Teacher support materials to use with
-
Brief Plot Summary
Discussion Questions
Historical Drawings and Photos for Discussion
Detailed Plot Summary
Historical Background
What Did You Read? – Form
Book Report – Form
Word Play Activity
Fill in the Blanks Review Activity
Answer Key
Brief Plot Summary
The Family from Vietnam. As 1975 begins, Vietnam is a divided country. The North, with its
capital in Hanoi, is a communist country under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. The South, with its
capital in Saigon, is supported by the United States. At the end of April 1975, Saigon is about to fall to the
Communists. The Nguyen family, Mai and Set and their three children, need to escape because their uncle
has worked for the Americans. They manage to escape by helicopter from the roof of the U.S. Embassy,
but they are separated. Mai and two children are sent to Guam, while Set and their son Vinh are sent to
the Phillipines where Vinh becomes sick and dies. Mai with her two children are sent to a refugee camp,
Fort Indiantown Gap, in Pennsylvania. At the same time, Set is living with a sponsor family in California.
Separated by 2,500 miles Mai and Set begin to adapt to American culture. After many months, Set learns
that his family is in Pennsylvania. He hitchhikes across the country, and at last they are re-united. They and
their children go on to live very successful lives.
Think about it
The Family from Vietnam
Discussion Questions
Chapter 1
Time to Leave (page 1)
1. What do you know about the war in Vietnam?
2. If you had to leave your home fast, what would you take with you?
3. Why do you think the uncle took the house keys and bank numbers?
Chapter 2
The Airlift (page 10)
1. Have you or someone in your family had to move away from your “roots” because of war or other dangers?
2. Is it easier or harder to make decisions when you are in danger? Why?
3. If you were Mai, how would you feel inside the helicopter?
Chapter 3
Out to Sea (page 15)
1. What makes you feel safe?
2. Do you think that children should know about their parents’ problems? Why or why not? When?
3. Mai’s “words were not her thoughts.” What does that mean?
Chapter 4
Guam (page 19)
1. What does it mean to “make the best of” something?
2. Why did Mai bring flowers for her children?
3. What is it like to be a refugee?
4. How important are good friends?
5. How important is hope?
Chapter 5
The Gap (page 24)
1. This story takes place in the 1970s. From what countries are many of today’s refugees?
2. What can people do to carry on their lives in a strange new place?
3. If you were far from home, what is one story you would tell about home?
4. What is it like to learn a new language?
Chapter 6
The Sponsor (page 29)
1. Why was it so hard for Mai to leave her friend Oanh?
2. What is a sponsor (for refugees)?
3. When you first meet new people, how do you know if you like them or not?
Chapter 7
California (page 34)
1. What do you know that Set and Mai don’t know?
2. Set learns by asking a lot of questions. How do you learn?
3. Try to show someone how to play your favorite game.
Chapter 8
New Home (page 39)
1. Are there girls’ toys and boys’ toys?
2. How do you feel about taking help from other people?
3. What are you thankful for?
Chapter 9
New Job (page 44)
1. What is your favorite kind of weather?
2. Why did Mai take the job after the man said it wasn’t nice work? What does it mean to be “willing”?
3. What is kindness?
4. How are Mai and Set’s thoughts about past, present, and future the same?
Chapter 10
New Hope (page 50)
1. Why do children often do better than adults in a new place?
2. How were Mai’s and Set’s stories about leaving Vietnam the same and different?
3. Mai cries two kinds of tears. What does that mean?
Chapter 11
A Big Country (page 56)
1. What kind of transportation do you like? Why?
2. Hitchhiking is not legal in every state. If it is legal in your state, would you do it? Why or why not? (See http://hitchwiki.org/en/United_States_of_America for more information.)
3. What do both Mai and Set want to do for their family?
4. What keeps you going toward a goal?
Chapter 12
Family (page 61)
1. Mai and Set both have great patience. What is patience? Do you have it?
2. What do you think about most: yesterday, today, or tomorrow?
3. What do you think will happen to this family in the years to come?
Chapter 13
Years Go By (page 66)
1. Are you surprised at anything that happened to the Nguyen family?
2. Do you have a family, whether or not you are related to each other? What part does family play in your life?
3. What are some reasons people leave their home and settle in another country?
The Family from Vietnam
Historical Drawings and Photos for Discussion
There are many sources for photos of the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon. Here a North Vietnamese
tank rolls through the gate of the Presidential Palace in Saigon, marking the fall of South Vietnam to
Communist forces on April 30, 1975.
The illustration on the cover of The Family from Vietnam shows the tanks in front of the Presidential
Palace, and the baracks at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. The drawing on page iv is based on the
iconic photo of a helicopter evacuating U. S. supporters from the roof of the American Embassy. The
original photo is widely available on Wikipedia and Google.
