Betty's bio, as written by her husband Phuong. :-)

She was born in a refugee camp and never saw Vietnam until the age 24, but Betty Chau Nguyen still possesses a wealth of knowledge about her ethnic heritage.  The eldest daughter of first-born parents, she grew up with high expectations and constant pressure to set a good example for her three siblings and multitude of cousins. She handled it by immersing herself in the many communities around her, from the choirs at Sacred Heart, St. Joseph’s and St. Matthew’s Catholic Church to the years of Vietnamese cultural performances in Vancouver to the family tree she mapped out containing the names of more than 150 relatives. But it is music that gets Betty most excited about each day. It started in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, when the Vietnamese church choir visited the house regularly during her early childhood, and continued as her father enrolled her in piano classes at the age of 5. When the family moved to Vancouver, BC, Betty was part of the Sacred Heart Catholic church choir at her mother’s behest.  Since the family lived a block away from the church, it was the perfect opportunity for her mom to integrate Vietnamese language, and religion in one, as well as bringing all four children to church would hopefully keep them out of trouble. It was soon discovered that Betty was blessed with a magnificently mellifluous alto delivery that could do justice to music in any language and dancer’s feet that made quick work of any learning curve. After teen years spent perfecting her dance skills, she moved on to singing around Vancouver.  Even after years of working at a bank, music and the arts, especially those of Vietnamese culture, are Betty’s first passion, and something she wants to pass on to the next generation. She wants them to know that it’s not necessary to choose between being Vietnamese or Canadian, but that one can be both at the same time and proud of that fact.

Phuong's bio as written by Betty ;)

Phuong Nguyen was born in Nha Trang, VN and left by boat at the ripe old age of 1. The oldest of three sons, he grew up in Monterey, a quiet town along California’s central coastline. His family thinks of Monterey as America’s version of Nha Trang. He comes from a humble background, as was the case with most Vietnamese refugees, starting a new life in America with few material possessions but plenty of hopes and dreams.

Phuong moved south to attend college at the University of California at San Diego, moved east for graduate school at New York University, and then found his way back west at the University of Southern California, where he received his Ph.D. in American Studies & Ethnicity. A field where very few Asians dare to tread; for most Asian parents would want their children to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. Going against the current, Phuong dived into what fit for him, for it provided the perfect community that fulfilled his intellectual, artistic, social, and political interests.

Going to college and university he was able to discover more about his roots and heritage and about what it means to fight for social justice. He got involved in student activism while also venturing out culturally. Trying certain foods, listening to Vietnamese music, learning to sing in Vietnamese, where he discovered he had quite a voice with the likes of Truong Vu. He took part in VSA culture nights where he was able to utilize his writing skills and stage skills during his junior and senior year at UCSD.

As a child, he had the talent for drawing, a skill he had spent many years refining well before his first art class during high school. Being multi-talented and very lucky, he managed to get through 4 years of college and 9 years of graduate school with full funding.

Phuong writes about Vietnamese American history because he wants the next generation of Vietnamese Americans to know where they came from. He enjoys teaching history in general because young people need to know that change happens not because good automatically prevails over evil, but because ordinary people, just like you and I, put their lives on the line everyday and fight to make change happen.