A Humble Vietnamese Woman

Book excerpt: The term “ladies first” is simply a verbal courtesy in Western culture. In reality, women receive unfair treatment in earning power and on nearly every level where it counts in society. The worst situations exist in Asian and African regions, including the Middle East. This book recounts a humble Vietnamese woman’s life. Indeed, the common circumstance of a female’s lower position and gender discrimination is influenced by history, including the religious beliefs espoused by Confucius. This woman’s family lived in central Vietnam, but had to flee their village because of the invading terrorist Vietcong. Her family had become dissidents in their own homeland. Moving to Saigon, they worked hard to rebuild a new life, but everything was taken from them after the Vietcong won the war. After living a year in a refugee camp, she ultimately resettled into a new life in Australia. This brave woman lived, worked, and suffered through the county’s colonial French period, through the democratic government of South Vietnam, and later survived the ruthless regime of the Communist takeover. Her dramatic true story blends the history, culture, and religious concerns that have affected millions of Vietnamese women, while also reflecting the panorama of the Vietnamese people