Narrator: In 1975, Quyen Do left Vietnam with eight children in tow. Here, Quyen speaks with one of those children, Kieu Duyen Doan, about their early days with their sponsor family in St. Paul, Minnesota, and what it took to build a new life. She begins by recalling their first stop in America, at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas.
Quyen Do: I have to find a way to survive, because, you know, with all the eight children, uh, we just can't sit there.
Kieu Doan: You did use your skills in there, I remember, you made lots of sweaters.
Quyen Do: Yeah, [laughter] because I have my knitting skills then people want me to knit for sweater. I teach them how to sew a little bit, I got somebody hair with 25 cents. And we be able do okay. And we go to Minnesota, and lucky we have the family to sponsor.
Kieu Doan: Yes, imagine taking in a family of nine people.
Quyen Do: That's strangers, just live with them, you know.
Kieu Doan: One mom and eight kids, ranging from the age of three to 15. [laughter] I remember we took over the whole house.
Quyen Do: Yeah. I feel I'm lucky. They have a diamond heart to take us, because we not related to them. But with their love, we can do everything. Grandpa and Grandma, that's what the children used to call them, Grandpa and Grandma. And they are really big help, you know.
Kieu Doan: Yeah, they love the kids just like their own grandchildren. You remember how Grandpa and Grandma loved your food.
Quyen Do: Yeah. [laughter] They want to try everything I make, you know, they never eat but they not scared, they like it. The best egg roll we make for them, huh? They promise they take us one year and after, we can move out. With their help, the money, the paperwork, everything.
Kieu Doan: The priest from the Catholic church, he gave us some money.
Quyen Do: You know, the first job I worked, it's like, two dollars 30 cents an hour, right? Then the children go to school [laughter].
Kieu Doan: Yeah, we have a paper route. We deliver daily newspaper to the neighborhood, and that was tough because, winter in Minnesota - I remember we had to get up early before school to deliver the newspaper and then go to school and then we have to do it another route in the afternoon. But at least there was three of us, so that we help each other and deliver the newspaper.
Quyen Do: I had to go to school too. [laughter] I have to do the second language and then later I have to go to vocational to how to be a chef, to learn how to cook and be survive, have to have a skill to go to work.
Kieu Doan: We all went to the University of Minnesota.
Quyen Do: And you know the amazing thing? All my eight children, they finish! I come here with my empty hand, and now, you know, all the kids successful. Nothing I want more. And it look like now, we have the four generations here, right?
Kieu Doan: I think you're very happy that you're a great-grandma.
Quyen Do: Uh-huh. My first great-granddaughter is two months old now. We're so happy. Our family, we really happy.
Narrator: The First Days Story Project is a collaboration of PBS's American Experience and StoryCorps and was inspired by the documentary Last Days in Vietnam. Listen to more stories at pbs.org/firstdays.
