Acknowledgment

I would like to thank the following special volunteers for helping me proofreading my story. Words cannot convey my gratitude for your tremendous hard work and dedication. Your contribution affects more than you realize.

 

Mike Nguyen

I want to thank my nephew, Mike Nguyen, for his compelling feedback and copy editing of my story in the early stage. Mike was the very first person I shared my project with during his visit in our home on New Year's Eve. Mike was so moved by my story and Leduc’s photographs of our Singapore misadventure that he persuaded me to write more of “the story behind the story” and not to hold back on the details. Mike also helped me come up with the title “In The Same Boat” on the spot. It meant a lot to me when he said,

“Uncle Nam, your story is my parents’ story as well. I really appreciate learning about your history. It’s very fascinating.”

Mike was my first family member to be born in the U.S. His father was the oldest of the three cousins who escaped Vietnam on the same boat with me in early April 1979. Mike has a Master's Degree in Arts and Design from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and currently teaches Art/Design at California State University at Fullerton and Long Beach, Orange Coast College, Cerritos College and Ryman Arts in southern California.

(link to photo of me and Mike in 1982)

 

Patrick Sullivan

While Mike was busy preparing for his wedding in mid February, I turned to my coworkers for help. I happened to sit next to Patrick at a company lunch and he asked me what I was up to outside of work. I told him about my project and asked him if he’s interested in proofreading my English. Not only was Patrick willing to help, but he completely immersed himself in my story, and provided numerous suggestions and grammatical improvements throughout the website. I am also impressed with Patrick’s openness to other cultures and foods, including Vietnamese-style beef noodles, “pho”, and my wife’s grilled catfish spring rolls (link to photo). Patrick is a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Class of 2014, with a Bachelors of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He is currently working as an Electrical Engineer at IEC Corporation in Sacramento, California.

“Learning about Nam’s story and being able to provide some minor suggestions was an awesome opportunity which I am glad that he shared with me. I’ve enjoyed the whole experience!”

 

Sally Majors & Susan Anderson

I also would like to thank Sally Majors and Susan Anderson for their help with final copy editing on this project. Susan and Sally are sisters who grew up in a small town in Nebraska. After they graduated from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, their lives took very different directions: Sally and her husband settled in Kearney, NE and Susan and her family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Sally was my first English teacher in the U.S. when I started out in the middle of 7th grade at Kearney Junior High School. My cousin and I used to spend several hours each day with Sally learning how to read and pronounce basic English. She even invited us to her home for a sleepover, it was an incredible personal experience being with an American family for the very first time that I will never forget. Sally is now retired in Prescott, Arizona, and keeps herself very busy making beautiful quilts.

"What I remember most about Nam during his time at the Junior High is his wonderful talent in drawing. If we had extra time at the end of a class period the kids would gather around the blackboard and Nam would create a beautiful drawing for us on the board, he had everyone in awe!"

(link to photo of Sally at KJHS)

Susan is a writer, former newspaper reporter, Congressional Assistant and legal analyst. She didn’t always work as a journalist, but her Journalism degree came in handy in each career path she pursued. She is now happily retired in Larkspur, CA.

And in a true case of “six degrees of separation,” although I have known Sally for over 36 years, I have never met Susan. But that could change since we now live 90 miles apart.

 

Brenda Evans

When my coworker Brenda commissioned me to produce a watercolor painting in November 2014, I asked her to pay me later in the form of an exchange of labor instead of money. I knew this project was on the horizon and her copy editing talent was more valuable to me than cash. (link to photo of painting).

Brenda is the usual “go to” person in our office for copy editing needs. In addition to grammar and punctuation, she has helped me clarify my message by helping with the phrasing of thoughts and ideas. I feel blessed having Brenda involved in the final copy editing process. I really appreciate that she is taking the time to cross-check my story and timeline for accuracy. Her contribution for this project goes above and beyond the 12 hours of our exchange and I am grateful for her hard work and dedication.

Brenda graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a major in Communications Studies. She worked as the Advertising Manager for a travel magazine and also traveled and contributed articles for the magazine. She currently works with me at IEC Corporation as the Project Assistant and keeps the office running, well fed, and happy. Brenda is a cycling enthusiast (she even commutes to work by bike) and has recently sparked a passion for bike touring.

“I think Nam’s story is an important one to share, especially in light of the current global climate. What we all need to remember when talking about refugees and drafting policies about them, is that regardless of the country they are from and the conflict which they are fleeing, the refugees are all human beings who deserve to be treated with compassion and respect. Nam’s story helps bring that human connection that we miss in newspaper articles and television news. I’m honored to help Nam with this project.”