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Things I noticed in Canada as a Vietnamese man born in 1984 living around the GTA mainly in the East end of Durham Region. Now I am 41 years old as of 2025.

1. Life is OK for a Vietnamese family to work in the staple Vietnamese jobs (nail salons, pho and banh mi restaurants, esthetics)
2. But the refugees and immigrants want dearly for their children to do medicine or something professional.
3. The children of immigrants who go hard learning the depths of human power and ego either go 2 routes 1: Healthcare, 2: Professional career … but after 10 -15 years working professionally they either go harder, retire or do something else. The ones that push harder like competing and like the rush of good feeling of being better and more than others. Those are health professionals really … They crave to know life better and handle life better with more control and make people feel small so they feel elevated and healthy. They live in the competitive high school/university school challenge mindset. People use whatever it takes in these institutions to compete and overcome: racism, culture, psychology.
4. The children of immigrants in Durham Region like Tony Tie’s family and mine, did their dreams living more Canadian. That is the interesting thing about living in Ajax and Oshawa. I lived suburban and just followed my dreams.
5. People who do healthcare as Asians usually end up OK. They do some sort of healthcare work which enables them money and a fast way to learn about life. From taking care of babies to taking care of terminally ill people. But as a healthcare worker, I found out there were some patients that had out of this world lives: athletes and sports stars or even musicians. That made me think and reconsider my views on life in the West doing healthcare. Even basic healthcare jobs enable them to take care, have a family and have a pension and community to connect with for life.
6. Then I realized up here in Canada, Toronto there was still negative stereotypes of Vietnamese ‘stealing’ even in 2021 when talking to Tammy Nguyen. I wondered why??? The war ended in 1975 and hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese fled as refugees to first world countries. Then I went to the root of the problem. I figured it out.
7. East Asians and South Asians study a lot. The key is maths. But when Vietnamese are born in the West they become North American and do arts, media and music mostly as that is a North American thing that you are born with. You become automatically ‘North American’ being born here and succumb to the bad and good stereotypes here of being North American. Then I realized the professors are 99.999999999999999999999999999999999% immigrants. In Asia, East or South are studying science and medicine for survival and to combat the West to supremacy of tech and medicine and influence.
8. Vietnamese is an agricultural society. But Vietnam survived over thousands of years to maintain their independence. That means Vietnamese actually know how to overcome tech and medicine from foreigners. That is a misconception. Many Westerners think Vietnamese are backwards and behind. But if they met a Vietnamese foreign student in America studying on scholarship then they know how smart Vietnamese can be. That means there is actually not really a gradient of intelligence, it is just different perspectives, philosophy and different solutions that even can oppose.
9. The most stupid thing about people when they are young is not understand the cycle and location. The Chinese that immigrated to Vietnam over the thousands of years eventually turned into Vietnamese people because of location. People actually become a native to the country after 4 generations. In An Giang province right next to Cambodia where my parents are from, I feel more relaxed and comfortable viewing Cambodian content on YouTube. An Giang used to be a part of Cambodia. My parents are at least 300+ years in An Giang making them probably 5+th generation “Cambodian” really. It is just the books, media and socialization that make them Vietnamese???
10. The solution for me to get out of low level thinking was to befriend people in the field that I liked in my soul. This was computers.
11. Computers are easy and fun if you just sell it and kind of fix as it is so linear. Everyone could probably do it after tackling regular jobs for next level growth and graduated learning. It is fun to just sit there and type away chatting or Googling stuff.
12. After fixing stuff as a computer technician, you realize you have to sit there 24/7 learning and getting updates on the latest patches the either fix or mess up the computer. That is actually OK and not bad. It makes you smart. Smarter than the average person. But there could be more, then you realize it is web development. Putting everything in a browser.
13. But that is too much to handle in one month. So you go do what bothers you? Do what you are interested in 1000% alone? and then solve a world problem. Then do team projects with the world.
14. The key for growth after getting ‘old’ and somewhat accomplished is to befriend people all around the world and realize there is actually diversity that is needed to combat every negative thought and feeling you get when walking outside in public. I made friends with Ukrainians, Russians, British and Mexico and many others. If you don’t open your mind to the diversity of thought then you can not tackle problems in general. The key was to go to get all the perspectives from 4 points across the world and middle.
15. But at the end of the day, when you are solitude at home, you have what you have. You do what you want. I love to zone out in 1000% in silence and solitude coding system utility software.

