People often ask if I've returned to Vietnam since my family fled Saigon on April 21, 1975. For the record, I've returned 3 times in the past 5 years. Coincidentally, 34 years ago on this date, my family was suddenly living on the island of Guam. We stayed there for a week, then were flown to Hawaii for a pit stop, and finally to California’s Camp Pendleton Marine Base where we were among the first Vietnamese refugees to be resettled in the United States. The photo above is of our family, aunt, uncle, cousins and a photojournalist at Camp Pendleton.
It was an alien experience for my parents and all five of us kids. Like many immigrants throughout history, we gravitated toward food as a means to preserve our identity and heritage, as well as to ballast the rough times ahead. We eventually became Vietnamese Americans and through food, found ways to be Vietnamese in America. In 2001, Saveur magazine Editor-in-Chief Colman Andrews invited me to write about my family’s Vietnamese culinary experience in California.
Last year, the new (well, he’s not that new anymore!) Editor-in-Chief James Oseland suggested that we do a story on going back to Saigon. It turned out that two of my older sisters, Yen Chi and Tasha, were planning a trip so we all decided to go together. Photojournalist Ariana Lindquist joined us to document the experience. The story, entitled “Coming Home”, is in the new May 2009 issue of Saveur. (Look for “The Real Italy” cover.)
It was an intense week as we revisited our former family home, met with
a family friend, ate treats of our childhood. One of my sisters hadn’t
been back since we left. The Viet Kieu (Vietnamese expatriates)
experience of returning to Vietnam is not a simple one. We’re not
happy-go-lucky tourists. There’s a lot of baggage that gets unpacked,
and I don’t mean physical luggage.
Above is the street by my family's old home. Below, is our family home,
appropriated by the government in 1975 and now a preschool.
Our house comprises about ⅔ of the turquoise building.
When I was in New York last week, the issue had just come back from the printer. James handed me a copy and we paged through it in silence. I’m often astounded to read my own work in its final print form, with layout, design, photography coming together to communicate a compelling story. This time, I was so touched by the cinematic presentation of the images and words that I could barely look at it. I was stunned by how lovely the piece turned out. The shots of Saigon (above) are mine. Ariana's images are of National Geographic quality!
Mind you, along with the provocative presentation, there are practical aspects too, recipes of the food we sampled in real Saigon (banh xeo sizzling rice crepes, for example), a Little Saigon shopping guide for the ingredients, and a drill-down of Vietnamese herbs. It all comes full circle, from Saigon to America, back to Saigon and back to Little Saigon. Things have surely changed in 34 years, haven’t they?
Take a read when you have a chance and share your thoughts and/or personal experiences with Vietnam (whether you’re Viet Kieu or not!).
Thanh says
I have been back to Vietnam numerous times since we left in 1975, and my favorite thing to do there is eat. The most stressful part was being asked at breakfast what I want for dinner. I had to think fast because the cooks go to the market in the morning and they needed to know. It felt strange to be there because I'm really not Vietnamese anymore nor am I American. I can't wait for Saveur this month, I read your article on the Slanted Door, my boyfriend takes his clients there all the time for dinner when he's in SF!
Von says
My family was at Guam around that time as well. I was 9 years old. It's amazing how the world's dynamic has changed in 34 years. I remembered my parents being concerned that they will never see the homeland or taste fish sauce again when they first landed in America. Now, you just hop on a plane and in 24 hours or less you're in VN and fish sauce is an ingredient being use in recipes printed in many mainstream cooking publications.
I can't wait to get my hands on this issue of Saveur.
Robyn says
Finally! You certainly seemed a bit wrung out from the experience when you arrived in KL from Saigon last spring. Really look forward to reading this. Congrats.
Andrea Nguyen says
Oh man, being in Vietnam never ceases to make me question who I am, where I belong. It's always an oddly pleasant surreal experience. Thanks Thanh and Von for sharing your experiences and thoughts.
Robyn, you saw me on the wracked other end. Boy, it seems so long ago but it was just last year. Am I getting old?
Jack says
My family left Saigon on April 29th just before the fall. Like your family, we didn't pack much - dried shimp & ramen noodles, a change of clothes and some photo albums. We were in Subic Bay, Phillipines for a couple of weeks, then off to Guam for a quick layover, then finally to Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. The 1st Tet we had in Minnesota my parents had to get a friend to bring back watermelon seeds from California during his layover there - wow, how times have changed. I've been back to Vietnam 6 times in the last 8 years and everything there is changing so much. My opinion is that Northern food was a little bland compared with the rest of the country. The best dish that I had, hands down, was banh khoai from a street stall in Hue. The most memorable dish that I had was unfortunately man's best friend and while it was an experience, it's not something I'll try again.
Su-Lin says
Coincidentally, I just read your article in Saveur before going online. It's beautiful! And the herb guide is very useful.
Rasa Malaysia says
It was very well written. Coincidentally, they also feature my lettuce wraps recipe. I feel so proud. LOL.
Andrea Nguyen says
Jack, I love banh khoai and was actually thinking of making them next week for a friend. Thank you for sharing your family's story, and about returning to Vietnam. Saigon food is crazy delicious.
Su-Lin, greatly appreciate your kind words.
Bee -- so cool that your recipe was include. Way to go!!!
Mia Tran says
My parents came to the US via Guam in December 1974, stopped in Arkansas, and eventually settled in Texas and Arizona. My dad flew F5's.
I was in Viet Nam in 2004 with my folks. Well--Jack and Andrea! Banh khoai in Hue was my favorite experience in Viet Nam! The total bill came to around $20 for 15 people and it was my absolutely favorite. We were all stuffed beyond belief. My relatives kept telling my dad to not worry about the bill and let them pay. My dad insisted. My parents and I just smiled but what we were really thinking were, "Damn, that was a good deal."
