Thao Huynh
Born in Saigon, Vietnam | West Valley City, Utah
Thao was born in Dalat, Vietnam, and emigrated to the United States in 1975, and later to Utah in 1982. Thao grew up primarily in boarding school, starting even from an early age living distantly from her parents. From there, she finished high school, got married, had her first child, Lee, and moved to Saigon. By then, she had her second child, Lou, before moving to the United States by the time of the Fall of Saigon in 1975 to Delta, Colorado. Thao continued to work and provide for her family and had her third son, Stephen. Thao and her family continued to adjust to their new life in the United States and eventually moved to West Valley City, Utah, to seek out new opportunities. Thao has cherished every moment with her family and continues to love them all very much as they all endure adult lives and start resilient families of their own.
Making Utah Home
What is your family’s story behind making Utah your home?
We moved from the small town in Colorado [to Utah] because we didn’t have everything [we needed] and I wanted a [better] future for my children…We had a friend in the Air Force who moved here [and influenced our decision] when I moved to Utah. I think that I made a good decision to move to Utah because of the [opportunities]. It’s good for my children to have a school education [in a larger city], and for me, I found a job that let me go to Salt Lake Community College and get a degree and eventually find work in an office. So, I think I made a good decision by moving to Utah, because the people here have been very nice and friendly.
New Life in Utah
What makes Utah home?
I didn’t have a ‘home sweet home’ when I first moved here. I didn’t have my parents or anybody. But now, I have a ‘home sweet home’ because I have all of my children here. They’re my home and my life. With all of them, I love them so much. I have grandkids and daughter in-laws that [I consider] my own daughters. They’re not daughter in-laws because they always just act like my children and they love me as much as their own mothers. It’s so wonderful to have them and I welcome them always. I see them and my kids all the time, they’re all my sweethearts and I love them with all of my heart. My life is my children and my home sweet home.
Building the Next Generation
What hopeful message would you like to share with others as a first generation Utahn?
I would like to keep my culture as long as I still live. And that’s why I always tell my children we have to keep a little bit. We still wear Vietnamese clothes like the Áo Dài and hats and everything to represent that we are [Vietnamese]. We are Vietnamese [and I] would like to keep the culture and I would [like to always have] a red envelope to send around. Even just a little bit [of money] in there for good luck and to remind my grandkids and kids [about our culture]. And it’s good to see the red envelope, [it represents] a [Vietnamese] new year coming. And they have to use that for good luck to celebrate the heritage [from which they came from and to [keep it] in their mind as [our] culture still goes on. When they wear the [traditional] Vietnamese clothes, they will be proud… I will always tell them to keep their culture in mind and continue [it after I pass.]
HOME IS HERE
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