1985. The year we became American Citizens. We were given two American flags that had been flown over the United States Capitol - one for my Dad and Mom. We flew it on our front porch during 4th of July. When I was in high school, it got stolen by a bunch of college students, we knew this because we walked around the neighborhood looking for it and there it was, hanging on one of the campus houses. It made me so angry and I wanted so badly to go get our flag back, but my parents didn't want to confront and make a scene. To this day...
Read MoreI only have one photo with my grandfather. He is the man standing behind me wearing a blue shirt; I'm the little girl with faux pigtails. My grandfather and grandmother did not leave Laos. They stayed behind. After what seems to be an eternity of boat rides and safe houses my family and I finally arrived at Napho Refugee Camp in Thailand and settled into our “new home”. A few months into our stay I was awaken from my sleep one night. Many attempts were made to see who had waken me at this hour; no one around… or so I thought. Suddenly something caught my attention, there at our front door was my grandfather. His somber expression brought great sadness, so real the image forever etched into my memory bank. Alarmed by my experience I woke my father, who was unable to see what I had just witnessed at age of five. Shortly after my experience, our family learned of my grandfather’s passing.
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