Gia Hoa Ryan 40th anniversary
Sai Gon Plaza
November 5, 2011
Page 3 - Gia Hoa Ryan Family and Remarks

Among the hundreds of dignitaries, community leaders and friends celebrating with Gia Hoa Ryan on her 40th anniversary in the US were many family members.

Gia Hoa Ryan with family

Linda Mia Shea, Gia Hoa Ryan's daughter

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Gia Hoa Ryan's son Thomas J. (T.J.) Ryan

Gia Hoa Ryan family members

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It's a great honor for me to have each and every one of you here with me tonight. We have three different events to celebrate

The first is my fortieth anniversary for coming to this wonderful country of America

Second, 18 years ago the Friendship Foundation of American- Vietnamese was started

Third, 6 years ago we opened the Sai Gon Plaza community center in this historic building

IN VIETNAMESE

Kinh caho qui ong ba bau thiu va gia dinh Rat han hanh cho gio hoa duoc tot ba moi nguoi den than du

Thu Nhat la Gia Hoa den cu ngu o My ngay hom nay law dung 40 nam;

Thu 2: Hoi Viet M Duoc Thanh hop 18 nam

Thu 3: Saigon Plaza duoc Mo 6 nam

Let me tell you about my journey to the U.S.

On November 4 1971 I begin leaving Vietnam. Before, I was working for the U.S. government as a secretary-interpreter-translator. That was my day job. I also worked a night job as well. I worked at night in the beautiful coastal city of Nha Trang at the NCO club or the officers club or the general club for extra money to help my family.

At these places many times I hear a lot of stories about America , like Chicago they call the windy city, New York they call the Big Apple City , When they find out I'm going to U.S. , they told me there are two major cities if you enter the U.S. From Europe you will see New York and the Statute of Liberty. From Asia you will see San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Finally, the airplane landed. I spent my first night in San Francisco. The plane was a Pan-Am. Today there is a television show called Pan Am. The film clip makes all of that look so glamorous now.

On November 5 I made a connecting flight for Ohio. Finally, on the evening of November 5 1971 I stepped off the airplane into Cleveland Hopkins Airport. That is 40 years ago today! Forty years ago -- it seems so long ago, but to look back at it, it seems not so long ago.

In 40 years there are many things have happened in the overall world and in my own world. In the world there have been many changes especially in Viet Nam. When I left, the country was still at war. When I left Vietnam, I left a big family there. My parents, my brothers and sisters, there are 10 of them. They are still very young and also I had to leave my three year old daughter.

When I left Vietnam I told my father that I'm going to Saigon for work. At that time I was living in Nha Trang. "I return in 6 months." I told him.

But my Father knows better especially when I took my daughter with me. He played sick that day and he lay right on the way for me to go out the door, to stop me from taking my daughter with me. So I have no other choice but to leave my daughter there,

My father did not say it at that time but I know he wants to make sure that is the right choice that I make for leaving and going to the other side of the world. I know I will return in 6 months. If I do that, he knows it is safe for me and my daughter to come here.

Why did my father do that! Because he knows from his own experiences. He had left North Vietnam to go south during the French War in Vietnam. He has to stay in the South and is never able to return to the North to see his parents and his brother and sister.

He married my mother in the South and I was born. He named me after his home town he would never see again. That is how I got my name 'Gia Hoa'�

My father is also a very wise man. He always wanted us to dream big dreams in life. He also gave us hope by saying that "When one door closes, two more will always open." So my Father is very wise about my going to America as well.

Well, I did return in 6 months. My Father is more than happy to have my daughter join me in America. He even walked me out to the bus station. That is to tell me that "I let you go to the U.S. so you are able to watch over your younger sister Phi as well as your daughter."� She had left Vietnam almost 3 months before me.

There are many changes since the day I landed in Cleveland Hopkins airport in the past 40 years.

In 1973 the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam

In 1975 the North took over South Vietnam. Many people had to leave the south. Some came to the U.S. while others go to other countries. I lost contact with my family who were still in Vietnam.

In 1977 and 1978, we witnessed the many boat people who leave Vietnam and come to America as immigrants. That was hard to see. I helped out in any way I could to welcome these new people to America.

For many years I had no contact with my family. I did not see them for almost 20 years. My life in the United States had lots of change as well. I ended up with two children on my own to raise and support them and myself.

Finally, my daughter got married in 1993 and just a few days after that one of my family in Vietnam is able to contact me and said that my father was very sick and he could die.

Later I have to send my son to my brother-in-law out of State with the thought that if anything happens to me, my daughter will be able to take care of her brother because she is a married woman now.

Then came Sept 7 1993.

Finally we are off to return to Vietnam. We were planning on staying for 6 weeks. But when we got there some of my brothers and sister were at the airport to pick us up. They are all grown up now and have families of their own. They look too skinny, just all bones. They try to rest there but then they come to meet us from the small village to greet us at the airport.

