Overseas Vietnamese Girl Seeks Her Roots

Being such a small girl, Xuan An used to be the leader of 8,000 students while she was studying at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.

Around 7 students were selected to represent for over 50,000 students of the school. All of them were senior students except Xuan An, who was a sophomore o­nly.

She was elected to the post after her presentation o­n her work policies and her convincing answers to the questions asked by inquirers in front of thousands of students.

"I've had a passion for politics since I was a student," she said.  She was very interested in television programs and newspaper articles concerning political affairs.

Naturally, she enrolled in a course o­n political sciences as her o­nly choice in college. Interested in Honourrable Finance Minister Paul Martin's decisive policies which brought benefit to people, she, as a student representative, ran a political campaign to support him as the prime minister. Very impressed with this young lady, the new prime minister had chosen her as his assistant.

Being the youngest Asian employee in the Canadian parliament, the Vietnamese-origin girl works for 15-16 hours a day as she thinks it's better to complete the work than stop work when duty time is over.

At the gathering of the Luu Trong family, many talked proudly of Xuan An at the time when she was assigned as o­ne of those who received the Vietnamese delegation led by former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai in his official visit to Canada. Mr. Khai showed his pleasure when knowing that Xuan An is a Vietnamese.

Though born in Canada, Xuan An could skillfully roll the girdle cake with hemibagrus guttatus and ate it with fish sausage, “Wow, I like Vietnamese dishes so much, my mom cooks them everyday in Canada.”

The stories of the family and relatives told at the dinner-table in Canada have cultivated Vietnamese characteristics in her, making her proud of her family and origin.

Furthermore, her grandfather Luu Trong Kien, a patriot, who sent in his resignation to the King and return home as a way to show his non-cooperation to the royal court. Also other people in her family have greatly contributed to the country so she thinks that she must live and work in a way to deserve the family’s tradition.

One must always understand clearly o­ne's origin, especially when working in a foreign political context, An says.