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It All Began Here....

As many of you know, this whole trip began because our beloved Mrs. DeMarco is adopted from Vietnam.  Our overall goal is to research her heritage and another culture in order to bring back cultural empathy to our classes and refer back to it within our teachings.  Recently, Mrs. DeMarco wrote about what makes America so special to her.  Within this, she tells her story.  Please read and ENJOY!

My name is Hoang Thi Thanh, now known as Kim Elizabeth DeMarco. I was born February 10, 1972 in Quan Tri, Vietnam. I was adopted at the age of two years old to an American family, from New Fairfield, CT, on July 28, 1973.

 
At the time I was born the Vietnam War was in process and the communist were planning to take over Vietnam. My birth mother, who we assume was Vietnamese and my birth father, whom we believe was an American soldier, were either imprisoned or killed in the war.

I was soon found in a bombed village, by Sister Marie Angela. She found me in a small thatched hut camouflaged in mud and hay. She did not know how long I was there, but knew I did not eat for days.

Sister Marie Angela brought me to an orphanage in Da Nang, called Sacred Heart Orphanage. The orphanage was run by an organization called Friends of Vietnam, where American doctors and French nuns took care of me. At this orphanage I was renamed Marie Noel.  Sister Mari Angela was in constant communication with my soon to be adopted parents.

Sister RoseMary Taylor was in charge of most of the orphanages in Vietnam. She came to Vietnam from Australia not knowing what she was getting herself into. She was in charge of finding homes to all of the children of war who were abandoned from their mothers.

In the meantime, my soon to be adopted parents in the United States were having many difficulties with the adoption papers. They continued with the battle and were determined to adopt a boy or a girl. It did not matter to them whether they adopted a boy or a girl, what mattered to them was they were saving a child’s life from war.

Soon, the communist came up North, and the orphanage that I was in had to be quickly abandoned. My soon to be adopted parents thought they had lost me, since there was no contact with the nuns for months. I was supposed to come to the United States at the age of three months old, I was now going onto the age of one and a half and still in Vietnam.

In the meantime, my soon to be adopted parents had to complete all paper work sight unseen. They had to get a power of attorney to state why I did not have a birth certificate. “ August 16, 1972, at 10am, before me, Dang Xuan Thani, Judge of the Quang Nam Court of First Instance, in Da Nang, in my chambers, assisted by Mr. Do Xuan Lau, Court Clerk”. This is where they were able to complete a birth certificate substitute. On the papers that my adopted parents saved for me it stated, “ Hoang Thi Thanh, female Vietnames citizen, was born February 10, 1972 in Quang Tri to unknown parents.”  It also states how they can not produce a birth certificate for the orphaned child, because vital statistics records at her birth place have been destroyed and the original lost due to the circumstances of war”. Once this was complete they were in the process of getting me a passport and a Visa.

Since the Communist were coming the Nuns moved me from Sacred Heart Orphange to Kim-Long Orphanage then to another orphanage called AM Nursery, from there I was moved again to Allambie 2 Orphanage in Ho Chi Mingh City (Saigon). I stayed at the orphanage until it was my time to depart to the states. I was one of the last planes to leave from Saigon before the war became really bad. I was escorted from Vietnam by Frank and Evelyn Zember. I first flew to France with the other orphans and then on to the United States, JFK airport.

When I arrived at John F. Kennedy airport there were many people waiting for their children.  My adopted parents along with their 2 natural born sons welcomed me with open arms. Both sets of my grandparents were also there to welcome me with love, warmth and affection.

It took a very long time to assimilate into a new country and family. I cried all of the time and did not know how to speak any English. My parents did not know what to feed me and therefore fed me rice and then gradually fed me American food. My adopted mom would tell me stories about how she would find food hidden in my crib, and how she would constantly try to explain to me how there always will be food for me. I would eat off of everyone else's plates even every last morsel. Having an abundant amount of food was very rare for me. I had many fears such as starvation, sleeping in the dark and staying in a crib. When I would hear the sound of thunder I would scream and cry, which my parents believes was a reminder of the war.

I was very fortunate to come to the United States very healthy. I only had an extended stomach, which was from malnutrition. Most of the other children arrived to the United States very sick with some kind of diseases, which all adopted parents were prepared for.

My parents continue to tell me stories about my birth and arrival into the United States. They explained how obedient I was. For example, when I was told to sit, I sat and never moved. My mom would come in 15 minutes later, and there I was in the same position.

On February 17, 1990, I was sworn in at the Bridgeport, CT Judicial Court as a United States Citizen. This was the most exciting day for me. I was officially a legal citizen of the United States! I had to wait until I was 18 years old to become a United States Citizen. Seeing the American flag waving in front of me meant so much. It meant freedom, it meant I have many opportunities ahead of me. Every stripe every star reminded me of a land of opportunity. I was not able to vote, get a job, but most of all have a sense of belonging. I received  many flags that day, which I still have today. Every flag that was given to me represents what I have gone through in life and what I have become today.

Today I am a 5th grade Elementary School teacher who not only follows the common core curriculum, but I follow the truth to my heart, my love for teaching! The truth to my heart means to allow my students to understand how life can throw you curve balls, but never ever let that get in the way. I explain what the word perseverance means and how to honor our American Flag! The flag waves freely, standing straight and tall. It leads you into the right direction ! Thank you America for giving me a second chance in life!

By: Kim DeMarco