Library Information - Reading: The Happiest Refugee

MY PARENTS ARE known as members of the ‘first generation' of Vietnamese refugees, who came to Australia after the Vietnam War. I, however, am known as part of the ‘1.5 generation'. Born in Vietnam, made in Australia.
By Pauline Nguyen
Selected for Best Australian Essays 2010

A surge in Vietnamese immigration to Australia after the Vietnam War was the first test for multiculturalism after the White Australia Policy ended.

On 26 April 1976, the first boatload of refugees fleeing Vietnam sailed into Darwin Harbour, heralding a series of arrivals over the next few years.
The vast majority of refugees from Vietnam, however, arrived in Australia by plane after selection by Australian officials in refugee camps established throughout South-East Asia.
Since 1976, Australia has become home to a thriving Vietnamese community. In 2011, the national census showed that 185,000 people in Australia were born in Vietnam.

The Happiest Refugee is an immigrant narrative from popular Australian comedian Anh Do. Do is known for his stand-up comedy routines and infectious humor, and uses his ability to connect with an audience through humor while recounting his journey from Vietnam to Australia in this memoir. The memoir paints the comedian in an entirely new light for his followers as well, and has helped to propel Do into the spotlight as a survivor who takes an active role in giving back to the community that has accepted him and given his family so much, just as his mother encouraged him and the rest of the family to do. As such, the narrative beautifully paints Do’s gratitude towards his adopted country, and works as a written treatise in espousing how to overcome obstacles and use celebrity to help others.