So the bad stereotypes of Vietnamese in the north (Canada) GTA was the lack of???

1. Lack of forward 1000% open wide ‘Canadian’ thinking??? Should think of society and life beyond high school drama???
2. Lack of money???
3. Lack of housing???
4. Parents pushing their kids to do healthcare and professional jobs for survival???
5. Peer pressure???
6. Vietnamese peer pressure???
7. Competing for the girlfriend??????
8. Competing for the medal???
9. Competing for the status???
10. Competing for the job???
11. No hobby???
12. No same frequency friends???
13. Not thinking there is more to life than high school drama???

I survived and did my thing because I ignored the polarization of high school drama in society.

There is a lot of fun things doing your thing after school.

I had my hobbies and socialized on online forums … That is the secret … secret of surviving alone in the troubling time of being teens and young adulthood in the West … You will find same frequency friends across the world “online” older too that can share wisdom of life … and be friends with them for life growing and doing fun relatable stuff together … And after getting your degrees/diplomas and finally working, you will find same frequency friends in your field of work … then you are golden for life.

After you worked one job like doing night shifts at your local supermarket, you understand life pretty much and that is to do your thing till you got something.

But in life, sometimes you bow down to peer pressure to just work like a grunt till you are dead … That is the sad reality of how people treat people.

People have pride doing that working till their bones are brittle and weak with enough money to live for 10 years for retirement but actually dying 2-3 years in retirement. Then letting their kids fight over the inheritance.

It is prideful to live that way really. It is 10000000% right to live that way but not for a Vietnamese guy like me with bad bosses.

What is the story of triumph?

In 2009 I finished university … I was lost …

I restarted my journey into computers in 2013.

Gave up.

In 2016 while working two jobs at the same time, I got treated pretty badly in safe Canada. Then nice coworkers pushed me to follow my dreams and live ‘Canadian’ pursuing what I want.

In 2016 while working the jobs, I thought of becoming a blood lab technician. But I did not know the reason why people are sick LOL! I am always in good spirits and never understood why people are sick needing bloodwork.

So in 2017, I went back to school at my local college doing my thing.

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Now in 2025, I got published quite a few times with my team over the years. The highlight was to be reviewed in a ‘developers’ online magazine.

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That means I cemented myself to teach my niche???

Or at least tell people to follow their dreams in the West until they get something???

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High school drama is actual society with less than one-dimensional living.

Everyone knows the “recluse” will one day have something … BUT …

Life is all 10000000000000000000000000% intuition. Everyone, every single person in the world, deep down knows the secret answers to life.

Basically it is living and studying in your library like in 1500 AD and network with similar frequency friends and go out sometimes for groceries or coffee. That means no obtrusive 2020’s dopamine junkie social media all day.

Even after high school/university living, you try and do thing for yourself to live happy and healthy if you can (if you have no kids and aren’t tied down). Then one day you arrive at your “product”. That is what people forget. There is a life after if you aren’t tied down.

And is anyone really tied down in the West?

Who ties down who???

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If this doesn’t make sense, just buy your $2 Tim’s and walk regularly until you get to the product …

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Also people who are younger or your age just fight … but when you get to the “spot”, you realize there is such thing as diverse thinking, diversity and the world working and learning from each other. There is actually no real fighting. It is just learning from each other regardless of how harsh it is.

If I did not think my way and against, I would not have been done the products I did with the team and get published for doing it.

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But how does a Vietnamese man born in the Canada like me live in the West after realizing all this?

It is to live simply like Westerners always seeking more. Stay in “the zone” for the rest of your life for that good life avoiding all the vices.

Then nothing will bother you if you live that way.

Then your wife and children will prosper living the right way.

It is not about the money, fame or status after.

I learned if I just do things I like naturally zoned out, then I get noticed. I worked and learned and realized it was 1500 AD way all along.

It is about zoning out in your zone doing what you love really so you live happy and healthy and long drinking your coffee.

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What is the secret to having a healthy mind?

It is just to keep busy.

Mostly busy doing what you like.

Busy doing what you like with your similar frequency friends for more different growth and different perspectives.

