| My
Life So far
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My name is Tommy Nguyen, but my birth name is Nghi Si Nguyen. I was
born in Nha Trang, Vietnam, a sort of coastal, resort town in central
Vietnam flanked by the sea. My family is primarily Vietnamese, but I
have always felt a little unique from my family in that my Grandpa is
Caucasian. This is unique in my family because out of my Mom's five
siblings, only she is of mixed ethnicity. After parting with my Grandpa,
my Grandma married a Vietnamese man in Saigon and had my aunts and uncles.
fffffAt
Twenty-one, my Mom gave birth to me after being married to my Dad for
several years. A few months afterward, they divorced and moved us to
the Philippines, where we stayed until we were eligible
to move to the United States. We moved from government housing home
to home in Tacoma, Washington. By this time, my aunts and uncles attended
elementary and middle school and my Mom was working a sewing job everyday
until late night. While living in Tacoma still, my Mom had my younger
Brother, Travis, after meeting my "stepdad" Tony.
fffffIn
the summer of 1996, we visited Vietnam for a month. This time was a
significant time for me, because this is the only time in Vietnam I
still have memories of. Unfortunately, the first the day we arrived
I stepped over broken glass and badly cut one of my toes. I remember
being carried to the hospital on back and not wanting to receive injections
out of fear. The doctor said if I didn't take the injection, they would
have to amptutate my foot and eventually my entire leg; I said "fine".
Eventually my grandma arrived and comforted me into taking the injection
and it wasn't so bad. Afterwards, I had it stitched up and visited various
doctors to get injections but I was luckily fine. The doctor stitched
it up and I only had to visit occasionally for injections, but luckily
I was fine. Perhaps the worst part of that ordeal was that I couldn't
walk for almost the entire month! Regardless, the rest of the time spent
there was enjoyable and I got to meet my Dad's parents and see some
really amazing sites in Vietnam.
fffffAfter
returning from our trip to Vietnam, we had moved out of our housing
home and for the first time, lived in an actual house. Sure it was rented,
but it was a whole lot nicer. By this time, I was in the third grade
and my Mom had been seeing my stepdad, who she still maintains a relationship
with today. We moved out only after a few months of staying there. I
didn't really have any significant memories of staying there, but for
some reason I remember my Uncle moving out to Florida at only sixteen
years old. So after moving to Kent, about half an hour away, we rented
a two room apartment for eight people to live in. There we stayed for
a couple years, while my Mom worked out of state in California.
fffffOne day, we took what seemed like
a sporadic trip to San Francisco where my Mom worked and stayed there
for a couple weeks to visit. There I met my Stepbrother, Thailer, for
the first time and visited Disney Land and other places. Little did
I know, less than a year later I would be living there.
fffffHaving
a pretty much horrible time in fifth grade, I was very glad to be moving
in with my Mom again in San Francisco. For the first time in several
years, I was living her again. Though she worked until late, late night
I was happy to just be staying with her. We stayed in a downtown studio
apartment with my Stepdad, my Brother, and my Mom for yet only another
year before moving back to Washington for my seventh grade year back
in Washington. However, this time we had moved into a big house nearby
in Renton that we actually owned. I had my own room and everything.
My first year there however I was very shy. It took me until my second
year in school for me to feel comfortable and fit in. I was excited
to start high school and even had friends
from middle school to talk and hang out with.
fffffI
had a great time first semester my freshman year and when I found out
we were selling our house and I had to move out by second semester to
stay with an aunt in California. I complied without question even though
I hated staying there. My patience paid off when after only staying
there for the rest of the year, we moved back into that house in Renton.
There I completed my entire sophomore year of high school with friends
and I really had a great time.
fffffYet
once again however, we were selling the house and I had to move back
to California. I wasn't too upset this time though, even if I couldn't
be with my friends in Renton anymore, I was going to live with my Mom
and Stepdad with my Brother in the same apartment building in San Francisco
again. This is where I attended Mission for the first time. I was a
little down the first couple days not recognizing anyone I knew when
I attended middle school nearby. Luckily I ran into my friend from middle
school and we still hang out today. Things were still going good for
me, and I was passing my classes with no worries of not being able to
graduate.
fffffAfter
finishing up my first semester, I found out I had to move in with my
Aunt once again in Half Moon Bay, a few minutes south of San Francisco.
My parents reassured me that I wouldn't have to live with anyone I didn't
want to and so I agreed. I really slacked off after moving though and
just spent all my time doing whatever, coming late to school daily.
Just before finishing the year, I moved in with my other Aunt and her
family. I didn't really like it and I even had to take summer school
to get my health and drivers ed credits for graduation.
fffffI
made an effort to move out and it paid off. My Mom decided to buy a
new house in San Francisco, and we moved back. I attended Mission again
and still do now. We just recently sold the house and moved back into
an apartment downtown, but I'm just happy that I'm doing decent in school
and living with people I want to be with. I'm looking forward to graduation
and really am happy with where I'm at in life right now.
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