Celebrating his American independence

By Ebony Horton

Published: July 3, 2008

During the Vietnam War, Hoang Nguyen’s father served for his family’s chance to live in a country filled with opportunity. Now, Nguyen speaks of his own freedom fight using a manual and a test.

The 21-year-old Wallace Community College student received his American citizenship after passing a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization exam in March.

He’s now able to apply for federal aid if he transfers to Auburn University this fall. He can look forward to voting in the upcoming presidential election, and he can possibly get a federal job.

Still, Nguyen said his family faces challenges similar to other immigrants despite living in America for more than a decade. He said his parents, who worked factory jobs to help Nguyen succeed, have yet to complete the citizenship exam.

He has two other sisters who have passed the test and one sister who has not. His youngest sister is a natural-born American citizen.

“The only thing that worried my parents was whether I could have the same opportunities as everyone else. … It also worried them that in case of a war we could be kicked out, so having citizenship and being an American is an opportunity of freedom,” he said before delivering a speech at Wallace on Wednesday.

“It’s an opportunity to own what you want, have an opportunity to be who you want to be, with some restrictions of course. I just hope everybody can get to enjoy the opportunity like I have.”

Nguyen said he moved to America when he was 5 through a program called the “American soldiers,” initiated for Vietnamese people like his father who helped America during the war.

While he said most immigrants in the program are shipped to Atlanta or California, he said family in Alabama welcomed the Nguyens into their home.
Nguyen said he could not apply for citizenship until he received his green card, which turned into a three-year process.

The citizenship test was not difficult in itself, he said.

“But everything was so strict. Even if you knew everything you were still nervous. Out of 100 plus questions they only ask you 10. One I had to know because I live in Alabama was who the two senators in the state were, which is Senator Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby,” Nguyen said.

“Some people failed (the test), not because they didn’t know but maybe because the accent of the people giving the test – they spoke English but I guess they were immigrants who had got their citizenship too — it was hard to understand what they were saying,” he said.

Nguyen is finishing up his last semester at Wallace this summer with hopes of attending Auburn for a computer engineering degree this fall. He tutors at
Wallace and serves as SGA president.

Mandy Wise, director of student activities at the college, said Nguyen has transitioned from a reserved, quiet student to one who is willing to step up whenever necessary.

“He’s a hard worker and goes after everything he does 120 percent at a time. He runs meetings and organizes the students and is still taking five classes this summer,” Wise said.

“His story is that (July 4) is a day to celebrate independence. That it’s not about politics that make this country; it’s the people that make this country.”
Nguyen said his family would likely observe today through fellowshipping with each other.

“We celebrate the Fourth of July but not to the extreme because my mom doesn’t know how to cook American food that much,” he said, smiling.