New Zealand MP proud of Vietnamese origin

VOV.VN - Ms. Pham Thi Ngoc Lan shared that her father is Vietnamese, he is always proud of his Vietnamese origin and has passed that on to her and her siblings.

The overseas Vietnamese community is growing, but maintaining the connection and affection of the second generation of Vietnamese people with their motherland Vietnam is a very important task, especially for those born abroad and only have one Vietnamese parent. In New Zealand, there is a Vietnamese-origin MP with a traditional Vietnamese full name, Ms. Pham Thi Ngoc Lan, and it is noteworthy that Ms. Lan is always proud of her Vietnamese origin.

New Zealand MP Pham Thi Ngoc Lan (left) meets with Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh (right) in Wellington, New Zealand.

Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh and the delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly have just paid a 4-day visit to New Zealand. During this visit, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh had many important meetings, including an emotional and friendly meeting with the first Vietnamese-American MP in the New Zealand Parliament, Ms. Pham Thi Ngoc Lan.

Ms. Pham Thi Ngoc Lan was elected as a member of the New Zealand Parliament in the October 2023 election. Ms. Pham Thi Ngoc Lan shared that becoming a member of the Parliament is very important to her and she is very proud to represent people of Vietnamese origin in the New Zealand Parliament. “I am very proud to be the first member of the New Zealand Parliament of Vietnamese origin. I feel very proud to represent the Vietnamese community in the New Zealand Parliament.”

Ms. Pham Thi Ngoc Lan was born in New Zealand, her father is Vietnamese and her mother is New Zealand. Her father came to New Zealand to study under the Colombo Scholarship program in 1972 and met her mother at the University of Auckland. They got married and have lived in New Zealand since then. Her parents have 6 children and she is one of them. Ms. Pham Thi Ngoc Lan shared that her father is Vietnamese, he has always been proud of his Vietnamese origin and has passed that on to her and her siblings. “I think this pride comes from my father. My father, although quiet, is very proud to be Vietnamese. And that has been passed on to me and my siblings. Growing up with a strong inner pride that although born in New Zealand, we have Vietnamese roots, a wonderful country with a rich history. And I have come to understand this even more, especially through experiences and especially two visits to Vietnam, where I witnessed the beautiful natural scenery and experienced the unique culture, which has further enhanced my pride.” Ms. Pham Thi Ngoc Lan said that her election as a member of the New Zealand Parliament shows how the Vietnamese community has contributed to the development of this country: “I am very proud of the Vietnamese community in New Zealand of which I am a part. The Vietnamese community in New Zealand is growing stronger and stronger, and with that, Vietnamese culture is also spreading more and more widely in this country. This community has contributed to the diversity and enrichment of this country. In particular, the pride, culture and language maintenance for children are all wonderful things to witness. Besides, I think that Vietnamese cuisine, the center of culture, also plays an important role when there are more and more Vietnamese restaurants here. As a food lover, I love to eat banh mi, pho, and rib rice, I am very happy to be able to eat these dishes and share this with New Zealanders. Therefore, I really appreciate the contribution of the Vietnamese community to New Zealand”. As a politician , MP Pham Thi Ngoc Lan believes that the relationship between New Zealand and Vietnam is developing well and believes that this relationship will continue to develop further in the future. MP Pham Thi Ngoc Lan affirmed that, as a person with Vietnamese blood, she feels responsible for promoting and deepening the relationship between the two countries. “In fact, I am not only the fruit of the love between my parents but also the result of the relationship between Vietnam and New Zealand, so the relationship between the two countries is very important to me. I feel strongly about my responsibility to contribute in many ways to strengthen and deepen the relationship between the two countries, especially in the field of environment. I really want to promote New Zealand and Vietnam to coordinate in responding to climate change to build a better world for our children and for future generations.

Viet Nga/VOV-Sydney

Source: https://vov.vn/nguoi-viet/nghi-sy-new-zealand-tu-hao-ve-nguon-goc-viet-nam-post1123780.vov