Vi Tu Banh fled his homeland of Viet Nam when he was only 9 years old. His family wereaccepted as refugees in Uxbridge, Ontario in 1980. This is his story: flight in a rickety boat; at danger from pirates; landing in Indonesia; life for a year in a crowded refugee camp; a new home in a strange country; integration into society; encountering racism and growing up 'different'. Yet Vi Tu and his siblings have prospered.
Many think that refugees will be a burden on the public purse. Vi Tu and one of his siblings are optometrists. Another is a pharmacist and two others are dentists. They are now employing many people in their Uxbridge community. Vi Tu and one of his brothers are involved in sponsoring and funding a Syrian family in theircommunity. To say he believes in 'paying it forward' is an understatement.
Vi Tu Banh is coming to Owen Sound to share his story and to provide real insight into the refugee experience.
He will be addressing students at OSCVI on Friday April 8th and will be at The Library on Saturday April 9th at 2PM. This is a FREE EVENT.
