The CATHOLIC DIOCESE of DODGE CITY

Serving the People of Southwest Kansas

Vietnamese couple among first to arrive in SW Kansas 30 years ago

Than and Lorie Nguyen stand inside their clothing shop, "Kieu’s Fashion," in Garden City. They were the second Vietnamese family to relocate to Garden City following the fall of Saigon in 1975.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By David Myers

Southwest Kansas Register

A century after 300,000 Vietnamese Catholics were slaughtered throughout the 1800s, Lorie and Than Nguyen were among thousands once again fleeing persecution in their homeland.

The couple, who has for nearly 30 years called Garden City home, fled Vietnam in 1975 as Saigon fell, eventually finding themselves among the first Vietnamese families to settle in southwest Kansas.

"There were a lot of priests from France and Spain who were also killed" in the early persecution of Catholics, Than (pronounced "Tan") explained from his clothing store in Garden City. "A cross would be drawn on the ground, and if they didn’t step on the cross, they would be beheaded.

"Many escaped into the Lavang forest," he said, adding, "Mary was with them."

The event is highlighted in the Catholic Encyclopedia:

"On August 17, 1798, King Canh Thinh issued an anti-Catholic edict and an order to destroy all Catholic churches and seminaries. A most grievous persecution of Vietnamese Catholics and missionaries began and lasted until 1886. …The first apparition of the Lady of Lavang was noted in 1798, when the persecution of Vietnamese Catholics began. Many Catholics from the nearby town of Quang Tri sought refuge in the deep forest of Lavang. At night, they often gathered in small groups to say the rosary and to pray. Unexpectedly, one night they were visited by an apparition of a beautiful lady in a long cape, holding a child in her arms, with two angels at her sides. The people recognized the lady as Our Blessed Mother. She comforted them and instructed them on the boiling of leaves from nearby trees to use as medicine. She told them that from that time on, all those who prayed in this place would be heard and answered. The Blessed Mother continued to appear in this same place during nearly 100 years of religious persecution."

Each year the event is commemorated by thousands of Catholics who return to the forest, many seeking healing, Than explained.

Than and Lorie offer their own story of escape, guided just as their ancestors were by the Mother Mary. In 1975, Lorie, then a young newlywed, boarded a fishing boat in her small village in Vietnam, and chugged toward the island of Guam, where she and many other refugees were picked up by an American Naval vessel.

On board was her Naval officer husband, Than, and together with other family members, the two began a journey that would take them from their war-torn homeland and the fall of Saigon, to a new home amid the peace of the Kansas plains.

Upon his arrival to the United States, Than would learn that the plane on which his sister and her family had flown, crashed somewhere into the ocean, killing all on board. In mourning and in a strange land, the couple was first brought to Ft. Chaffee in Arkansas where Lorie gave birth to their first of six children, whom they aptly named, "Chaffee."

When one door closes, another opens, and this door was opened by the good people of St. Mary Parish in Garden City, who sponsored the family, offering them housing and hope.

Despite their warm welcome to Garden City, adapting to their new life in the United States wasn’t easy.

"It was very difficult when we first started," Lorie said. "We had too much trouble with English. We were sent to a school to learn more."

Meanwhile, Than started what would be 12 years of carpentry work before purchasing an Asian food grocery store in the mid-1980s. Even though the Vietnamese population was growing, there wasn’t enough business to keep the store alive. It closed after a year, and Than and Lorie opened "Kieu’s Fashion" clothing store, named for their then-youngest daughter.

Walk into the store and you’ll hear soft rock echoing throughout, but move closer to the counter and the music turns to prayer, as a TV tuned to EWTN softly played the spoken prayers of a group of nuns.

When asked the differences between Vietnam and American cultures, Than first asks if you are referring to pre-Communist Vietnam, or the Vietnam that has existed since 1975.

"Before Communism, it was difficult, but we were free," Lorie said. "Now it is very hard. It’s very hard to get permits to do business. Here it is different. In America, I feel more free."

"We feel at peace here," Than added. "It’s very good."

While the Catholic Church is allowed to exist in Vietnam, priests are subject to strict standards placed by the Communist government, and must obtain permits for nearly any Church-related event. In fact, Than added, Pope John Paul II wanted to visit Vietnam, but the "Communists said no."

The Nguyens have six children, which Lorie said, "seems like a lot in this country. In Vietnam," she said, "it’s not so much. People might have 10 or 12 children."

"We’re Catholic, you know," Than added with a grin.

The village in which she grew up, Lorie said, was tight knit. "Our neighbors were friends," she said. Here, "we try to be friendly, but because we don’t speak English very well, it’s not very easy."

Ten years ago, the Vietnamese community in and around Garden City numbered close to 4,000, Than said. Today that number has dwindled to 300-400, with approximately 60 Catholics. Many adhere to the Budhist faith. Each Sunday at 6 p.m., Father Trong Tran celebrates Mass in Vietnamese at St. Dominic Parish in Garden City.

When asked what the American people could learn from the Vietnamese, Than, referring to the current Communist-governed Vietnam, said, "I think it’s better that we learn from you."