It has served as an important historical and living link between the Vietnamese diaspora here in Australia, to their homeland. This milestone is 100% proof of the commitment of broadcasters such as Ms. Tam Hanh. For more than 30 years, she has produced child-friendly episodes that have positively shaped millions of listeners’ attitudes and beliefs.
In 1977, SBS began its Vietnamese programming. This decision was instrumental in meeting the emerging needs of a burgeoning Vietnamese refugee population following the Vietnam War. After the Vietnamese war ended in 1975, approximately two million people fled Vietnam. Over half a million of those found asylum in places such as Australia. For those who came, the SBS Vietnamese program became an essential connection to their culture and language. This was the case with people such as Khanh Tho.
Khanh Tho came to Australia in late 80s after a 10 year fight to leave Vietnam. In her remarks, she hit hard on how much the program helped everybody. She recounted her harrowing journey, stating, “We all said ‘we are alive, thank God, we survived now’. We just have to believe it is a miracle and that we got the hand of God to help us, otherwise we can’t be here.” Now a Vietnamese language teacher herself, Tho continues to share and protect her culture through her work.
To those in the community, the SBS Vietnamese program has grown into a reliable touchstone for timely information. Nicky Chung, President of the Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association, told us how much it has changed her family for the better. What we found was that at the onset, there was a significant degree of isolation for new-refugees and migrants. She shared her appreciation for her parents’ efforts to remain in touch with what was going on back home in Vietnam and globally. Her awareness did indeed make a world of difference in her life.
Ms. Tam Hanh said that these broadcasts are especially important for people not confident in their English skills. Often, I fear that once through the material isn’t sufficient—that I’ll forget things if I didn’t deeply grasp every concept the first go around. Or there are so many valuable things, that I see our Vietnamese broadcasters, who know English, collecting and sharing with those who don’t understand English,” she explained.
The SBS Vietnamese language program continues to offer important, relevant information to its audiences. It instills a powerful sense of pride and ownership among the community. Tho stated, “SBS just gives me the feeling that Australia is my second home, and it’s a place to belong to.” For hundreds of thousands of people, their cultural heritage and new adopted home in the United States are connected through this program. This feeling strikes a very personal chord with them.
Ms. Tam Hanh is clearly on a mission to safeguard the contributions of the Vietnamese community to Australia. She is passionate about documenting and sharing these valuable narratives with the world to inspire the next generation of storytellers. “I want to record them and share them with as many people as possible,” she affirmed.
