Cynthia Ho-Dan Nguyen writes, “You can tell by my name that I’m Asian. I was born in Vietnam and lived there for a good portion of life.”  She is now married with two children and lives in Los Angeles.

Learning Pride
When my family came to America, it was very difficult. In Vietnam we had different guidelines and rules to follow. The new way of life was different and was hard to cope with. I was ashamed of who I was and of my Vietnamese values and heritage. I was embarrassed to invite my friends to my house because of the way it looked and the way my parents talked. When I went to school I could barely speak English, so others made fun of me all the time. I was embarrassed to invite my parents to social events. I was ashamed of my heritage, but then I met a teacher who had once been in the same situation as I was. 

Now I am proud and want to help others be proud of their heritage too. I am married and have two kids that I am teaching Vietnamese values to.