HOF164: Tri Duc Pham

Tri Duc Pham was the son of a poor family during the Vietnamese civil war. Because of his financial situation, he had to give up his studies at an early age and seek employment in order to care for his family. As a young man, Tri decided to leave Vietnam convinced that he would rather die at sea than continue to experience the cruelty of the communist regime.

One night, Tri boarded a boat that he assumed was going to Singapore but ended up in Malaysia. While in Malaysia, he found his dealings with the Malay officials to be intimidating and considered the idea of returning to Vietnam. Instead, as a determined young man, he succeeded in meeting with Canadian Immigration officials to whom he expressed a desire to resettle in Canada.

Tri now lives in Vancouver and takes pride in the charitable efforts that he and his family have been involved in, as it is his way of returning the favour to Canada for giving him a chance to start a new life.