Vietnam is Heaven?

Actually, I've never seen or heard the sentence "Vietnam is heaven"   

Ciambella wrote:

Actually, I've never seen or heard the sentence "Vietnam is heaven".   

Maybe it was in Vietnamese with a strong local accent and you dudn't understand.
It's the same for British people and geordies. 

- A month ago, I listened to a woman who said her family was selling *everything* they owned  (a small farm, some land in the Mekong Delta, and other accumulated personal assets) to send one of their daughters abroad.  The family wasn't financially destitute but they believed that once the daughter settled in a Western country, her income would be more than enough to support herself comfortably and enrich the life of her family in Vietnam.

- The mother of my great niece's BFF asked me why my children remain childless.  I explained that due to their careers, they don't feel they can provide the quality time and proper attention the children would need for 18 or more years.  She said, "But the governments in America and Canada help with child raising, there's no need to worry." 

- There are at least half a dozen articles on Vietnamese media explaining why and how Vietnamese can be very successful living in the States.  The articles said it's easy to save $40k/yr after living expenses and taxes so after as little as 5 years, buying a home is just a simple matter of finding the preferred neighbourhood.  After 10 years?  You're halfway to become a millionaire just in ready cash alone.

A large percentage of Vietnamese I've encountered do know the difference between myth and reality in regards to living and working in another country, and that although they're not rich, they're not poverty-stricken in Vietnamese standard.  The other group, the minority, is either fooled by or allowed themselves to be fooled by the promise of the roads paved in gold elsewhere and they have no hesitation in trying to reach it by *all* means.

Ciambella wrote:

- A month ago, I listened to a woman who said her family was selling *everything* they owned  (a small farm, some land in the Mekong Delta, and other accumulated personal assets) to send one of their daughters abroad.  The family wasn't financially destitute but they believed that once the daughter settled in a Western country, her income would be more than enough to support herself comfortably and enrich the life of her family in Vietnam.

- The mother of my great niece's BFF asked me why my children remain childless.  I explained that due to their careers, they don't feel they can provide the quality time and proper attention the children would need for 18 or more years.  She said, "But the governments in America and Canada help with child raising, there's no need to worry." 

- There are at least half a dozen articles on Vietnamese media explaining why and how Vietnamese can be very successful living in the States.  The articles said it's easy to save $40k/yr after living expenses and taxes so after as little as 5 years, buying a home is just a simple matter of finding the preferred neighbourhood.  After 10 years?  You're halfway to become a millionaire just in ready cash alone.

A large percentage of Vietnamese I've encountered do know the difference between myth and reality in regards to living and working in another country, and that although they're not rich, they're not poverty-stricken in Vietnamese standard.  The other group, the minority, is either fooled by or allowed themselves to be fooled by the promise of the roads paved in gold elsewhere and they have no hesitation in trying to reach it by *all* means.

Can't tell you how many times I tried to explain that you can't really live in the US on a $2600 SS check.

Ciambella wrote:

- A month ago, I listened to a woman who said her family was selling *everything* they owned  (a small farm, some land in the Mekong Delta, and other accumulated personal assets) to send one of their daughters abroad.  The family wasn't financially destitute but they believed that once the daughter settled in a Western country, her income would be more than enough to support herself comfortably and enrich the life of her family in Vietnam.

- The mother of my great niece's BFF asked me why my children remain childless.  I explained that due to their careers, they don't feel they can provide the quality time and proper attention the children would need for 18 or more years.  She said, "But the governments in America and Canada help with child raising, there's no need to worry." 

- There are at least half a dozen articles on Vietnamese media explaining why and how Vietnamese can be very successful living in the States.  The articles said it's easy to save $40k/yr after living expenses and taxes so after as little as 5 years, buying a home is just a simple matter of finding the preferred neighbourhood.  After 10 years?  You're halfway to become a millionaire just in ready cash alone.

A large percentage of Vietnamese I've encountered do know the difference between myth and reality in regards to living and working in another country, and that although they're not rich, they're not poverty-stricken in Vietnamese standard.  The other group, the minority, is either fooled by or allowed themselves to be fooled by the promise of the roads paved in gold elsewhere and they have no hesitation in trying to reach it by *all* means.

WOW scary really ......BUT for some Vietnamese the streets in USA might just look like they are paved with gold. Wanna tell you a story :_

About 2 years ago I met & got talking to an older Vietnames American woman who was in Vietnam on holiday. Comes back for a month every year she told me.....right. So was really interested to hear her life story & it sort of abbreviated like this. Sh had an arranged marriage to a Vietnamese American & moved to the states, not long after her & husband split & divorced, but still shared the same apartment although led separate lives. She worked in a nail salon but her earnings were so low that she received like food stamps from the government ever month I think it was!
Now this same lady when we met was covered in gold (that gaudy big lumps of it that most Vietnamese wear) & diamonds as big as peanuts. Was very well dressed & certainly was not holding back with the spending on her holiday thats for sure!
So their might just be a reason why Vietnamese per sieve the USA as some kind of Shangri la & if they ever got to Canada, Europe or UK they must think they have died & come to heaven!! apart from the weather that is.

