My grandmother and her children (my birth mother) all escaped Vietnam In 1980 after the Vietnam War. We were extremely lucky to have sponsorship from a distant relative in the United States. It is a sad reality that sponsorship from a family member increases your chances of living in the US. My parents spent a year at a refugee camp in Malaysia before immigrating to the US. My family were “Boat People” where my family escaped southern Vietnam on a tiny boat in the dead of night. During the journey, the boat got raided by pirates who took my grandmothers wedding ring. Once my family got close to the refugee camp in Malaysia, they were almost turned away. But my grandfather, who fought for the south Vietnamese military along with the Americans, swam ashore showing the refugee camp administrators his military jacket and told them he was a high ranking official. The administrators at the refugee camp let the boat ashore knowing that they would be persecuted in Vietnam especially because my grandfather was fighting for democracy in the south. It was not a easy journey and the year in the refugee camp did not come without strife, and I am very fortunate to have the privilege of a master’s level education. This is a real the story that shapes my identity today.