The first 15 Vietnamese refugees from the Hai Hong arrived in Vancouver
in November 1978. The Hai Hong, journalist Kevin Griffin wrote, was a
“rusty old freighter anchored off the coast of Malaysia, unable to
unload its human cargo. Hung over the side of the boat was a sign in
English: ‘Please Rescue Us.’ Captured by television news cameras, it was
an image that showed up on TV sets in living rooms in Europe, the U.S.
and Canada. Images of hungry and homeless refugees stuck on what
amounted to a floating casket also tweaked the conscience of thousands
of Canadians. Vancouverites were no different . . . Former Saigon
resident Tzee Kok Wu told of leaving in such secrecy that he was
contacted about the boat’s departure only an hour before it left. Wu and
his four brothers and sisters made it in time but their parents were
delayed a half hour and were left behind. Wu told of being so crowded
aboard the boat, he could only sit because there wasn’t enough space to
lie down. Of the 2,500 refugees crammed aboard the Hai Hong, about 600
arrived in Canada; 150 eventually arrived in Vancouver.”
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Downtown East Side - Van. 1978, photo by Mikey G Ottawa |
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