An American Tale
By Callimachus | Related entries in Kitchen Sink
A second-class citizen in communist Vietnam, the daughter of a man who’d fought on the losing side of the Vietnam War, Xuan-Trang Ho was the youngest of a 10-member family that farmed to stay alive.
No electricity, no plumbing, half-days of school.
The family arrived in Lincoln [Nebraska] on a snowy December day almost 11 years ago with no money and no English.
As she hurtled through Lincoln’s school system, mastering the language by leaps and bounds, Ho ignored those odds.
Now the 21-year-old has earned an award only 32 of the country’s elite collegiate scholars are chosen for each year.
“My parents wished for the best, but even they didn’t expect me to be a Rhodes scholar,” Ho said. “I just thought, ‘Wow â€â€? how did that really happen?’ ”
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December 8th, 2005 at 3:22 am
Awesome.
And it’s funny how the American dream is oftentimes best illustrated by people who weren’t born in this country.
December 8th, 2005 at 11:03 am
I’m going to steal someone else’s words, but she’s “an American who had the misfortune to be born in the wrong country.” That goes for the rest of her family, as well.
December 8th, 2005 at 8:35 pm
We who are raised and born into it take it for granted.
December 10th, 2005 at 8:54 pm
Indeed. And it could cause us BIG problems in the near future.
And to BOA’s statement, is it just me or does that seem condescending? I know that’s not how you meant it BOA, but it’s almost as if saying that being born in another country means you’re won’t be successful or smart.
Anyway, just a thought.