Making friends overseas in higher places that can teach you some new things, new perspectives. I made friends with people at 4 corners of the world and in the middle. That is the forever growing growth trick to never be down. New changing perspectives everyday from all over the world.

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Absolutely nothing matters during the teens and young adulthood years really in North America. But the secret to surviving your teens and young adulthood is to work during that time too plus your hobbies and your friends outside school (online friends too).

The troubling time of teens and young adulthood is making everyone stay the same and listen to the hierarchy. But maturity is learning about diversity and world thinking. Mature people learn opposing views to solve everyday problems.

I worked outside in the real world since grade 9 at 14 years old. At that point high school drama doesn’t exists no more when you have worked in the real world. And now at 41 years old, people only care about what I did for the last 10 years from 30+ years old onwards.

And at 41 years old, I think and act like a native to North America when out in public. Nothing really bothers me. The ‘Canadian’ young kids entering adulthood understand me because I finally gave up acting cultural and look at me as a native now. Old ‘Canadians’ see me as an old guy who became native overtime and did what he liked. Now I when I see young people including coloured young people they just accept that they will too turn native to this land like old me. They stop acting cultural when they see an old Vietnamese man like me you turned ‘Canadian’ just by living in Canada for 41 years.

When you are young, you try to preserve and fight for your beliefs and cultural beliefs as a coloured person. Then one day in your 40s, you find yourself that you became somewhat ‘Canadian’ and somehow still did what you always liked when you were young and now ignore people that don’t do that. Young coloured people and even immigrants shudder and are relieved when they see old coloured people act ‘Canadian’. It is just inevitable that they will one day turn that way … They fight to think and just do their cultural way as it is a part of growing up.

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The good thing I think is that, I am the first generation of Vietnamese born in Canada from refugees who let time change him. I got what I wanted in life by waiting it out.

From intuition like everyone else, I knew I had to wait it out … because I was the first generation of Vietnamese born in the West and I don’t want to mess things up as there were still bad stereotypes in everyday life that bothered me and stopped me from growing and working and jobs are lacking here in Canada …

Now I have prove and some success doing it this way that is healthy and safe for all Vietnamese born in the safe West.

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There are 2 ways to live in the West as a Vietnamese born in the West

1. Live stereotypically which is fine for a while … after a certain age it may become bothersome and make you feel ill. Then you start talking about things to people like telling people to behave good and talk about religion. It is OK and is growth.
2. Live your own way with your unique accomplishments and views … eventually learning about diversity and the world to interact with people daily in society.

Basically you have to keep living and learning and doing. Keeping busy that it is healthy. Keep busy on a healthy level.

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Why I ventured out on my own in 2017, 42 years after the Vietnam War?

Generally working, nothing was working right. Younger people than me labelled me a stupid yellow man and kept it that way because they are young and haven’t learned there are levels to life and there is actually diversity in life. Working with younger people as a coloured older person is hell.

Older people showed me the truth about life. Life sucks working 9-5 and you need a hobby an outlet. Working hard doing something routine basically is still growth and good. But generally it bad. Only good if you are ‘Canadian’ really because the West is built for ‘Canadians’ first.

I was trying to learn and learn working in Oshawa where they take pride in hard work. I grew up in Ajax and things are less hard working there … things kind of slide there … I found out I was lacking and unsmart compared to Oshawa people. Oshawa takes pride in the auto assembly and industry.

That is the thing about life. You maybe should move to a place where the area is more hard working so you get smarter and have to try. Then you stay healthy.

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Also as a native of Canada, I sometimes think like a ‘Canadian’ which is good and bad. I am fighting myself to think good and forward all the time. That is what happens when kids are born here. They become ‘Canadian’ with all its good stuff and bad stuff and for the rest of their lives fight to live and orderly???

Does this happen to everyone in North America??? I am 1000% sure yes. The Vietnamese born in North America have this thinking that they have to push. I see that in myself now after socialization with Vietnamese and natives everywhere.

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It is 10000000% intuition, if you have lived in my area you realize sometimes live can be more.

Instead of working 9-5, I did more via soloing and working with my team.

Life can be so much more if you solo in my area with my team.

You get unique products, different thinking and then people will notice and promote it.