Depending on who is writing history, the fall of Saigon is also called the liberation of Saigon; The Presidential
Palace is now called Reunification Palace. After the war, Saigon, the capital city of colonial Vietnam, was
renamed Ho Chi Minh City, and the country was unified under Communist rule.
Two good sources for historical information and classic photos of the war, including the photo above, are:
http://www.vintag.es/2011/02/35-years-after-fall-vietnam-war-in.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Saigon
Discussion of the fair use of iconic photos: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tianasquare.jpg
Reunification Palace today. © Kennytsang/Dreamstime.com
An iconic Department of Defense photo of Vietnamese refugees on an American aircraft carrier
Google: Saigon falls to communist forces.
School at Fort Indiantown Gap
Here are a few photos from Fort Indiantown Gap when it was used for Vietnamese refugees. Anne Miller, a friend of
Tana Reiff ’s, contributed them for this supplement. She was teaching 6- and 7-year-olds. Her class was much larger
than is shown in this class photo, but by the time the picture was taken most of the families had been sponsored out.
Anne is seen sitting in the front row of the photo and (below) playing catch with students. The young woman at
top right was an interpreter. Anne wrote to explain the pictures, “At Indiantown Gap, I was hired as an art resource
specialist, but three days into the Interim School a second
grade teacher quit because she was overwhelmed. Even back
in those days, there wasn’t money to provide art classes
for refugees. I put a bid in for the classroom because it was
really about teaching some English and acclimating the
children. It was the best teaching experience of my entire
life, and back then we didn’t even have the acronym, ESL,
yet. I was crying on the last day when they closed the school
down. I was way too attached. The photographer’s name was
Chuck (Charles) Isaac.”
This child’s drawing, by a little boy in Anne’s class named Quynh, shows his school in Vietnam and
an explosion somewhere nearby. All of the children are running away.
For more history and photos of Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Indiantown_Gap
http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-2D5
Historic Fort Indiantown Gap dates back to 1755. During World War II it was used by the modern military.
This historic 1940 postcard shows soldiers returning from a hike. The baracks were later used for refugees.
Today over 177,000 National Guard personnel are trained annually at the Gap. It is also a national cemetery.
•
© Ruslan Olinchuk/Dreamstime.com
The United States of America
Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania


Camp Pendleton,
California
Map of USA © Raissa Nugumanova/Dreamstime.com
The Family from Vietnam
Detailed Plot Summary
April 29, 1975. The Nguyen family waits anxiously in their home in a village in
South Vietnam. On TV, they see the North Vietnamese army coming closer and closer.
Villages are burned; many people are killed. The army is approaching the Vietnamese
capital, Saigon. The Americans are helping people escape from the country. People are
leaving by boat, plane, and helicopter.
Mai and Set Nguyen do not want to leave Vietnam. They have a house and jobs.
Mai is a teacher; Set is a doctor. They have money in the bank; they have three children.
The oldest is Vinh, a boy. The second boy is Bao. Their daughter, Thi, is very small. The
whole family is in danger because their uncle works for the Americans.
There is noise in the streets. Someone is banging on their door. Fearfully, they
open the door. It is their uncle with his car. He tells them to get in the car. Their uncle
takes their house key and bank numbers and takes them to Saigon There is confusion
everywhere. At the embassy, helicopters are taking people from the embassy roof to ships
out at sea.
Set’s uncle leaves them in the car for two hours. He returns to say they can enter
the embassy and leaves them. When they get to the embassy the gates are closed so they
climb the wall. The US marines let them into the embassy building and they go up to
the roof. A Marine pulls Mai, Bao, and Thi into the helicopter. The door closes and the
helicopter lifts off, but without Set and Vinh.
The helicopter takes them to a U.S. Navy ship. They are at sea for six days. There
is only a little food and water, and the sun is very hot on the open deck. Mai worries and
thinks about how nice life had been in Vietnam. Now everything is changed. She wonders
where Set and Vinh are. They are on another ship going to the Phillipines.
The ship takes Mai and the children to Guam. They stay there for two weeks in old
army buildings. Mai looks everywhere for Set and Vinh, but they are not there. She meets
a woman named Oanh, who tries to give her some comfort. Oanh explains to Mai that
they will be going to the United States as refugees.
Mai and Oanh and their families leave Guam together and fly to California. They
wait in California. After two weeks they go to Fort Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania. “The
Gap” is an old army base that has been fixed up as a refugee center. They will stay there
until they have a sponsor. Mai still searches for Set and Vinh, but nobody knows anything
about them.
Life goes on at the Gap. Oanh’s mother dies, Bao goes to school, and both children
play with other children and learn new games. Mai begins to learn English and make new
friends. But still there is no word about Set and Vinh.
Three months after coming to the Gap, Mai learns that she has a sponsor in
Lancaster, a place near the Gap. She is sad to leave Oanh, but she is happy that she will
have a home. The sponsor family’s name is Baker. Mister Baker brings Mai and the
children to his home in Lancaster.
