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.
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