VIVIENNE NGUYEN’S MULTICULTURAL CONNECTION FROM A DUAL IDENTITY CRISIS TO COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP by Isabella Ventura
Segmento speaks to Vivienne Nguyen, Chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, about her experiences as a refugee, her dual identity conflict, and community connection. so he acted quickly with the help of a family cousin who organized the escape boat. The Nguyen family all survived and ended up in a Malaysian refugee camp for 1 year before Australia accepted them as refugees. The National Museum of Australia estimates that in the 1970s, and by the last boat in 1981, just over 43,000 Vietnamese arrived in Australia seeking a peaceful life. For Vivienne and her family, arrival in Australia meant learning a new language and accommodating different ways of doing things and contributing to their new country.
Vivienne with her father at her graduation
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t 11 years of age, Vivienne Nguyen was bundled into a boat along with her siblings at nightfall. Her parents stayed behind in Vietnam with the youngest child. Her parents drew on the same methodology used by countless refugees: splitting up the family to increase chances of survival as they fled the ravages of the Vietnam war and the aftermath of continued persecution. Vivienne’s father had worked as an interpreter for the US Army: he was now a target of the new regime. Sure enough, he was jailed soon after the war. He knew that if he was released, there would be no second chance. Luckily, he was freed,
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GLOBAL & SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT
Vivienne’s journey has led to her appointment as Chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC). In this role, she advocates for the rights of multicultural communities and ensures that their voices are heard. With over 200 cultural groups in Victoria, this is quite a task. She draws on her own lived experiences and those around her to be able to enact this complex leadership role. The VMC is the link between communities and government: the focus is on identifying issues and recommending potential solutions to policymakers, community organizations, and government. This has been particularly important during the pandemic, which has challenged many, for instance, temporary visa holders, the elderly, refugees, women, and children. Vivienne knows how many migrants and refugees “shrink themselves,” hiding their
Segmento Issue XXVII • Jun-Aug 2022
