Refugee Week Presentation at Preston High School
#RefugeeWeek in Australia marks a special time of reflection for our country’s thousands of refugees who call Australia home. The week is always held Sunday to Saturday in the week that includes 20 June, which is #WorldRefugeeDay.
Rosa Nguyen
I decided to volunteer for the VMA because as the daughter of Vietnamese refugees and the mother of two young boys, I wanted to ensure that the story of my ba, má and many, many others would never be forgotten. To know who you are, you need to know where you’ve come from, and as […]
Kevin Vo
I was Born in Vietnam and came to Australia in 1985 as a refugee with my father and older brother. As far back as I can remember, I have always liked to draw, and even though I followed the path of design, art has been a constant in my life. When I discovered there would […]
Tammy Nguyen
Tammy Nguyen Volunteer, Community Engagement and Partnerships Manager “I was so excited to learn about the VMA and everything it represented and hopes to achieve. To me, the VMA represents hope, freedom, unity and inclusion. Being a boat person who was resettled in Australia, it’s important to my family and I that we’re able to […]
Andy Tran
Andy Tran Volunteer, Program Management Office’s Secretary “The VMA is a symbol of hope and freedom. It is not just significant to me and my family but for all Australians. Growing up in Mackay and Geelong, I have experienced the love, generosity, and mateship, which is the fabric of Australian society. I and many other […]
Johnny Nguyen
Johnny Nguyen Volunteer, NSW Team Lead “I am a second generation Vietnamese-Australian and the son of Vietnamese refugees. My hope for the VMA is that it captures both the historical and modern essence of what it means to be Vietnamese. The obvious starting place for this is to document and reflect on the refugee experience […]
The Voyage to Freedom
Trinh Ngoc Thu’s story “The search for freedom has cost many Vietnamese their lives. Their bodies perished under the immense seas. I almost died again and again on that fishing boat; I was so close to becoming one of those lost souls. My father was a well-known merchant and broke down in despair when our […]
Steve Lowe OAM
Steve Lowe OAM Volunteer, VMA Education Team and Australian Vietnam Veteran “I was so excited to learn about the VMA and everything it represented and hopes to achieve. To me, the VMA represents hope, freedom, unity and inclusion. Being a boat person who was resettled in Australia, it’s important to my family and I that […]
A letter from 8-9 year old boy to his father
This letter was written by a Grade 3 boy to his dad, and he was locked in a re-education camp after the War. Phu Loc, 25 September 1979 Dear Daddy I wish you well. Grandparents are getting old. Mum has to work really hard in order to cover our schooling expenses. I am in grade […]
A Letter to Our Dad
A child’s letter written to their dad during Father’s Day 2021. Xin mời đọc tâm tình của những người con gửi cho cha của mình nhân ngày “Nhớ ơn Cha” – Father’s Day 2021. Chao Ba, It is nearly two long years since we were all together as a family; that holiday in Malaysia at […]
