17/06/2026
IT’S REFUGEE WEEK - June 14-20.
Not Boating, Fishing or Trailer related, sorry!
Many of you know this but we’re telling our story again. We think it’s important given the current state of politics in Australia and the overwhelming feeling of dismay.
We are a family of refugees.
Hoang served in the South Vietnamese army during the Vietnam war along side the US and their Allies. After the war, life became untenable for veterans and he made the difficult decision to try and escape, with his wife and two children. Yes, we are boat people and we arrived in Australia in 1982.
We were supported and welcomed here and given an opportunity to build a new life. We grasped that opportunity with both hands and have never looked back.
We see ourselves as Australians first and foremost, but we have been told or treated like we’re not really Aussies simply because of the way we look. We’ve had people walk straight back out our door once they walk in and see that we’re Asian. We’ve had people hurl racist abuse and make slanty eye gestures. We’ve had someone call us Chinese chimps whilst dancing like a monkey outside our door.
There is so much hatred and divisiveness out there at the moment. It feels like an apt time to remind everyone that we are all human. The theme for this years Refugee Week is “A Million Stories” and ours is just one of them. Be kind because you never know someone’s story.
** this is the first photo taken of us after arriving in Australia **
