Ming Siu's Story
My Vietnamese name is Tieu Minh Phat.
[In] 1978, China and Vietnam started to fight, and the Vietnamese government said that all Chinese people must leave Vietnam. They took away our jobs, our pay, our school, and we had to leave by a certain date. We took a chance at sea.
We followed the coast to Hong Kong, stopping occasionally for food or water, and the journey took one month. We took only the clothes that we were wearing. We had no extra money or gold. We never thought of the danger, we only looked forward to the future and the opportunity.
We arrived in Canada on January 14, 1980…
I was determined to improve my English and get a job as a mechanic.
[But] even with my new [motor mechanics] certificate, I didn’t have any Canadian experience so I still could not get a job.
Finally, in 1991, I joined Calgary City Transit as a Journeyman I – Heavy Duty Mechanic.
Through all the ups and downs, I have always worked for success for my family, and to reach my dream.
Ming Siu, Glenbow Museum
Ming Siu, Glenbow Museum
2005
Calgary, Alberta, CANADA
CHINA
HONG KONG
VIET NAM
© 2006, Ming Siu/Glenbow Museum. All Rights Reserved.
[In] 1978, China and Vietnam started to fight, and the Vietnamese government said that all Chinese people must leave Vietnam. They took away our jobs, our pay, our school, and we had to leave by a certain date. We took a chance at sea.
We followed the coast to Hong Kong, stopping occasionally for food or water, and the journey took one month. We took only the clothes that we were wearing. We had no extra money or gold. We never thought of the danger, we only looked forward to the future and the opportunity.
We arrived in Canada on January 14, 1980…
I was determined to improve my English and get a job as a mechanic.
[But] even with my new [motor mechanics] certificate, I didn’t have any Canadian experience so I still could not get a job.
Finally, in 1991, I joined Calgary City Transit as a Journeyman I – Heavy Duty Mechanic.
Through all the ups and downs, I have always worked for success for my family, and to reach my dream.
Ming Siu, Glenbow Museum
Ming Siu, Glenbow Museum
2005
Calgary, Alberta, CANADA
CHINA
HONG KONG
VIET NAM
© 2006, Ming Siu/Glenbow Museum. All Rights Reserved.
