Ottawa resident Vien Huynh-Lee reflects on arriving in Manitoba as a refugee and returning decades later to sponsor a Syrian family in a full-circle act of compassion.
A New Beginning in the Cold
In November 1979, one-year-old Vien Huynh-Lee arrived in Montreal wrapped in a red Air Canada blanket. Her Vietnamese family, among the 60,000 refugees Canada accepted after the Vietnam War, landed with a single bag each and $100 to their name. Their journey continued through Winnipeg to Birtle, Manitoba — a prairie town blanketed in snow and foreign to her parents.
The move was jarring, especially for Vien’s mother, who wept from culture shock. Yet hope bloomed. Their Canadian sponsors offered not just shelter but also language classes, job support, and shared traditions — spring rolls for cookies, playdates among children, and a growing sense of mutual belonging.
Growing Up in Small-Town Canada
After settling in Rossburn, Man., where her parents opened a restaurant, Vien experienced both inclusion and alienation. At school, racial slurs and mocking gestures reminded her of her difference. Yet she also found defenders — teachers who spoke up, church leaders who included her, and neighbors who opened their homes.
Even as one of the few racialized children in town, she felt protected by the kindness that surrounded her. These early years taught her that true Canadian identity lies in compassion, not conformity.
A Symbol That Endures
Decades later, Vien still treasures the red blanket from Air Canada — now a symbol of love, generosity, and bravery. It reminds her of her parents’ courage and the Canadians who welcomed them. The maple leaf in the corner, unfaded by time, became a quiet but powerful emblem of her identity.
Paying It Forward in Ottawa
In 2016, when Canada pledged to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees, Vien felt called to return the generosity. The haunting image of Alan Kurdi’s body on a Turkish beach echoed her family’s own escape by sea. She joined a sponsorship group from Ottawa’s Chinese Alliance Church, holding Arabic welcome signs for a Syrian family of six.
They greeted the new arrivals with “Maharbah” and a box of Timbits — a moment that, for Vien, captured the essence of Canada. Strangers from different worlds meeting in mutual care, forming a new thread in Canada’s cultural fabric.
What It Means to Be Canadian
Now based in Ottawa, Vien Huynh-Lee continues to reflect on the power of welcome. Her journey from refugee to sponsor affirms what many believe but few articulate: being Canadian is less about where you’re from and more about how you show up for others.
In her words, we are all “woven into the bright red and white blanket that is Canada.”
For continuous coverage and real-time updates, keep following Maple News Wire.