At this time, Set is in California. He is taking English classes and working in a
nursing home while living with a family. Set is a fast learner and he wants to learn about
his new country and he wants to become a doctor again. He becomes especially interested
in baseball. For Set there is no turning back. For now, his future is in California.
At first, Mai and the children live with the Bakers and their four children. The
children play together, and Mrs. Baker finds a school where Mai can learn more English.
Bao also goes to school and soon they are able to talk with the Bakers. Then one day the
Bakers find a sponsor for Oanh and her family. They are coming to Lancaster, too. Now
Mai will have a Vietnamese friend.
Mr. Baker finds a small apartment for Mai and the children. They move in and the
Bakers give them many things such as beds, a table, and chairs. Mr. Baker pays the rent
for them. Mai is thankful, but she feels she is getting too much help from them. Her life in
Lancaster is much better than in the refugee camp but it is different. She has no husband,
no job, and no car. She places an ad in a Vietnamese newspaper as a way to find Set. She
finds a job at a chicken farm. As she works, she thinks about Vietnam, but she realizes her
life is now here.
One day Mai finds a letter in her mailbox. It is from Set! She reads it to the
children. Set says that he saw her ad. He explains that he and Vinh went to the Phillipines
where they both got sick and Vinh died. He then went to California. It is beautiful here, he
says, but he is coming to Pennsylvania. Set hitchhikes cross country. Mai cries sad tears for
her lost son and happy tears for her found husband. And she smiles a real smile.
Mai is so happy to get Set’s letter. She waits. After eight days she sees a man
walking down the street. She wonders if it is Set. The doorbell rings. The children run to
the door, but at first they are not sure who it is. He picks them up; then they know. Then
he sees Mai. They hold each other close for a long time. Thi says, “I’m hungry,” and at last
they are together at breakfast. They have so much to tell each other, and there is hope for
the future in their hearts.
In the years that follow Set becomes a doctor again. Mai teaches English as a
second language, the children become doctors, marry, and have children. When Set and
Mai retire they go back to Vietnam for a visit. They see many changes, but many things
have not changed, and it helps them remember where they have come from and where
they are now – the family from Vietnam.
The Family from Vietnam
Historical Background
Vietnam today is an independent country in Southeast Asia. It borders
on China, Laos, and Cambodia. The latter two, with Vietnam, were colonized
by the French in 1887 and were known as Indochina. Once a beautiful and
peaceful country, it became a devastated land as a result of 30 years of civil and
international war.
At the end of World War II, after occupation by Japan, Ho Chi Minh led a
fight for independence from France. The French were defeated at the battle of Dien
Bien Phu, and in 1954, the country became independent, but it was divided into
two countries, communist North Vietnam and South Vietnam, supported by the
United States because of the communist threat to the north.
The Communist North, however, continued to struggle to gain control
of the entire country. The leadership of the South was unable to fight off the
Communists causing the United States to become more involved. By 1965 the
United States was sending more and more army units to South Vietnam.
The powerful US military, however, was unable to stop the Communists, and as
U.S. losses increased, the war became very unpopular at home in the U.S. As a
result, in 1973 the United States began withdrawing its military forces, until in late
April, 1975, the Communists were threatening the capital of the South, Saigon.
The last days of April witnessed an enormous evacuation of international
and Vietnamese people. The United States under the leadership of President
Gerald Ford tried to help the Vietnamese who had ties to the United States
military occupation. Thousands left by ship and plane until the final days when
the Tan Son Nhut airbase became unusable and helicopters flew round the clock
from Saigon to ships waiting offshore. It is estimated that 90,000 Vietnamese were
evacuated from Saigon.
The first stop for the refugees was either Guam or the Philipines, where
large refugee camps were established on Bataan and Palaman. After processing,
the refugees were flown to California, where a refugee camp was established
at Camp Pendleton near San Diego. Over 30,000 people passed through Camp
Pendleton. Among other refugee camps, Fort Indiantown Gap became a
temporary home for over 20,000 people. By 1978, 130,000 Vietnamese had been
resettled in the United States.
After the fall of Saigon, a second wave of Vietnamese began leaving
Vietnam between 1978 and the mid 1980s. They were often referred to as “The
Boat People,” because many of them escaped on boats to refugee camps in
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Phillipines.
There are now almost two million Vietnamese-Americans in The United
States. The largest concentration of Vietnamese-Americans is in California, with
100,000 in San José alone. Other states with significant numbers of VietnameseAmericans are Texas, Washington, Florida, and Virginia. Although a high
percentage of them have become naturalized citizens, the US census reports that
among the languages spoken at home, Vietnamese is fourth after English, Spanish,
and Chinese.
Name ____________________________________________
What Did You Read?
