Transcript Anh Do * *The Happiest Refugee*

Where is
Vietnam?
VIETNAM
Vietnam is a small country in Southeast Asia. It was
ruled by the French from 1857 to 1954.
The Vietnam War began in 1957 and ended in 1975.
Vietnam was separated into North Vietnam and South
Vietnam. North Vietnam was communist, and they
wanted to end U.S. support of South Vietnam. North
Vietnam wanted to combine the two parts into one
country.
VIETNAM’s DARK HISTORY.
IMAGES OF WAR.
Where Anh Do’s story
begins:
Do’s Family fled Vietnam in 1980.
This wasn’t a decision they made lightly.
During the war two of Anh’s uncles had fought beside
American and Australian soldiers.
When he war ended in 1975 they, like many others
were imprisoned in communist “re-education” camps.
Reeducation camps were prison camps operated by
the Government of Vietnam following the end of the
Vietnam War.
Officially, the Vietnamese government does not consider the
reeducation camps prisons, but rather places where individuals
could be rehabilitated into society through education and
socially consrtuctive labour.
They were a means of not only imprisoning and
punishing the former military officers and
government workers from South Vietnam, but it was
also a means of indoctrinating and repressing these
people.
As many as 1.5-2.5 Million people were imprisoned with
no formal trial. 165,000 people died in these camps,
due to malnutrition, torture and abuse.
Anh Do’s family survived five days
in a leaky fishing boat nine and a
half metres long and two metres
wide.
That is roughly the same size as 5x2 of
our classroom tables pushed together.
Classroom activity:
 Measure out that space (9.5 x 2metres) on the floor.
See how many of your classmates fit into this space.
Read the chapter about their journey whilst
squeezed in there.
BOAT PEOPLE
The overwhelming majority of around 4000 people who seek
Australia’s protection each year arrive by plane. Asylum seekers
arriving by boat constitute a very small proportion of the total
and have their claims considered on Christmas Island.
Plane Arrivals
Boat Arrivals
2008–09
84%
16%
2009–10
53%
47%
2010–11
56%
44%
SO WHAT IS A REFUGEE?
The UN says "A person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted
for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social
group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable
or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that
country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his
former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such
fear, is unwilling to return to it.”
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
THE UNHCR
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The primary role of the UNHCR is to safeguard the rights and wellbeing of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can find safe refuge in
another State, with the option to return home voluntarily.
In 2007 the UNHCR estimated that around the world there were
more than 31.7 million refugees and people of concern, in the period 2010-11
Australia’s Humanitarian Program is set at 13,750 places.
REFUGEES IN AUSTRALIA
The Government says “the size of the refugee program is
influenced by a number of factors. “
 UNHCR assessments of the resettlement needs of
refugees overseas
 the views of individuals and organisations in Australia
 Australia's capacity to assist.
Class Question: Who is the
crrent Minister for Immigration?
Immigration policy in Australia is a highly politicised issue with no easy solutions
MANDATORY DETENTION
All people who enter Australia without a valid visa are held in detention facilities while
their claims are assessed, during this time they undergo health, identity and security
checks.
This policy has been highly contentious and several changes were made under the
Rudd/Gillard governments.
**Anh’s Family arrived in Australia in 1980. Mandatory detention wasn’t established by
the Keating Government until 1992. His family were sent to Malaysia by the German
Ship that found them, where they spent 3 months.
SYDNEY LIFE
During Anh Do’s early years in Sydney his family lived in the inner
Western Suburbs, Marrickville and the factory in Newtown
Do’s family lived in the offices of a factory space,
wehere Anh’s mother and father started a sewing
business.
Note: these are not images of Anh Do’s actual home,
simply imgaes of factory spaces in Newtown. Since
Do’s upbringing, these areas of Sydney have beome
more sought after and developed.
NEWTOWN SYDNEY
ANH’S SCHOOL
 Anh’s mother worked hard to send Anh to a good
school.
ANH DO AS WE KNOW
HIM
Stand up Comedian
Thank God you are here
His film ‘Footy Legends’
& Tv Programme
‘Anh Does Vietnam’
Deal or No deal
Dancing with the stars
THEMES IN THE TEXT
 Racism v acceptance
 Happiness
 Resiliance
 Achieving your goals
 Family
 Courage
 Refugees
 Social Justice