Todd Tran

Todd Tran is a former refugee, fleeing from Vietnam and eventually settling in the US. Currently aged 50, Todd left Vietnam with his family at the young age of 4 in 1978, a few years after the impactful Vietnam War ended. After leaving Vietnam on a boat, he and many others reached Hong Kong, where they were then sponsored by different countries to settle there and find new opportunities. Todd and his family were sponsored by the US, and resettled in Cleveland, Ohio, where they lived in a refugee camp. Later, Todd received the opportunity to obtain higher education, graduate from college, and get a stable and well paying job, establishing a successful life for both him and his new family. Today, Todd works with organizations to help other refugees adapt to life in the US.

Life in Vietnam

Born in Vietnam, Todd lived with his family including 5 brothers, him being the second youngest. Todd’s family, ethnically Chinese, owned a successful business manufacturing and selling eyeglasses, but that all changed when the new government took over after the Vietnam War ended.

The new government put much more limitations on its citizens: they took control of Todd’s family’s business and their house as well. Even when the war ended, soldiers were still patrolling the streets carefully. At just 4 years old, Todd witnessed his father and several other Vietnamese citizens getting seized by soldiers and dragged to the police station to be interrogated. Todd and his father were peacefully sitting at a cafe, and soldiers suddenly barged in, “...suddenly dozens of soldiers surrounded the cafe from the outside..and they came in and they interrogated a lot of people, including my father. They took him away to the police station for interrogation.” Meanwhile, there was much tension between China and Vietnam, leading to the persecution of those ethnically Chinese in Vietnam, Todd’s family being one of them. Due to these reasons, many of the people who fled Vietnam from 1978-1980 were ethnically Chinese.

Experience and Challenges Coming to America

Todd’s family decided to leave Vietnam in 1978. They left in the middle of the night, where they then got into a truck that transported them to a farm. The next day, they were driven to the ship that would take them to Hong Kong to seek refuge. The cargo ship was big, big enough to hold 3,500 people who were all looking to escape Vietnam. In order to board the boat, Todd’s parents had to bribe the government officials to look the other way, which cost them a fortune. The journey from Vietnam to Hong Kong took 4-5 days. However, when the refugees arrived, they were denied access to Hong Kong and were told to turn around. The refugees refused, and they decided to wait on the boat until Hong Kong relented. This made headlines on the news all over the world, including ABC News in the US. Hong Kong now faced the international pressure of letting the refugees in.

The refugees stayed on the boat for a month, and during this month, they faced many challenges. The ship was so packed that a cabin meant for a single person ended up housing multiple families, until they were practically laying on top of each other. Dehydration was common, and crackers and sardines made up most of their diet. Todd recalls how the food left him with trauma: “...up until a few years ago, every time I saw or smelled sardines, I would physically get sick.” When the refugees were finally allowed into Hong Kong, they were crammed into a room similar to a conference room. Later, they were moved into a proper refugee camp, and Todd was able to receive access to education, while his father and older brothers could leave the camp to find work. At refugee camps, refugees wait until a country sponsors them. Being involved with the Vietnam War, the US was a big sponsor, alongside Australia, England, Germany, and more. Todd’s family was sponsored by the US, and one year after arriving at the Hong Kong refugee camp, they were flown to Cleveland, Ohio. There, a church group sponsored them and helped Todd’s family integrate. Todd speaks out about the importance of these groups to refugees: “...I think really it’s important to…highlight these aid groups and agencies because they are really… the lifeline for a lot of refugees.” How Refugee Experience Changed Todd’s

Perspective on Life

Arriving in America opened up a whole new world of opportunities for Todd. With the help of the church group and his own hard work, Todd got into college and soon landed a stable job, allowing him to support his family and create the life he never had when he was younger. However, going through the experience of being a refugee is not a memory that many can forget so easily. Todd talks about the constant feeling of having to make sure he has everything, ensuring that they’re safe, and more. Even after he secured a stable job and is able to live a comfortable life, in the back of his head, there is a feeling of always having to make sure he can survive. Alongside that, many surviving refugees, including Todd, feel like they were lucky to even survive at all. Being a refugee and fleeing a country is dangerous, due to a number of factors. Around 50% of the original refugees don’t survive to make it to their destination. The remaining half that do make it feel lucky that they’ve survived this far, and if they’re given any opportunity to resettle and thrive, take advantage of it. Todd himself believes the same, “If I was given an education, I would study hard, I would get the best grades. If I was given the opportunity to go to a good college, I would shoot for that college and do whatever I needed to get that. And that kind of drive, to take advantage of your full potential that you were given, is a mentality I think that a lot of refugees have.”

Resources for Refugees

Refugees, fleeing from their home country, lack many basic necessities that they had no choice but to leave behind, or lost along the way. That being said, what are things that refugees need most in order to get back on their feet? First off, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) focuses on helping refugees the most within the first 90 days they arrive, which is when refugees are still recovering from their journey and need the most help. Organizations and sponsor groups send people to go to the airports to greet refugees, talk to them, and show emotional support. Just being there for the refugees when they arrive at an unfamiliar country works wonders; helping them get settled in, offering shelter and food, and supporting refugees financially is even better. As a former refugee himself, Todd says that a combination of financial, emotional, and psychological support is what every refugee needs the most. Even the little things, such as walking with them to the new house they're going to live in, being for them when they need help, helping them get a drivers license, and more means the world to refugees who have no one to rely on.

Giving Back to the Community

No one understands refugees better than refugees themselves. Todd and his family received help from the church sponsor group to help them find jobs, education, and ultimately create a stable life for themselves. Now, Todd works with various organizations to help refugees adapt to their new situation and offer support along the way. Alongside volunteering for the IRC, he is also a board member for Refugee Immigrant Transition (RIT). With the RIT, Todd helps refugees by teaching them English, helping them with their day to day tasks, such as getting a green card, and most importantly, being a friend and showing them that he cares.

Sources:

Todd’s Exclusive Interview with Voiceopedia

Picture 1: https://reftrans.org/board

Picture 2: Courtesy of Les Bird

Picture 3: https://reftrans.org/