Write the answers to these questions about The Family from Vietnam.
1. How many people were there in the family? __________________
2. What did their uncle take from them? ______________________
3. Where did they board the helicopters? ______________________
4. Where did Mai, Bao, and Thi go after they landed on the ship?
__________________________________________________________
and who did Mai meet there? ____________________________
5.Where did Set and Vinh go? ______________________________
6.What happened to Vinh? _________________________________
7.In what state is Fort Indiantown Gap? _______________________
8.Where did Mai’s sponsor live? _____________________________
9.Where did Mai work? ___________________________________
10. How did Set find out about Mai and the children? __________________________________________
11.How did Set get to Pennsylvania? __________________________
__________________________________________
See the answers on the answers page.
Book Review
Book Title ________________________________________________
Student’s Name ____________________________________________
The people in this book came from_____________________________
I read this book because _____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Is this book interesting? Why or why not? _______________________
___________________________________________________________
The best part of the story is ___________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
The worst part of the story is __________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
My favorite person in the story is ______________________________
because __________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
The main thing I learned from this book is that ___________________
_____________________________________________________________
Too many hard words? yes no Examples: ________________________
Too many long sentences? yes no Examples: _____________________
_____________________________________________________________
The length of the books is: too long / too short / about right
Tell a friend to read this book?
yes / no
Why? ________________
_____________________________________________________________
Name ____________________________________________
Word Play: Fill in the Gaps
Using the past tense, fill in the blanks.
1. Vietnam ________ a divided country.
2. South Vietnam ________ supported by the United States.
3. The family needed ________ escape.
4. Their uncle ________ worked for the Americans.
5. They managed ________ escape by helicopter.
6. The family ________ separated.
7. Mai and her children ________ sent to Guam.
8. Vinh ____________ sick and died.
9. Set ________ living in California.
10. They began ________ adapt to American culture.
11. At last they ________ reunited in Pennsylvnia.
12. The Nguyens went on ________ live successful lives.
Fill in the Blanks
Review Activity
As 1975 begins, Vietnam is a divided country. The North,
with its capital __________ Hanoi, is a communist country
under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. The South, __________
its capital in Saigon, is supported __________ the United
States. __________ the end of April 1975, Saigon is about to
fall to the Communists. The Nguyen family, Mai and Set and
their three children, need to escape because their uncle has
worked __________ the Americans. They manage to escape
__________ helicopter from the roof of the U.S. Embassy,
but they are separated. Mai and two children are sent to
Guam, while Set and their son Vinh are sent __________
the Phillipines where Vinh becomes sick and dies. Mai with
her two children are sent __________ a refugee camp, Fort
Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania. At the same time, Set is
living __________ a sponsor family in California. Separated
by 2,500 miles Mai and Set begin to adapt to American
culture. After many months, Set learns that his family is
__________ Pennsylvania. He hitchhikes __________ the
country, and at last they are re-united. They and their children
go on to live very successful lives.
Full text of the fill in the blanks
review activity
As 1975 begins, Vietnam is a divided country. The North,
with its capital in Hanoi, is a communist country under
the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. The South, with its capital
in Saigon, is supported by the United States. At the end of
April 1975, Saigon is about to fall to the Communists. The
Nguyen family, Mai and Set and their three children, need
to escape because their uncle has worked for the Americans.
They manage to escape by helicopter from the roof of the
U.S. Embassy, but they are separated. Mai and two children
are sent to Guam, while Set and their son Vinh are sent to
the Phillipines where Vinh becomes sick and dies. Mai with
her two children are sent to a refugee camp, Fort Indiantown
Gap in Pennsylvania. At the same time, Set is living with a
sponsor family in California. Separated by 2,500 miles Mai
and Set begin to adapt to American culture. After many
months, Set learns that his family is in Pennsylvania. He
hitchhikes across the country, and at last they are re-united.
They and their children go on to live very successful lives.
Answer Key
“What Did You Read?” questions are objective in nature; however, in some cases the answers may not
be derived from the book verbatim. The answers given below are intended as guidelines to be used in
conjunction with the teacher’s judgement that the question has been satisfactorily answered. The answers
to the “Word Play” exercise should be exactly as given in this answer key, except where specifically noted.
What Did You Read?
1. five
2. their house key and bank numbers
3. on the roof of the American Embassy
4. Guam; Oanh
5. the Phillipines
6. he got sick and died
7. Pennsylvania
8. Lancaster, Pennsylvania
9. at a chicken farm
10. from an ad in a Vietnamese newspaper
11. he hitchhiked across the country
Word Play: Fill in the Blanks
1. was
7. were
2. was
8. became
3. to
9. was
4. had
10.to
5. to
11. were
Fill in the Blanks Review
in,
with,
by,
At,
for,
by,
to,
to,
with,
in,
across
6. was
12. to