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In Anh Do’s The Happiest Refugee, the journey represents both the perils and rewards of migration. The book is framed by two boat journeys. The story of the family’s escape from Vietnam on a small fishing boat, told at the beginning of the book, alludes to the perils of migration. This first journey is full of threats, including storms and pirates, which the family barely survives. This voyage encapsulates the family’s vulnerability as refugees who are at the mercy of the forces—both natural and human—that threaten to destroy them. The boat journey that ends the book, however, is very different from the one that begins it. This is a leisurely trip that Anh takes with his wife, three children, and mother through Bobbin Head National Park in Australia, his adoptive home. The sense of gratitude and contentment that Anh feels on this journey through the beautiful Australian scenery points to the potential rewards of migration. By this point in his life, Anh is a successful celebrity in Australia; he leads a secure, happy life with his family, including the mother who had protected him on the perilous boat voyage out of Vietnam. These two boat voyages, therefore, mark contrasting aspects of the migration experience—both its dangers and its rewards. Anh is fortunate in that his own journey of migration ends in happiness and prosperity—and this is reflected it in the peaceful, beautiful boat ride that he takes with his family at the end of the memoir.
The Journey Quotes in The Happiest Refugee
The The Happiest Refugee quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Journey. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 2 Quotes
My extended family pooled all their money, called in favours with friends and relatives and sold everything they had—every possession—just to buy a boat. Getting your hands on a boat was an extremely risky business. They were only available on the black market and anyone caught trying to buy one could be jailed or killed.
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In the aftermath of the Vietnam War, Anh’s family has decided to flee Vietnam. They gather their money together to buy a boat on which they can make their escape. The danger, as well as the sacrifices, that the family must subject themselves to in order to procure the boat point to the difficult and oppressive circumstances under which the family exists in Vietnam. Anh’s family are clearly victims of the poverty that grips the country in the aftermath of the war, given that they have to sell “everything” in order to be able to afford a boat. This poverty, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestia
Back on our boat one of the pirates grabbed hold of the smallest child. He lifted up the baby and ripped open the child’s nappy. A tiny slice of gold fell out. The pirate picked up the metal and wantonly dangled the baby over the side of the boat, threatening to throw the infant in. My father screamed at the top of his lungs, “We must save the child! We will fight to the death to SAVE THE CHILD!”
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Over thirty members of Anh’s family end up cramped on a small fishing boat in the middle of the ocean as they flee their native Vietnam. The journey does not go smoothly: the family is hijacked by pirates—twice. During this second pirate attack, the pirates are ruthless and threatening. They search and strip the family of all valuables, and even search baby Khoa, Anh’s younger brother. One of the pirates threatens to kill the infant by dropping him into the ocean. This frightening moment reveals the extent of the violence that the family faces during their boat journey. The family Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserun
As their boat veered away, one of the pirates did something strange. He was a young kid according to my uncles, no more than eighteen years old, and had been less aggressive throughout the whole encounter. Suddenly and for no apparent reason he threw us a gallon of water.
That water saved our lives.
You can’t drink jewelry or eat gold teeth caps, but that water meant everything because it bought us an extra day. That second pirate attack saved our lives.
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In relating the second brutal pirate attack that the family suffered on their boat escape from Vietnam, Anh tells of the lucky moment when, as the pirates are finally departing, one of the them throws the family water. Anh’s emphasis on the fact that the water “saved [their] lives,” points to the role that luck and serendipity played in the family’s survival. The pirate’s generosity in throwing the family water is completely unexpected—especially given how brutal the pirates had behaved towards the family, stealing their things, and even threatening, at one point, to kill Anh’s baby brother Khoa. Given these Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus t
Chapter 3 Quotes
“What a great country!”
Almost every day we discovered something else that made Mum and Dad shake their heads at how lucky we’d been. If you got sick, you could go to the doctor for free. If you couldn’t get a job straight away, the government gave you some money to help you get by.
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Anh and his family have recently landed in Australia, the country which has offered them shelter as refugees after their perilous escape from Vietnam. Anh’s parents are continually amazed by the privileges and resources they find in their new home. The amazement and happiness of Anh’s parents at the privileges of Australia contrast sharply with the destitution and deprivation that the family suffered under back in Vietnam. There, the family was stuck in poverty and also suffered under oppressive political conditions. In this regard, Australia represents the fulfillment of all their hopes: here, they find the resources of support—government benefits, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde
Chapter 6 Quotes
Uncle Three passed out and woke up on a beach in Malaysia. After searching desperately for other survivors he found Uncle Nine alive. Eventually they found the dead bodies of uncles Five and Seven.
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Anh recounts the tragic fate of two of his father’s brothers—Uncles Five and Seven. They had attempted to escape Vietnam by boat, setting out six months earlier than Anh and his family. They were accompanied by brothers Three and Nine. On their journey, they were hijacked by pirates, who sunk their boat. Only two of the brothers—Three and Nine—survived the shipwreck. While Anh and his family are also hijacked by pirates during their escape, they are lucky enough not to have their boat sunk, and it is for this reason—among many other lucky breaks—that they manage to survive the journey. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque
Chapter 10 Quotes
Dad volunteered to go, but Uncle One insisted that Dad should stay and wait, and that he’d go. So Dad and Uncle One split up the boat money between the two of them, and Uncle One went with the men, while Dad waited. An hour later . . . no Uncle One. An hour and a half later . . . no Uncle One.
