingly open their arms, open the doors, to let us in, to give us opportunities so that we could have a better life. I think it's so important that we do the same going forward.