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Description
Joseph Donaway is a senior majoring in psychology. Juan Cueto is a senior majoring in business administration. Diego Ramirez is a senior in the Viterbi School of Engineering. [Profiler bio] Mai Nguyen is a survivor of the American War in Vietnam with a unique perspective and a compelling story. Ms. Nguyen was born in 1957 and lived in Saigon, Vietnam until her escape in 1980. Ms. Nguyen and her family were South Vietnamese who witnessed the American military influence and considered them a good symbol to keep Vietnam intact from communism. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, Ms. Nguyen witnessed first hand the oppression brought by communism and the elimination of freedom. In 1980 she decided to escape with her baby boy to international waters. However, in her escape, she became part of what is called the “boat people” and she encountered a hard and arduous journey. Pirates held up her boat various times, people around her were mugged, raped, and beaten—fortunately her strong will and faith in God saved her. Upon docking she arrived in Thailand as a refugee. Later, she moved to Canada, opened two successful restaurants and has been an anti-communist activist for the Vietnamese Community ever since. Ms. Nguyen later immigrated to the United States and her transition was also not easy. However, after confronting hardships in America she finally found peace. Mai Nguyen now resides in a beautiful neighborhood in Anaheim, California having raised two successful children. [Profile bio]
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