Remember Nguyen

It was a life-changing trip to my birth village in Vietnam that sparked the creation of Remember Nguyen. One of nine children, I moved to the United States from war-torn Vietnam as a small child. In 2002, with over twenty members of my family, I returned for the first time to Vietnam to see where I was born. Words can not describe what an eye-opening experience this was for me. Growing up with all my basic needs met, I was shocked to see my extended family and village living in huts with dirt floors and no running water, everyday conveniences that I took for granted. Wearing smocked john johns, my son’s outfit drew the interest of neighboring women. We decided to take his longalls apart to see if we could put them back together again. Over the course of the next week, over 50 women showed up at our hut wanting me to teach them the art of smocking.