When I got out of the airport I see the city and it looks down and looks so poor, not what I remembered. Sai Gon was not like that before. The city use to be bright with all the lights and very lively with all the people.

The next day we went to where my parents were staying. They are living in a very small grass hut with a round small stone pond in front for water. They would catch the rain water and use this for drinking, cooking, and bathing as well as all other purposes. Everyone was so thin. Everyone was so poor. They looked like they had not eaten for days--months--years.

My father was feeling better that day but he looks so old and so thin. When I had left Viet Nam, my parents and brothers and sisters lived in a very nice house in Nha Trang with a beautiful nearby beach. We had all nice furniture, refrigerator, TV, and electricity. Now they have just a small lamp oil lamp at night with a lot of mosquitoes attacking everyone.

I was thinking my parents and brothers and sisters need my help and they are still so poor. I cannot imagine other people get no help from anyone, And then what about schools and education? There was nothing. The country has about 70 million people and almost no help. They are not able to read or write and they are under 20 years old and yet not in school.

My intention had been to stay in Vietnam for 6 weeks. But my sister Phi and I only stay for 2 weeks. We give everything away that we had brought in our suitcases to the family and to the people. We ourselves leave Viet Nam with nothing in our suitcases because people needed everything we had and more.

I returned home to Ohio. I was sick for almost 2 weeks in bed from all I had seen. Attorney Joseph Meissner called me to find out how my trip went. I was still sick. A few days later we met in Cleveland. I showed Attorney Meissner some of the pictures I took in Vietnam. I told him I wanted to do something I had to do something to help other people as well as my family. I told him my ideas and asked for help to set up an organization to assist people.

Attorney Meissner said he will do it, but he asked, "What is the name of the organization you will set up."

Without hesitation, I said, "The Friendship Foundation." What else?

So on December 17, 1993, we met. There were 30 people who came to that first meeting at the Renaissance Hotel in Lorain, Ohio. What a great group of friends to support this effort. That is how the "Friendship Foundation of American Vietnamese"� was born.

Since then we have raised over 16 million dollars of support for the poor. We have sponsored over one thousand volunteers who have gone to Viet Nam for charity work. We have built houses, a school, and given out 7,000 student scholarships. We have trained many good doctors. We have worked with the hospitals and clinics. We have conducted many Health Fairs and Food Distribution Days in remote villages. I have journeyed to Vietnam more than 30 times for our children's, education, medical, legal, and veterans missions.

Many of our volunteers have returned again many times to Vietnam by themselves. We have volunteers who have lived there and taught in the schools. We have many people we have sponsored and helped to come to the U.S. Some come for professional and educational visits. Others have come to settle down for new lives here, including in Cleveland.

I have 6 of my sisters and brothers who live here. They own houses. They are involved in businesses. One of my nephews is a master chef. Two of our young people were valedictorians and another has graduated from college. They are all products of the Cleveland Public School system and our local colleges.

I was living in Lorain county with a house by the lake but because many of many projects that I want to work on are in Cleveland, and since my children are grown and gone and my brothers and sisters were already here, we decided to move to Cleveland. I also wanted to move closer to the main Vietnamese community in Ohio for my family and for the programs I want to work on.

I did know a few people on Cleveland City council who I hoped would help with our programs. One of these spoke to you earlier. Another one is the councilperson with the great mark on his forehead. I had earlier asked Attorney Meissner who was that person, what was his name, and what ward was his? I learned this was Councilman Westbrook, that he is the Council President, and that his Ward is Number 18 on the near west side. So I seek to find a house in his ward and I bought a restaurant as well. I also was appointed to the Mayor's Community Relations Board where I have now served three Mayors as a member of the Community Relations Board of Cleveland.

I was proud to start the Asian Community Mental Health Program at West Side Community Mental Health Center and Bridgeway. I also started an Income Tax Clinic for immigrants with help from the IRS as well as conducted other programs-such as the AT&T Telephone Lifeline Program-- to help the community.

I wanted very much to open a community center. We looked all over for a building. We did find one at West 54th and Detroit. But when I inquired, the owner said he was selling it to somebody else. I thought, "Well, if God wants us to own the building, then we will."� Then two weeks later, the owner called and asked, "The other deal fell through. Do you still want the building?"

I immediately said yes and then we had to find the money. But we did and here we are in the Saigon Plaza. We opened this Center six years ago in November 2005. Mayor Frank Jackson was there as the Council President and Mayor Jane Campbell cut the ribbon as 500 people attended the opening.

Secondly, how we established the Friendship Foundation which has helped people in Viet Nam and in the United States shows everyone what we can do to better our communities.

Thirdly, the story of how we established the Sai Gon Plaza is part of a "big dream"� which we can share both this evening and in the future.

Let's have a party and enjoy the foods and each other's company in friendship.