HOF170: Kathy Ma

Life under the communist regime was tough for many Vietnamese. Kathy Ma, a Chinese Vietnamese had to deal with both the consequences of a communist regime and the prejudice generated by the Sino-Vietnamese war. Disgruntled by her experiences and motivated by the possibility of a better future, she decided to leave Vietnam and sailed to Hong Kong.

During her stay in the Hong Kong refugee camp, she searched for work. Unfortunately, she continued to encounter incidents of discrimination and was forced to step out of the camp into the city to find employment. In addition to her job search, she also met with different immigration officials in her efforts to seek asylum. She eventually decided to come to Canada because she had always been intrigued by the country’s different seasons. Her request for asylum was approved, after which she eventually boarded a plane headed to Canada.

 

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