Finding a bright future in a foreign land.

"We've Arrived" (World Publishing House, 2024) is a truthful memoir with a captivating narrative style about the experiences of a Vietnamese family in a foreign land during a significant period of their lives.

The work "We Are Here" is by author Nguyen Cat Thao - a writer, lawyer, and senior training expert.

Born into a poor working-class family who migrated from Vietnam to Australia, author Cat Thao Nguyen grew up amidst external upheavals and constant internal anxieties.

She was bullied because she became such an obvious target with her "hairy legs, acne, homemade clothes, discounted shoes, and reputation as a studious child."

The family went through many economic hardships, had to sell their house and live with relatives in inconvenient circumstances, and at one point, they even withdrew only $5 from their bank account just to have money for food...

Even regarding her birthplace, ethnicity, and nationality, Cat Thao was unable to distinguish between these concepts for a long time.

Countless times she faced identity and existential crises in a foreign land, finding herself having inherited only her parents' "helpless silence."

Because her father admitted, "In this country, I have a mouth to eat with, not to speak with..." Or there was the time the landlord scolded them for not paying rent on time. She had to translate those criticisms into Vietnamese, while deeply feeling the painful silence of her family.

The "silence that leads to helplessness" also results in "disconnection" within the family itself. Cat Thao's writing boldly portrays the lives of people in a foreign land – they unintentionally torment each other, even those with familial ties.

In "We've Arrived," Cat Thao repeatedly recounts moments of disconnection within her family, stemming from her parents' relentless expectations: when she achieved a 99% score on her math exam, her father asked, "Why not 100%?" When she came second in Vietnamese, the same question was asked: "Why not first?"...

The memoir "We've Arrived" paints a picture of the arduous journey of migration to build a new life in the "land of dreams"—which turned out to be a foreign land full of adversity.

The "we've arrived" moment was: "In this country, you have a mouth to eat with, not to speak. I am your voice." That day marked a turning point in my life: I saw my future.

And author Cat Thao Nguyen found her voice and identity, rising to become a writer, lawyer, and senior training expert. In addition, she is a member of the Australian NGO delegation at the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva, a member of the Australian Government Advisory Council in Vietnam, and a co-founder of the Australian-Vietnamese Young Leaders Forum.

Having had the opportunity to interact with people ranging from the poor to government officials , Cat Thao understands that everyone has their own worries and concerns. She dedicates her passion and enthusiasm to helping people realize the intersection between purpose in life and sustainable living, as a way to support them in alleviating some of their suffering.

Before taking shape, the work "We Are Here" (original title: We Are Here) was a collection of reflections published in the Sydney Morning Herald. It took author Cat Thao Nguyen seven years to "relive her memories" and write this heartfelt book. After its release in Australia in 2015, the author and her work were shortlisted for the New South Wales Literary Prize.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/tim-anh-sang-tuong-lai-noi-dat-khach-3156315.html