Oral History of Lynn Ngo

This is an oral history with Mrs. Lynn Ma Ngo, born on October 11, 1968 in Ca Mau, Vietnam. She lived in the city of Ca Mau until her departure from Vietnam at the age of eleven, in March of 1979. After the passing of her father at the age of two, she and her family lived with her uncle and their family. Her immediate family includes her mother and two older brothers. Prior to that, she attended both Vietnamese and Chinese school. She did not hold any formal jobs in Vietnam, given her age, but she would help out with a convenience/general store that her family ran. She left Vietnam with her mom, two older brothers, and two of her cousins. They escaped on a fishing boat, which was headed towards Malaysia. The boat belonged to a family friend. The bulk of the interview centered around life on the island of Pulau Bidong. After being sponsored by her father’s sister’s family, she boarded a plane headed to California. She was then reunited with her family in Santa Ana, California. It is there where she went on to complete middle school, high school, and college to earn her AA degree. Shortly after, she got married in 1992. Following that, she moved to Fresno, California where she now works in the jewelry retail industry. She currently resides in Fresno with her husband, mother, and two sons.Recorded Digitall