T. Harry Williams Center for Oral
History Collection
ABSTRACT
INTERVIEWEE NAME: Nghe Pham Van #
4700.0995
IDENTIFICATION: Vietnamese refugee
INTERVIEWER: unknown
PROJECT: Americans in Vietnam
DATES: unknown
FOCUS DATES:
ABSTRACT:
Tape 1452, Side A
Studied in Hanoi; in 1940s, Vietnam didn't like French and
Japanese domination; disliked communists, fought in Army;
communists lack freedom; Nghe worked very hard for his country;
prefers art to politics; was professor of music in Saigon; he was
like a father to his students; rapid fall of Saigon; relations
with US military; performance in October, 1974; desire to live in
a country free from communism; arrival in Wake Island; US
commander at Wake Island who spoke French; Nghe teaches music
now; music is his life; played same classical music in Saigon
that is popular in Europe; interviewer talks about his friend who
plays guitar; always dreamt of playing music; lived in Hanoi
during battle of Dienbienphu; culture in Hanoi, museums;
Vietnamese culture; Vietnamese relations with French; wife's
background; Vietnamese used to be polygamous; women senators in
Saigon; children learning English in high school; considering a
move to France; interviewer comments on Nghe's proficiency in
English; journey from Hanoi to Saigon in 1954; Vietnamese
population in US; girls who married to come to America; northern
terrain, more agriculture in south; composes music, wrote book
about his life; study group Nghe was in; in Asia, people like
philosophy.
Tape 1452, Side B
Vietnamese people know their neighbors; Americans are too busy;
importance of visiting friends in Vietnam; Buddhism in Vietnam;
other religions in Vietnam; Hoa Hao leader who fought communists;
people badmouthing religion, leaders; Chinese influence in
Vietnam; grandfather can write Chinese but not speak it; Catholic
pastor who lived in Vietnam, wrote down Vietnamese alphabet;
Americans influenced Vietnam in superficial, materialistic ways;
clothing styles in Vietnam influenced by French; difference in
age between US and Vietnam; education in Vietnam; political
situation in Vietnam; Vietnam has much longer history than US; US
has too much freedom; fasting for health reasons; farmers in
Vietnam; trip to Egypt; 400-page book on Nghe's life; ten pages
of his book reprinted in a magazine; refugees could bring little
out of Vietnam; his tattered violin case; Nghe was solo violinist
in Saigon symphony; brings out scrapbook, shows pictures; musical
scale, names of notes; lifestyle very different here; Nghe plays
guitar.
TAPES: 1
TOTAL PLAYING TIME: 1 ½ hours
# PAGES TRANSCRIPT: 2 page index
RESTRICTIONS: no release forms; copyright
retained by interviewee and interviewer and/or their heirs