Ciambella wrote:

- A month ago, I listened to a woman who said her family was selling *everything* they owned  (a small farm, some land in the Mekong Delta, and other accumulated personal assets) to send one of their daughters abroad.  The family wasn't financially destitute but they believed that once the daughter settled in a Western country, her income would be more than enough to support herself comfortably and enrich the life of her family in Vietnam.

- The mother of my great niece's BFF asked me why my children remain childless.  I explained that due to their careers, they don't feel they can provide the quality time and proper attention the children would need for 18 or more years.  She said, "But the governments in America and Canada help with child raising, there's no need to worry." 

- There are at least half a dozen articles on Vietnamese media explaining why and how Vietnamese can be very successful living in the States.  The articles said it's easy to save $40k/yr after living expenses and taxes so after as little as 5 years, buying a home is just a simple matter of finding the preferred neighbourhood.  After 10 years?  You're halfway to become a millionaire just in ready cash alone.

A large percentage of Vietnamese I've encountered do know the difference between myth and reality in regards to living and working in another country, and that although they're not rich, they're not poverty-stricken in Vietnamese standard.  The other group, the minority, is either fooled by or allowed themselves to be fooled by the promise of the roads paved in gold elsewhere and they have no hesitation in trying to reach it by *all* means.

Yes, I agree and it is just not people from VN, it seems to be the standard fake dream from many foreign countries, they must save face!

One factor may be that the first two waves of Vietnamese to hit the US, war brides and boat people, arrived in the US in the late 70's and early 80's at just the right time to partake in a rapidly expanding economy.  Real estate appreciation, rather than direct savings, is the bulk of these peoples net worth.  I am not saying that they have not invested wisely, but that their success is not automatically repeatable in the present economic climate of the US and probably most other western countries.

THIGV wrote:

One factor may be that the first two waves of Vietnamese to hit the US, war brides and boat people, arrived in the US in the late 70's and early 80's at just the right time to partake in a rapidly expanding economy.  Real estate appreciation, rather than direct savings, is the bulk of these peoples net worth.  I am not saying that they have not invested wisely, but that their success is not automatically repeatable in the present economic climate of the US and probably most other western countries.

I know plenty of Brits who think they are geniuses because they lucked out buying just before the big property boom. It never occurs to them that they're no better off if they're flogging their up-500% house than they would have been, because they then have to buy another up-500% house. Unless they're moving to somewhere like VN of course.

My first girlfiend in VN seriously believed that all foreigners made at least $10k/month, no amount of showing her hard facts about how many Westeners were flat broke and living on credit cards and government handouts would convince her otherwise. 

THIGV wrote:

One factor may be that the first two waves of Vietnamese to hit the US, war brides and boat people, arrived in the US in the late 70's and early 80's at just the right time to partake in a rapidly expanding economy.  Real estate appreciation, rather than direct savings, is the bulk of these peoples net worth.  I am not saying that they have not invested wisely, but that their success is not automatically repeatable in the present economic climate of the US and probably most other western countries.

Good point.

If Vietnamese immigrants have truly embraced the American way, they are taking out lines of credit and refinancing in order to have more cash to spend.

So the Vietnamese immigrant coming home to Vietnam, wanting to put forward the best face , might certainly wear a type of wardrobe and engage in types of activities that imply huge personal wealth.

Smoke and mirrors...

I once sent comments (in Vietnamese) to the reporters of the articles that I mentioned in my earlier post.

Citing Elizabeth Warren's 50/30/20 rule, I wrote that the income must be ~ $180k/yr for the saving to be $40k, and to earn that income, a person must be fluent in the language, has a couple college decrees, a few in-demand skills, and a highly coveted position.  I asked the reporters to list the names of 5 Vietnamese immigrants who have achieved such financial status so the readers can look upon them as role models.

Not one reporter replied to my comments.

Brick23 wrote:

My first girlfiend in VN seriously believed that all foreigners made at least $10k/month, no amount of showing her hard facts about how many Westeners were flat broke and living on credit cards and government handouts would convince her otherwise. 

Just not VN, I experienced the same in other 3td world countries.  They turn on the tv, look, Americans are rich!  Plus, the stories from locals who get to the west and tell them how rich they are, but never provide the real truth behind the struggles most people face in the west.  Thus, you can't win mate.  The only way to convince them is to have them actually live in the West. 

My wife is still shocked at the prices of food, even after living here for a few years.  Now she has the same issue with some extended family that would give their first born to come to America.  She gave up trying to explain because "she is to young and does not know anything". 

The other problem, the human traffickers don't help.  They lie and tell you how wonderful life is in the west, you can get a job etc. etc.  But once you are here, you are illegal and now your ripe for abuse from the same people who were nice and took your money to get you here.  I know, I have talked to these people and it is hell.  So not only do you have to pay them back, you have to pay for your living here and the kicker, family back home thinks your rich so you need to send money!