A Journey To Hope

Story by: Chuckua Yang

1980-1981

Life in the refugee camp and Third World assignment

Since we were able to cross the Mekong River into Thailand, escaped communism, there were more obstacles in the refugee camps that we faced.  Ban Vinai was one of the biggest camps about five square kilometers surrounded with barb wires and house to the majority of 50,000 people. The houses were built to house many families in one building, each family had one room. Cooking was done in the corners because of limited space. Many families had to share houses, about eight or more families would have to live under one roof. In some cases getting out of the house was pretty difficult; there was only one front door to enter and to exit through. In order to get out the front door they had to go through other family member’s rooms. The conditions were harsh, and there was no sanitation. Life was hard and like imprisonment.

       Nobody was allowed to leave the premises. If anyone was caught sneaking out, they will be punished and/or beaten badly by Thai guards. Thai guards had lots of power, they could punish anyone they wanted. Also they were those who helped distribute food donated by the United Nations, some of the foods were old and made many people sick. My family was among those trapped and fears of many obstacles may happen and could wait until our turn to interview for the chance to move onto the third world country USA. 

When I first got to the refugee camp, I had submitted an application (documents) to the ICEM for the third world and impatiently waited until March 3, 1980, when my name was post on a billboard for the first time to interview; our hope was to the US. Luckily, in the morning of February 11, 1981, while the sun was rising, an announcement was made and my name with the T#451832 came from a loud speakers which mouth to a post in the central of the camp that deliver messages to the refugees, said, “you needed to prepare and be at the soccer field to meet the bus on February 18, 1981, for your third world destination.” Of course, my family had nothing to prepare but was excited and impatiently waited. At 8:00 A.M. February 18, 1981, my family climbs up into a bus and leaved for camp Chonburi, Phanatnikhon to get ready. There some important procedure’s needed to be done such as health scan, checkup, x-ray, and blood tests done to make sure everyone’s healthy, no virus and any others disease, and to wait for the PASSPORT I-94 to arrive from the INS for permission to travel to the new world. In the early morning 1:00 A.M. on March 25, 1981, was the last time that my family was steps into a TWA flight #22581 to the US, and will never forget the horrible things that we were face back in Laos and in the Refugee Camp of Thailand. Praise God, we arrived safely to SFO International Airport on March 25, 1981, at the same day we have departure because Thailand was one day ahead. My first reaction in the US was if this is “HEAVEN?” the same was to the family. We’d stay in San Francisco for two days and reached to our destiny Loveland, Colorado in the night of March 27, 1981.