Name: Tam
Birth Date: 27 October 1971

I was born 27 October 1971 in Ben Tre. In 1968 my mother moved to Saigon and worked as a housekeeper for my father. My mother became pregnant with me, and went back to Ben Tre, to live with her first husband again. My step-father really loved me and was nice to me, and I loved my step-father also.

I went to school until grade four and then quit and went to the rice fields to collect rice. I also planted vegetables to sell at the market later. I also had to look after my half sister, and that is why my step-father loved me so much.
When I was about 16, I had to get up at midnight and ride a bicycle to go to a distant place to buy fruits. It would take me 4 hours to get there and about 5 hours to return with the fruit so I could sell it in the market. We could get a good price and good fruit from this place. At about 6 PM I would get home, after selling all of the fruit, and sometimes I would like to watch TV and I couldn't sleep very much. I was always sleepy when riding the bicycle to get the fruit.
After about 1 year I stopped selling fruit as there were many other people selling fruit also and I could not make much money. I then stayed home and would raise vegetables and work in the rice fields again.

When I was 17 years old I met my boyfriend, Nguyen Van Hung. When I was 19 years old I had a daughter with him. He left me when he found out I was pregnant, because at that time he was a policeman and he did not want to loose his job. I did the birth certificate without a father's name. Some months after my daughter was born, my neighbor heard about the AmerAsian program and they asked me to marry their son, so they could go to America, but I refused to do so.

In 1990 I did the paperwork with my mother, two younger sisters, and my daughter for the AmerAsian Program. I had an interview in 1991 and was approved and had an IOM Card, and air ticket to go to America. After we were approved we were sent to Dam Sen, transitional house for AmerAsians, for one week after the interview. I went home until I had an air ticket and then returned to Dam Sen and stayed for another week.

I was supposed to fly on March 31, 1991 at 5 PM. On that day in the afternoon, my step-father and brother and sister came to say goodbye. They cried and my step-father did not want us to go. Because I really loved my step-father I asked the director to delay our departure until they were also approved and could go with. The director sent a letter to the Consulate saying that she wanted her Step-father and brother and sister to be added to the application.

While waiting for the new interview I had a relationship with my current husband, Dao Thanh Son, and got pregnant. At that time Mr. Le Ba Tung, Administrator of Dam Sen, told me not to mention my current husbands name, because he did not like Son. He said if I did he would prevent me and my family from going to America. If I wanted to go with another man as my husband he would provide one for me.

After 6 months I had an interview again and they asked me if I had any other relationships while at Dam Sen. I told them no even though I was pregnant, because Mr. Tung had said he would prevent me from going if I said anything about my current husband. I was approved again with the whole family and had an IOM Card and had a physical test, when they found out I was pregnant. They said please wait until your baby is born.

After the baby was born we submitted the birth certificate of the baby, Dao Ngoc Tuyet Suong, born in 1992, to the Consulate. They asked us to come in and take a picture of the baby to do an IOM Card, and she was issued it. They asked me to wait until they could book an air ticket for everyone. We waited nearly four months and then they asked me to come in for an interview again. They wanted to question me about Dao Ngoc Tuyet Suong's father.

During the interview I told exactly who was the baby's father, Dao Thanh Son. They also asked my about my father and my mother told them exactly what she had told them before. They asked for a picture of my father and she did not have one, so now they gave me a rejection letter saying I am not an AmerAsian.

The Vietnamese interpreter said I don't have any proof that I am AmerAsian and that I was lying. I asked why was I approved in two previous interviews then? They just said I don't have solid proof. After the rejection letter we went back to Dam Sen for one week, and then Mr. Tung kicked us out. We then moved to my in-laws in District 7, and lived with them. My whole family stayed here for about 4 months and then they went back to Ben Tre. My children and I continued to live with my husband in District 7.

In 1995 I had another son with Dao Thanh Son, and in 1997 we applied again with a fake name, Pham Thi Hong, and my husband as Ngo Van Tri, Case Number PAM 1 3001, and IV 0384111. We were disapproved on this application, on January 15, 1999.

In 1999 I also applied again with fake name, Nguyen Thi Thanh, and fake brother and sister and two of my children, Dao Ngoc Tuyet Suong and Dao Thanh Sanh, and another lady. I had a pre-interview and was rejected. I do not remember the case number and do not have any paperwork as the lady kept everything.

Today I earn money by selling sugar cane juice. I do not make enough money to pay for all of the tuition fees for my children to attend school. My mother-in-law helps me with this as she really loves me and my children. I am uneducated and I am unable to get a job. I have to have my children help me in writing things down. I really want to go to America so my children can get a good education and have a better life in the land of my father.

The hardest thing about being AmerAsian is I am unable to do anything but sell food stuff on the streets. On my ID Card it says my hometown is the USA so I am unable to apply at factories or anywhere else. The Vietnamese treat me very different, as an AmerAsian, but the American Consulate will not send me to America. They approved me two times, but then wouldn't let me go. When I was disapproved we decided to apply with fake names as other AmerAsians had done that and they were approved.

The good things about being AmerAsian are, I am beautiful and have blue-green eyes. Vietnamese people like the color of my eyes and say that I am surely AmerAsian, so why are you still here.