By Alexandria Magik Rice
Jerry La’s parents fled Saigon after it fell to North Vietnamese troops in 1975. La said the trauma they endured has kept them from talking about the past.
“My parents are very present-oriented people – present and future,” La said. “If you dwell on the past too much, you’re going to get nowhere, right?”
But La said the disconnect between their family histories and life in America can be a struggle for many second generation refugees like himself. Below, La discusses what it’s like to be a “grandchild of Saigon.”
See more coverage on the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon:
How the Fall of Saigon Made City Heights a Refugee Hub
Midway Air Boss Recounts Rescue Of Thousands As Saigon Fell
Marine Veterans Remember Final Hours Of Vietnam War