“I had an ill feeling in my stomach, Anh, like something was wrong.” Dad looked up to the ceiling, and his face turned a deep red. “I felt an urge to go down the track, to see what had happened . . . in fact, as soon as Uncle One left with them, I felt an urge to track behind them.”
I listened stunned.
“I didn’t follow. I just waited.”
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One night, during a visit to Melbourne, Anh’s father tells him about the death of his older brother, Uncle One. Uncle One was supposed to accompany the family on their escape from Vietnam. Shortly beforehand however, he is murdered when he went with Tam to purchase a boat for the journey. Uncle One’s murder alludes to the fact that fortune is central to the fates of many of Anh’s family members. While some, like Anh’s father and the rest of the family, are visited by good luck during crucial moments of their escape from Vietnam, others, like Uncle One, are Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis c
Chapter 11 Quotes
There were a bunch of speeches and then the prime minister stepped up to the microphone.
“The 2005 Young Australian of the Year is . . . Khoa Do!”
Jesus Christ! Khoa’s done it. My brother just won Young Australian of the Year.
Khoa, the baby dangled over the side of the boat by the pirates, the toddler that Mum dressed in little girls’ dresses, the fat kid who thought the homeless woman was going to eat him… had just won Young Australian of the Year.
Mum was bawling tears of happiness.
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After Anh and Khoa volunteer with at-risk kids, Anh is so impressed by Khoa’s devotion to the children that he decides to nominate him for the prestigious Young Australian of the Year Award. To the delight of the family, Khoa wins. Khoa’s winning of the award marks a milestone not only in Khoa’s life, but in the life of the family. On one level, the award—which is competitive and prestigious—signals Khoa’s success in his adopted country. It signals acceptance by an Australia that has at times been hostile towards the family. On another level, the award marks not only how Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Vo
We handed them the big cheque and Daniel gave me a hug, his tears wetting my ear and my neck.
“Thank you, Anh. We’ve got the money to look after Sarah now . . . my wife’s going to be okay now . . . thank you.”
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On the show “Deal or No Deal,” Anh wins $200,000. The money will go to a man, Daniel, who is struggling to provide for and look after his ill wife and two children. Anh surprises Daniel and his wife at home, carrying the check for $200,000. Many of the television shows that Anh participates in as his celebrity grows involve charity. As such, Anh leverages his stardom to help others who are struggling, such as Daniel and his wife Sarah. The encounter with Daniel and Sarah reveals Anh’s altruistic tendencies. Like his mother and his brother Khoa, Anh commits himself Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perfere
Chapter 12 Quotes
I look across the water and am mesmerised by the beauty of this magnificent setting. My parents set off on a boat trip many years ago to provide their children and grandchildren a better life. And here we are, thanks to them, enjoying this perfect day. In that moment I know I am happy. I look up to the blue sky and give thanks.
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On a sunny day, Anh, his wife Suzie, his three sons, and his mother take a trip to Bobbin National Park in Australia. In the park, they board a boat to take in the beautiful scenery from the water. This last scene of the memoir brings Anh’s life story full-circle. Sitting on a boat, Anh reflects on the initial boat journey that brought him and his parents to Australia from Vietnam. While that initial journey was dangerous, this boat journey in the park is about enjoyment and leisure. It marks how far Anh and his family have come from the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissi
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The Journey Symbol Timeline in The Happiest Refugee
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Journey appears in The Happiest Refugee. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...carry out the purchase secretly. Anh’s father huddles together with Anh’s uncles, planning the family’s escape from Vietnam on the boat. Anh’s father is charged with navigating a smaller boat through...
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...patrols, the entire family makes it safely to the “Motherfish.” The first morning of their voyage, they must cross the border into international waters—one of the most dangerous parts of the...
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On the second day of the journey, the family faces their second major test: a huge storm picks up. The women and...
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A boy named Loc, who has been sent by his mother on the voyage, has been having a hard time dealing with the cramped, difficult conditions on board the...
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On the fifth day of the voyage, the family spots another boat on the horizon. This time they are fearful because of...
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Chapter 6
...Vietnam with UnclesFive, Seven, and Nine six months before Anh and his family made their voyage of escape. On the journey, Anh’s uncles had also been caught by pirates—who sank their...
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Chapter 10
...had gone together to purchase the boat on which the family was to make their escape from Vietnam. When they met the three men from whom they were supposed to purchase...
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...He had also been terrified while guiding the family on the “Motherfish” boat during their escape from Vietnam.
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Chapter 11
...same child who had almost lost his life on the “Motherfish,” when, during the family’s escape from Vietnam, he had been dangled over the edge of the boat by pirates.
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Chapter 12
...boat pulls away, Anh reflects on the fact that his parents had undertaken a perilous journey decades earlier, to provide him and his siblings with a good life. As he enjoys...
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