Oral History of Iris Lin
Iris Lin, a 36-year-old Vietnamese American, was born in Mountain View, California and has lived in the Bay Area for most of her life. Her parents immigrated to the U.S. As refugees, with her mother coming from Vietnam and her father from Taiwan. Iris grew up speaking Mandarin at home rather than Vietnamese, which has created a barrier in connecting with her Vietnamese heritage and community. She describes experiencing discrimination and feeling disconnected from both the Vietnamese and broader Asian American communities at times due to not speaking the language and not fully identifying with certain cultural expectations. Iris also discusses the differences between her American upbringing and her parents' more traditional Vietnamese values, which has at times led to conflicts. Overall, Iris navigates a complex identity as a second-generation Vietnamese American.
Title: Oral History of Iris Lin
Contributor: Jane Cady, Michelle Nguyen
Contributing Institution: International Children Assistance Network
Date Created and/or Issued: 2025-12-11
Collection: 2nd Gen Vietnamese-American Oral History
Format: 1 PDF English Transcription, 1 M4a Audio File
Topics: Tradition and Customs | Refugee | Culture Conflict | Education | San Jose | Cultural Identity | Vietnamese American | Language | Ethnicity | Community
Language: English