![]() “But we didn’t need to prove our humanity. “To say thank you to America for rescuing us was an act of apology for our existence,” Nguyen said. He then discussed the importance of leaving out the phrase “thank you” in his novels “The Sympathizer” (2015) and “The Committed” (2021). Our gratefulness masked why we needed to be rescued in the first place.” We were driven here and were used as an alibi. Not just in Vietnam or in Asia, but in a history of war,” Nguyen said. “When I call myself a refugee instead of an immigrant, I’m locating myself. Still, Nguyen is careful to call himself a “refugee.” They cannot imagine that this country is the sort of place that would produce refugees.” “In the United States, the American Dream is such a strong idea that most Americans cannot imagine themselves in the place of refugees. “We as Americans have used language to try and insulate ourselves from what we as a country have done to others,” Nguyen said. Referencing the use of terms such as “illegal immigrants,” “asylum seekers” and “displaced persons,” Nguyen pointed out that refugees are a stigmatized population. Nguyen spoke about the importance of language in regard to the perception of outsiders. That memory stayed with me like an invisible brand,” Nguyen said. Howling and screaming as I’m being taken away from my parents. He and his family were placed in a refugee camp in Pennsylvania when Nguyen was the age of four, where he was soon separated from his parents and brother. Nguyen began by recounting some of his formative childhood memories, and he noted that he still identifies as a refugee. The event was co-sponsored by the UCI Humanities Center the Advisory Council on Campus Climate, Culture and Inclusion the Office of Inclusive Excellence UCI’s Southeast Asian Archive UCI’s Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association and the UCI Vietnamese American Alumni Chapter. The event supported Illuminations’ year-long theme of “For a more perfect union?” and was introduced by UCI Libraries Southeast Asian Archive curator Dr. UCI Illuminations, an arts and culture initiative established by Chancellor Howard Gillman, hosted Pulitzer Prize-winning author and University of Southern California professor Viet Thanh Nguyen on Feb. ![]()
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