Then you learn after there there is different thinking.

Then you learn after there is a balance of thoughts and it is not black or white.

Then you realize there is a diversity views and solutions from the world.

The more viewpoints you learn from all over the world then you can create solutions. One view point doesn’t solve it.

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I writing this page as a Vietnamese born in the East GTA (Greater Toronto Area). I was born in Oshawa. Lived few years in Oshawa then moved to Ajax till I was 25 years old and spent 26 years old to present in Oshawa. I am now 41 years old. I went for my 4 year degree in Scarborough commuting during young adulthood and spent almost a year living Scarborough while studying healthcare practical nursing in 2019. Vietnamese people born in the GTA may have similar feelings and come to the same realizations and wish to follow this to get out of negativity. It is a fight for me everyday to think forward. I try to work with Westerners to open up my mind most of the time. Thinking Vietnamese or Asian sometimes can sometimes box things in and cause stoppage. If you don’t go forward and work then you go crazy and sick??? Everyone knows this is all intuition.

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If you don’t think forward and don’t keep moving then simply you can not have a family.

After I finally did my dreams and hanged around … socialized. Socialized for the last 3 years after school.

I am ready for a family. I am ready to work and have the perspectives to combat negativity outside because I accomplished unique stuff. I have perspectives from all parts of the world to solve problems.

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I somehow over the last 4 years made this blog talking about stuff … then it became an outpost, satellite area of thought for Vietnamese residing in Canada in East GTA in programming and computers. Then it got to be something.

Then people noticed and I grew understand the human condition and the Vietnamese human condition and other people.

I arrived at the fact that people are all want their opinion’s taken quite seriously and all are maybe ego driven??? What is the underlying message???

Then you realize the Vietnamese doing research in research centers and universities are socializing together and playing together while putting out research in scientific journals.

Then what are Vietnamese blogs and websites and social media for out there? Do the Vietnamese researchers at universities studying Vietnamese modern culture research what is going on and then make articles on this???

What is the nice pleasant way to live as a Vietnamese in modern day 2025?

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Anyways talking to Vietnamese born in Canada Tammy Nguyen is very helpful at the end. I realize life is more than the outside. It is about friends that actually feel each other and are there for each other. She feels my pain and we pretty much understand each other 100%. She even thinks broader than me and makes fun of me and about life. I feel stupid around her. Isn’t that life?

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Then you realize Vietnamese from Vietnam that got their education here in the West and worked start questioning life and everything beyond themselves.

They start looking into the future 150 years ahead.

After they dated around and realized the truth about people (Most people just keep busy in the modern world trying to avoid thinking backwards and negative), they look at how they will function as a Vietnamese person in the modern world as they are in the West now.

They focus on work, growth, opportunities, education, modern culture, adaptability.

They forget about money really. They actually don’t think about making tons of money as that is not a great way to think.

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The Vietnamese born in the West are trying to always find their way to make it big and feel great all the time.

Basically, working all day and trying to make ‘stuff’ for their wife so the family grows and adapts daily.

The fighting feeling to make it big is a huge drive for North Americans.

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But the reality of Vietnamese born in the West is that it is maybe better to think big but live small. Work and live like Westerners. You can think and make stuff but keep learning instead of trying to make tons of money so you don’t get into thinking vices. Maybe even work 9 – 5 to be constant busy and learning and save for retirement.

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I also learned the most important thing … you are supposed to talk to the woman that works and plays with your inner child. After you earned the degree and finally accomplished and grew, you get old and your body becomes secondary. The mind only matters. You stop acting and building and then the inner child is what is there with the woman until you are dead.

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If you do just a job and not grow living some bad things that can happen as a Vietnamese born in Canada are:

• Never wanting to work and eventually become unemployed
• Pushing your children to study all day making them crazy as you given up on life working a staple job
• Drink
• Hurt people
• Twist the narrative
• All the vices of the universe

My dad keeps working and learning including my mom. That is life once you understand it. There is balance and life is not black or white.

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What is life in Canada really? What is life for everyone?

For immigrants after 8 years in Canada they realize it is a fight to think open and forward everyday.

What happens when you are retired? You move up north and do wilderness things … ???

Is it good living in North America?

Yes, if you like pushing yourself everyday to fight laziness and negative thinking.

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