VOVNews interviewed Le Thiet Hung, president of the Vietnamese Residents Association in Poland?

Reporter: The first meeting of Overseas Vietnamese held in Vietnam attracted more than 900 Vietnamese expatriates from around the world. How did the Vietnamese Community rate the meeting?

Mr Hung: Most overseas Vietnamese appreciated the results of the meeting. They were very happy to meet other Vietnamese from around the world. The meeting provided a good opportunity for sharing experiences and information to help them plan their community’s development.

Mr Hung

At the same time, the meeting collected the opinions of overseas Vietnamese to help the Party and State gain a better understanding of their needs. When State officials conduct fact-finding tours abroad, it costs more time and money and they do not get such a comprehensive view.

Reporter: At the meeting, what opinions did the Vietnamese residents in Poland contribute to the Party and State?

Mr Hung: Their biggest question is how best to implement Resolution 36, which views the overseas community as an indispensable part of the Vietnamese nation. Although the Party and State have crafted several policies for overseas Vietnamese, much more work needs to be done to reduce the distance between Vietnamese people at home and abroad. The Party and State should help promote those communities’ activities.

Another issue is finding ways to get second and third-generation Vietnamese to feel an attachment to their homeland, including teaching them Vietnamese language. Several overseas Vietnamese communities are currently facing difficulties in teaching the mother tongue. We hope the State will hold the Ministry of Education and Training responsible for making a fact-finding tour of each community and helping them create a customized plan.

We also hope that the press will publish accurate information because second and third generation-Vietnamese do not have clear political view. Information must be accurate. If not, it will affect their view.

Reporter: The Party and State pay close attention to teaching Vietnamese to the second and third generations of overseas Vietnamese. But what has the Association done about the cultural orientation of the younger generation?

Mr Hung: For 10 years, since the Association was first set up, we have considered maintenance of the mother tongue among the Vietnamese community a top priority.

In 1998, we established the first professional school in Europe for teaching the Vietnamese language. Many children have learnt to read and write Vietnamese fluently thanks to the school. Some of them can even create stories in English.

We launched the Van Lang Culture School about 4 years ago to help young people find out more about Vietnamese customs. Another Vietnamese language school was set up inside the Van Lang school.

Mr Hung and VOV Online staff

 

Reporter: What has your Association done to help Vietnamese expatriates in Poland celebrate Tet?

Mr Hung: Approximately 40,000-50,000 Vietnamese are residing and working in Poland, most of them students, intellectuals or small business people. Their lives are generally stable.

The Association for Vietnamese in Poland came into being in order to facilitate Vietnamese affairs here. We now have many societies and leagues such as the Women’s Club, the Elderly Club, and the Football League, all of which comply with the Association’s operating principles.

We have joined efforts to help the Vietnamese community here learn more about Poland’s culture and laws and to serve as a bridge between Vietnamese inside and outside Vietnam. The Association has tried to provide overseas Vietnamese with clearer guidance on investing in Vietnam.

Every year, the Association joins hands with the Vietnamese embassy in Poland to hold a Lunar New Year (Tet) get-together in a cosy atmosphere for all Vietnamese residents.