Critical Chatter in a Vietnamese GenX Immigrant’s Mind. Part One. This is my true account of my mixed experiences, perceptions and feelings in the aftermath of immigrating to Australia from Vietnam in 1978. The fall of Saigon to the domineering Communists on April 30th, 49 years ago, brought to the spotlight the plight of immigrants throughout various countries. Trying to fit into the school society as an immigrant was a lasting experience; perceptions about my parents’ sacrifices and my labor as a child; and various positive and negative feelings in regard to my achievements, failures and self-criticism. Leaving my motherland, I was afraid of not being able to speak a new language and whether I would fit into the western civilization. Tears…show more content… Leaving the comforts and familiar surroundings of home and the secured livelihoods in their motherland, in search of a greater future for the family of off-spring. Farewells with their relatives, friends and work colleagues were completed before they hit the open ocean waters in rickety fishing boats. Their courage and determination to survive at all costs across the treacherous waters exemplified their decision to leave Vietnam and their expectations for it. Therefore, my basic understanding of their sacrifice cemented my hard-working ethics. Frequent sleepless nights consisted of extra studying as I grew up during my schooling years. The dim light of a lone ray, exuded from the desk lamp, as I gratefully incorporated this into my nightly routine. The words seem to dance on the pages of the books as I sift through each of them endlessly. Imagination was evident when I engaged in reading fantasy and science fiction books such as the Lord of the Rings epic stories. My creative juice sparked my brushstrokes on an adjacent blank canvas where I could relinquish my
