My-Yen's Refugee Journey To Australia

My-Yen is a former refugee from Vietnam, Saigon, that migrated to New South Wales, Australia, in December 1982. At six years old she was forced to live with five of the Vietnams communists’ that were sent to monitor and threaten My-yen's parents into handing over their wealth, eventually, after 28 days they were kicked out of their own house and left homeless.

Fortunately, My-Yen's grandparents had a small pineapple farm on the southern coast of Vietnam, where they would stay for the next four years.

Sometime in March 1982, My-yen was led onto a fishing boat, about 10m long, less the 2m wide, with 45 other people on it headed to a beach in Malaysia.

“It was hot and wet sitting in the hull, people vomited from seasickness and our bodies were soaked in saltwater mixed with some of the vomit.”

When My-yen and her family arrived, they were met with very kind locals that gave them a place to crash for the night. however, the following day they were transported to a refugee camp on the island of Pulau Bidong.

Approximately six months later, My-Yen and her family were accepted into Australia after having been interviewed. Before arriving in Sydney at the Endeavour Hostel in Coogee in 1982, they were transferred to a camp on the Malaysian mainland called ‘Sungai Besi’.

“After a few months of living at the hostel, we moved to a rented two-bedroom house in Burwood. St Vincent De Paul helped us a lot with basic household items such as blankets, mattresses, second-hand plates, and I was ecstatic with the goodies that were sent to our new home. We are always grateful to St Vincent De Paul.”

At the age of five My-Yen started school, however, she experienced racism from other non-Asian students such as, ‘Chin Chong's or ‘Asian go back to where you came from. Regardless this did not stop her from attending school, she graduated high school in 1990 and went on to complete University at the University of New South Whales.

After completing her studies, she married her husband in 1997 and followed him to Singapore to work for six years, before returning to Sydney in 2003.

“We are grateful that the Australian government accepted our family to live in Australia. Australia has offered us opportunities to build our lives, our future and a future for generations to come. We are now proud Australians, and as the song goes ‘I still call Australia home”