Welcome to the family

After going blind nearly 15 years ago, Nghia Hang spiraled into a depression.

As his life went dark, his thoughts followed and the Vietnamese immigrant began to entertain thoughts of suicide.

"I became very angry with the world, with life, with myself," said Hang, of the 1800 block of South 21st Street.

One evening, with his wife Thuy by his side, Hang suddenly had a change of heart.

"I thought about my wife, how she had to come home to a blind husband and to an unhappy family and how she never complained," he said. "I finally realized how small my pain was when compared to others’ and decided to live for my wife and children and not have these fits of anger anymore."

Other Vietnamese residents shared their stories of overcoming adversity last month at a marriage celebration sponsored by Boat People SOS, a national community-based organization that began as a mission to rescue refugees at sea.

For nearly two decades, thousands of Vietnamese crammed into small boats and braved a harsh journey to escape the communist regime that took over their country in 1975.

Many of the scared refugees found a literal lifesaver in BPSOS.

Now with 13 branch offices across the country and a headquarters in Virginia, BPSOS has modified its goals but still remains a valued service to the country’s Vietnamese population, including a sizable South Philly community.

"Our mission has shifted to help people settle in this country and start contributing to the country," said Hoat Pham, manager for the Assistance for Refugee Couples program at the organization’s Philadelphia office, 1029 S. Third St.

The branch, located in North Philly for more than three years before moving to the area in July, caters to the needs of at least 20,000 Vietnamese residents in the city, said Pham.

That estimate – based on Census 2000 data – may not be an accurate representation of this budding community, added Pham, who noted that a large "pocket" of Vietnamese resides along Washington Avenue.

BPSOS’ services include paralegal assistance and support for consumer-rights protection, domestic violence issues, naturalization, public health and family-reunion issues.

The branch even takes on human trafficking, through which a person is forced into labor using fraud, deception and threats.

"My role will be doing outreach and possibly workshops so that the Vietnamese community is more aware that this modern-day slavery does exist," said David Nguyen, Philadelphia branch manager and outreach coordinator for the organization’s Trafficking Assistance program.

Nguyen noted that an estimated 30,000 individuals are trafficked into the United States every year.

Legal assistance also is available through the organization’s headquarters. Skilled lawyers are on hand to provide their expertise if a legal matter arises.

THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES who were rescued from their flimsy boats years ago were taken to camps, including four in the United States. Through sponsorships with churches, organizations and families, the refugees were able to leave the camps and begin settling in their new country.

However, those who worked for the former government were placed in "re-education camps" in Vietnam that were similar to Nazi concentration camps, Pham said. Nearly 60,000 Vietnamese died due to execution, illnesses, malnutrition and torture at these sites.

Some 15 years later, a few survivors were released from the camps and reunited with their families, who either waited in Vietnam for their release or ventured on their own boats seeking refuge.

"The idea is that even though they were separated for a long time, the family is still together and the family still succeeds," said Pham, whose Assistance for Refugee Couples program helps Vietnamese couples obtain skills for a healthy marriage.

Boat People SOS further embraced the importance of the family unit at the mock Vietnamese marriage celebration held March 20.

The event, at Saigon Maxim, 612-632 Washington Ave., hosted an extensive storytelling session that included testimonies from couples who have overcome hardships.

A successful marriage can have a domino effect on a community, said Pham, who lives in Edison, N.J.

"If they have a healthy family, the children will be safer," he said. "If they are safer, they will succeed in school and society."

At the event, more than 200 people danced to the sounds of a local band while feasting on ethnic dishes.

With a new location in South Philly, BPSOS can fully address the needs of the city’s growing Vietnamese population, said Pham.

Yet the group’s effectiveness depends on its local support, he added.

"Based on my experience, this program will only succeed with help from leaders of the community," said Pham, who joined the Assistance for Refugee Couples program two years ago. "They know their people and they know their people’s needs."

The branch already has close ties to the Catholic community and the Asian Social Services Center, 17th and Morris streets.

Organizers are seeking funding for computers and a potential English as a Second Language class, said Nguyen.

Both Nguyen and Pham said they enjoy the impact the organization already has made in the area. Pham said linking individuals to much-needed resources is his "yearly bonus."

His counterpart agreed.

"It feels really good to just know I can help out in some way," said Nguyen.

For more information on the Boat People SOS Philadelphia branch, call David Nguyen at 215-334-1500.