“How much do we know about those around us?”
―
Thanhhà Lại,
Inside Out & Back Again
“Looking back, I don't blame fourth graders in Alabama for being perplexed by the first Asian they had seen outside of television. No doubt they transferred whatever was being said about the Vietnam War in 1975 onto me, not understanding that I was just a person, not a war.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“Refugees are still coming to the United States every day because elsewhere in the world wars still rage and people still flee. I choose to believe that these refugees would be greeted with more awareness and compassion than I was.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“One cannot justify war unless each side flaunts its own blind conviction.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“We must consider the shame of abandoning our own country and begging toward the unknown where we will all begin again at the lowest level on the social scale.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“One cannot justify warunless each sideflaunts its ownblind conviction.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“Life demands more than the present moment of comfort.” ― Thanhhà Lại, When Clouds Touch Us
“At this point, Mother closes her eyes,eyes that resemble no one else's, sunken and deep like Westerners'yet almond-shaped like ours. I always wish for her eyes,but Mother says no.Eyes like hers can't helpbut carry sadness;even as a childher parents were alarmedby the weight in her eyes.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“Mostly I wishFather would appear in our doorwayand make Mother's lipscurl upward,lifting them froma permanent frownof worries.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“I start to chop offa potato's end as wide asa thumbnail, then decideto slice offonly a sliver.I am proud of my abilityto save until I seetears in Mother'sdeep eyes.You deserve to grow upwhere you don't worry aboutsaving half a biteof sweet potato.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“Every nightMother points upward.At leastthe moon remains unchanged.Your father could be lookingat the same round moon.He may already understandwe will wait for himacross the world.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“Mother says,People sharewhen they knowthey have escaped hunger.Shouldn't people share because there is hunger?” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“Mother wants to sellthe amethyst ringFather brought backfrom America,She wants to buyneedles and thread,fabric and sandals from the camp'sblack market.Brother Quang says,NO!What's the point of new shirts and sandalsif you lose the lasttangible remnant of love?” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“No one would believe mebut at timesI would choosewartime in Saigonover peacetime in Alabama.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“Looking back, I don't blame fourth graders in Alabama for being perplexed by the first Asian they had seen outside of television. No doubt they transferred whatever was being said about the Vietnam War in 1975 onto me, not understanding that I was just a person, not a war.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“Refugees are still coming to the United States every day because elsewhere in the world wars still rage and people still flee. I choose to believe that these refugees would be greeted with more awareness and compassion than I was.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“One cannot justify war unless each side flaunts its own blind conviction.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“We must consider the shame of abandoning our own country and begging toward the unknown where we will all begin again at the lowest level on the social scale.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“One cannot justify warunless each sideflaunts its ownblind conviction.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“Life demands more than the present moment of comfort.” ― Thanhhà Lại, When Clouds Touch Us
“At this point, Mother closes her eyes,eyes that resemble no one else's, sunken and deep like Westerners'yet almond-shaped like ours. I always wish for her eyes,but Mother says no.Eyes like hers can't helpbut carry sadness;even as a childher parents were alarmedby the weight in her eyes.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“Mostly I wishFather would appear in our doorwayand make Mother's lipscurl upward,lifting them froma permanent frownof worries.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“I start to chop offa potato's end as wide asa thumbnail, then decideto slice offonly a sliver.I am proud of my abilityto save until I seetears in Mother'sdeep eyes.You deserve to grow upwhere you don't worry aboutsaving half a biteof sweet potato.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“Every nightMother points upward.At leastthe moon remains unchanged.Your father could be lookingat the same round moon.He may already understandwe will wait for himacross the world.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“Mother says,People sharewhen they knowthey have escaped hunger.Shouldn't people share because there is hunger?” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“Mother wants to sellthe amethyst ringFather brought backfrom America,She wants to buyneedles and thread,fabric and sandals from the camp'sblack market.Brother Quang says,NO!What's the point of new shirts and sandalsif you lose the lasttangible remnant of love?” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
“No one would believe mebut at timesI would choosewartime in Saigonover peacetime in Alabama.” ― Thanhhà Lại, Inside Out & Back Again
