Oral history interview with Thi Thao Luong 梁慧芬

00:00-04:30 Explains name and its importance in running a business in Vietnam. Family history, born in North Vietnam and moved to South Vietnam.

04:31-08:26 Family fleeing Vietnam when independence from France declared. Loosing contact with father when fleeing. Family reunite in Vietnam.

08:27-12:13 Education including evening classes. Siblings and their education. Learning Chinese and Vietnamese.

12:14-17:44 Description of Rice Street where shop owners sold rice and were related to Thi Tao Luong. Languages and accents – confusion of her northern Vietnamese accent. Family running a rice shop. Thi Tao Luong working as a tailor, selling vegetables.

17:45-22:33 Travelling to South Vietnam by plane, arriving at Chinese New Year. Anti-Chinese riots, family separation. Minimal impact of the Vietnam War. Ending of war.

22:34-29:43 Brother fled to France and arranged for Thi Tao Luong to join him. Bribery, and having red envelopes prepared to pay officers.

29:44-44:01 Brothers fleeing Vietnam, option to go to France or UK. Choose UK, leaving after her father died. Payments to allow her to leave Vietnam, sale of family possessions in Vietnam. Relatives dispersed to France, Australia, Canada and UK.

44:01-50:43 Flight from Thailand to UK. Arriving in Manchester in 1983. Living with brother then a friend. Isolation and hardships.

50:44-55:43 First job packing food. Work expected and wages. Meeting husband. Saving and investing money.

55:44-1:05:27 Choosing husband, description of him and how they met. Married in 1992 in Hong Kong according to Chinese customs.

01:05:28-01:06:44 Involvement in Vietnamese Association

01:06:45-01:10:18 Visiting Hong Kong with husband, visiting brother in Australia

This is an edited index. For the full index and summary of the interview see the bound volume in the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Library.