WHY 2nd GEN?

After 37 years of living, I finally jumped back to reality … to socialize. Socializing is everything in life.

I went back to my old university to find other Vietnamese that did what I did in life.

I was looking for 2nd Gen Vietnamese born in Canada. This happened in 2021. Looking for Boat People offspring …

Realized after 6 – 7 years socializing with some these things were noticed:

1. We are kind of coasting but doing our likes and hobbies kind of.
2. We are First Peoples of Canada. That means we have the same feelings as each other which is different from immigrants. We are kind of sad and mellow but do enough to keep things in check and be able bodied. We know we have the Canadian support in case anything bad happens. But also we have our staple jobs and have each other. If times get so bad we group up and sell banh mi, nails or just work some labour job to get away from misery of cold weather in Canada.
3. When we meet another Vietnamese 2nd gen similar to us we don’t lose each other and actually depend on each other for a line and growth. We know an opportunity to see another 2nd gen is super, super rare but our connection as children of Boat People makes us feel connected.
4. As Canadian citizens we really have nothing to prove. Like you can do a 4-year degree but take 10 years to do it because ‘whatever’. There is no difference between us if we really sit down and talk and socialize and really press each other. There is no need to compete, no hate and not be selfish around other 2nd gen Vietnamese.
5. As Canadians we have morals and are scared of becoming a drug user or alcoholic and plague the system and lose face. If we play our cards right we will be friends forever with positivity and growth.
6. Basically as Canadians with other Canadians, we have to recenter ourselves on coffee and donuts and say ‘whatever, I have time here in Canada’.

The female 2nd gen Vietnamese born in Canada usually know what is up and leads everything.

If the girl chooses right in life, they are leading the way and have absolutely no stressors in life.

Just study hard at the beginning, work and money and food and make life plans for themselves and their future children.

They paint life in Canada.

Also the 2nd gen Vietnamese women who understand the foundation of life (also how Canada works) are like “Yes, I am sitting here.”.

…

So I had this realization by talking to Vietnamese born in the West since 2021.

Today is April 15th, 2026. After talking for 6 years …

We are seen as shy, outside the mainstream which affect us in everything we do growing up in the West. If you are at least seen as Chinese you are seen.

So my parents have been yelling at me and scolding me for 42 years to get out there and do something with my life and with society and I am simply excluded because I am not Chinese.

I learned from other children of Vietnamese Boat People, all they can do as invisible people is really work on their craft and have their children and family.

I saw that so many times.

But in my case it is a little different because I am doing computers.

If it was engineering I would be outside looking at physical structures.

But doing computers I am in my study doing what I can.

…

The Vietnamese seen as Vietnamese just get excluded in the West. That is all.

Then who do we play and work with if we are born here?

…

But the Vietnamese from Vietnam are very forward and act in a way that they get preference and are treated humane.

So that is what you get for being born here as a 2nd Gen Vietnamese ???

…

What did I do?

So I am here as a 2nd Generation talking to other 2nd Generation.

What is going on? We are building and supporting each other.

What is the good and the bad? What are we aiming for?

We are here in North America trying to make a life.

Then out of the womb we are treated stupid and different.

This continues until death.

So what do you do to connect and dig into the soil?

Or is living in North America just a weird experiment of how long you can run for?