It's good to hear of people sharing about the foods they love and remember.
Maggie B says
thanks for sharing your experiences, I will try to find this issue here in Honolulu.
Name is required says
There plenty of Vietnamese in America and elsewhere outside of Vietnam who are not confused about who they are or where they belong, nor are they gluttonous, fat, degenerate, psychologically broken or have any of the baggage that you carry as identity.
I have read your other bloggings and say that your example of mediocrity does not represent the majority of Vietnamese.
sijeleng says
I look forward to reading the article. I think yours and Oseland's books are informative, attractive cookbooks with some excellent recipes.
I spent almost three years in the 1980s living and working in refugee camps and then lived in Vietnam for a year in 1994. Although my wife and I (I am white, my wife is Indonesian) are as close to the family that we lived with as we are to our own relatives, the family was divided along the north-south division with the husband (who was from the north and with the NVA) being resented by the wife's side of the family. I have witnessed the conflicting emotions many Viet Khieu have returning to Vietnam. And I have heard some of the resentment of Vietnamese who were unable to emigrate and went through very tough times in the 80s and early 90s.
The nasty remarks by the anonymous writer reveal a person who has either never questioned his relative good fortune or perhaps has not been back to Vietnam. It's a shame that instead of sharing his positive image of himself as Vietnamese, he chose to try to belittle your feelings and experience.
In any case, I look forward to getting the magazine and reading the article.
Andrea Nguyen says
Name is required -- It seems less than mediocre of you not to reveal your identity. I've never purported to represent all or the majority of overseas Vietnamese. There have been a number of people who've shared their experiences on this posting and you just don't have the same perspectives. That's okay. Voice your opinion and construct an argument. There's no need to lob snarky remarks.
Sijeleng, what refugee camps did you work in? 1994 must have been quite a year in Vietnam, rather frontier like?
sijeleng says
In 1981-82 I worked in the Pulau Bidong and Sungei Besi camps in Malaysia. In the late 80s (87-89) I lived and worked on Pulau Galang in Indonesia.
Saigon in 1994 was already beginning to thrive. It was a night and day difference from when I had visited in July 1989. In 1989 downtown Saigon was virtually deserted. Not only were there no cars or motorcycles, there was little bicycle traffic. By 1994 the streets were full with bicycles, a growing number of motorcycles, and an occasional car. Certain days of the month trucks with old oil barrels mounted on top of the cab running water through the radiators and spewing hot water out the sides parked in long lines on the outskirts of the city waiting to enter.
There were almost no restaurants in 1989. I don't mean no tourist restaurants, but no quan am. I believe I paid $15 in hard currency to have a vietnamese meal in a woman's study, a room that seated perhaps twelve diners, one of the first private restaurants allowed in the city. By 1994, there were restaurants everywhere. (Not yet the upscale Viet Khieu financed high-end restaurants, but ones putting out very good food.) Although the conditions were hardly up to western standards of hygene, I don't recall ever getting sick from the food.
Andrea Nguyen says
Sijeleng, you have had such a wonderful and extensive history with Vietnam and Vietnamese people in many aspects of the country's tumultuous recent history. It is hard to fathom Saigon streets being virtually deserted nowadays, but the period between reunification and the early 1990s were very harsh times.
Looking at the experiences of Vietnamese people in and outside of the country is always inspiring to me. The face hardship and stand it down. When opportunity knocks, they go for it with vigor, especially in Saigon. Thank you so much for relating your insights and experiences.
Shavedicesundays says
Even though I was only five when I left Saigon, I definitely felt like being part of two worlds when I visited back in 1989. I hear so much has changed in terms of commercialism over there and I guess it's time to revisit someday soon. But those photos you took show that the bikes are still around!
Diane says
Wonderful article. It was very interesting reading your perspective on the return. You are a very fine writer.
Andrea Nguyen says
Thanks Shavedicesundays and Diane!
Mia Tran says
Oh sorry, I made a mistake. My parents came in May of '75 to Guam. Oops. I guess I was confused with the date my sister was conceived. Ha ha.
maria says
I am not Vietnamese but spent a few years there as an expat and the experience left an imprint on my heart. Never expected to love it as much as I did. When we would go back to Aust for R&R we would couldnt wait to go "HOME" which was Saigon. We have since left but have visited at least 6 times in the last 2 years. Was searching for how to make Pomelo Salad came across your site for the recipe... which always turns out fantastic.
We can always learn something... and I learn't that the Vietnamese are lovely people.
maggie b says
wondeful article, photos and recipe. thank you andrea for alerting me to your article in saveur. i enjoyed how you linked food with nostalgia and family.
this also gave me the first chance to read saveur, which i discovered has many wonderfully written informative articles about food and travel -- i'm hooked!
Andrea Nguyen says
Thanks, Maggie. Saveur is terrific, like the National Geographic of food magazines.
Mimi says
Great article, Andrea! I am going to Vietnam for the first time (in less than a week) with my parents and younger sister so I wanted to read your article before I go. I cannot wait to eat there and have compiled a list of places to eat in Saigon... I think this trip will be life changing.
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This is one reason why I have emblazoned on the cover of my notebook the following statement:
"What's the story?"
That always stares me in the face whenever I take notes - it's a great thing to remembr.
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At lease we should try. nobody knows what happen tomorrow. there is no point in not enjoying the time just because of further worries…
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marlon says
Never expected to love it as much as I did.
marlon says
Wonderful article. It was very interesting reading your perspective on the return.