Huong Nguyen is an ESL volunteer with some deep roots with ReWA. Her mother was Emmanuelle Chi Dang, and you may recognize her portrait from the ReWA lobby.
“My mother was an English teacher in Vietnam. She was a very active person, so after she resettled in Seattle, she had a vision to help Vietnamese refugees. Many of them had no English language, and without English, you can’t get a job.” She also focused on helping women in domestic violence situations, because they often lacked the English skills to get help.
As an adult, Huong was busy raising her own family and didn’t have a chance to be involved with ReWA–until now.
“My mother dedicated her life to helping people. The night before she died, she said to me and my siblings, ‘You are all such beautiful children; and to be beautiful on the inside is even more important.’ “
By volunteering at ReWA’s ESL classes, Huong said she is honoring her mother’s last wish: to grow the seeds she planted and make her proud.
[box] Learn how you can support ReWA’s programs to help immigrants and refugees to the Puget Sound. https://www.rewa.org/get-involved/ [/box]