Emancipation and Freedom

The story titled "Emancipation" in the novel We Should Never Meet, by Aimee Phan. The character Mai is seen taking control of her life through education. This need for control was because “Mai hated feeling inadequate, especially for things that were out of her control” (146). As her life is further examined through the various stories presented, she can be said to have had no control of her life. She did not choose to be relocated to the U.S after the war and she also did not choose to be placed in the foster system. As a result of being a child in foster care she also had no control of choosing the family that she lived with. Because of this experience Mai was left feeling incapable of controlling her own life leading her to be unhappy. It is when she has to write a personal statement for a college application that she is seen as finally taking the control needed to “emancipate” herself from the life imposed upon her by the war. In this statement she writes about the life she has lived and what she plans to do in order to find a connection to her culture. After her "Emancipation" through college not only will she be free of the title refugee, but she will also be free to take control of her life as a college student paving a future she will feel like she chose it.

By Ada M.

Two Different Outcomes

It is interesting to read the contrasts and similarities between Huan's and Mai's characters show the two stories and Vietnamese War survivors. They both show two different outcomes of orphaned children in result of the war. They either got adopted as babies or were put into foster care because they were too old to be adopted. Huan's attitude is extremely negative compared to Mai's because he resents her for knowing her mother; an opportunity he never received. He also gets this aggression because he feels unwanted by his biological mother even though he was one of the lucky children that was placed in a loving home. At one point Huan even tells Mai she was lucky to know her mother and have some sort of memory even though she was not adopted and had no real family in the United States. The struggle with identity is clearly seen in Huan as he tries to connect with his vietnamese roots but fights with his American side when he visits the orphanage. During his visit to the orphanage he struggles with his identity because he does not feel a connection to it anymore but at the same time still has a desire to be remembered there. Mai on the other hand seems to be calm and collected throughout the story but at the end, reveals the true reason she had not returned to Vietnam. She did not want to feel the resentment that Huan was feeling. Just like Huan She also struggles with her feelings toward vietnam but expresses it in a completely different manner.

By Iliana T.

Black Jade

Black Jade 

Though the Amerasian orphans are entering adulthood in the United States, self actualization and self understanding feels like a maze to Kim, Vinh, and Mai, (illustrated within the American flag). With no history or family to guide them (in their journey into adulthood), they lack motivation and hope. It seems all along they long for the family and tradition that the gifting of the jade bracelet symbolizes to Liens grandmother. As she gifts Lien the bracelet, (upon her journey into the city and into adulthood) she does so while reminding her to always consider her family and family traditions in all her endeavors. In Liens family all children are loved and wanted thus the bracelet is covered in black to symbolize the loss of tradition and family values when Lien is separated from her child. The black gate represents the locked doors for the orphans, a metaphor for the life they are born into which holds limited, if any opportunity. In addition, it represents the desperate longing for love and family tradition (by the orphans) that they will never have.
Flora A.

Void in Vinh

The sketch of the jewelry box depicts Vinh's active effort to invade the trusted space of Bad Nguyen's bed to reach for the jewelry box that safe kept the valuable jewelry of Bac's late wife. Though Vinh scorned the efforts of his people in the U.S. that attempted to keep valuables and live fortunately, this action captures his desire to fill a void of purpose fueled by loss with the values/valuables of others, exclusively targeting the Vietnamese. In the moment where Vinh has escaped with the jewelry box and indulges himself in the beauty and value of its contents, it becomes apparent that a boy with no established values is pilfering that which he does not possess. This hand is in constant reach for something that will bring value. 



By Kristinah K. 

Family Tension

The story “Bound,” in We Should Never Meet, shows the dichotomy of Operation Babylift, and its volunteers, by using Bridget as its lens. Bridget provides her perspective as an American volunteer to reconcile the differences between a hostile American presence, and a benevolent one. Aimee Phan uses this chapter to show another attitude of the war and its fallout amongst the American people. She uses Bridget to juxtapose her family back in the states, and through this juxtaposition she shows that some Americans welcomed the orphans with open arms. While Bridget represents the positive spirit of this mass exodus, she is situated in a space that is shared by very few Americans. The most powerful evidence of this comes when her husband and parents speak openly amongst themselves, sharing their thoughts on the Vietnamese people, Bridget and the war. It reinforces Phan’s theme in the book of the orphans entering a world where they are beloved by few, and rejected by most. Bridget’s desire to adopt Huan as she leaves exemplifies the idea that some Americans adopt the children for the sake of adopting them, and to satisfy a self serving desire to appear righteous and merciful. While Bridget may have an altruistic reason for the adoption, the fact that she already has a daughter, who she does not have a strong relationship with, back at home casts a suspicious tone around her motivations. Her twisted situation works into the book as a whole because it further muddles the definition of family that is deconstructed in the other 7 stories. The exploration of the theme of family in this story is most powerful because while the rest are centered around people who are not biologically related, yet wish to develop a family like connection, Bridget’s situation sees her seeking that connection with an orphan while her biological relations fall by the wayside.

By:Robert R.