A Message to the Honorees

by Mr. Anh Tran - VCSA-DFW President.

Dear students and honorees,

In 1892, Nguyen Lo Trach, a famous intellectual, said “A country is considered to be strong or weak not by its size, but its people’s knowledge and education”. This statement emphasizes the importance of an education system that is based on good morality, benevolence and righteousness, with democratic and human rights.

In the 20th century, while Vietnam struggled under slavery and the influence of Confucianism, two scholars emerged in 1904 who led the education reform which outlined the future of Vietnam. They were Phan Chu Trinh, who organized the “Modernization Movement”; and Phan Boi Chau, who led the “Learning from the East Movement”. The movements had two principles.

The first principle is “Expand People’s Knowledge” - Both scholars discovered that expanding people’s knowledge should be the foundation for the Vietnamese people to focus, explore, and cultivate regardless of their social classes. Another great leader, the former president Nelson Mandela, also realized the same degree of importance in education, once stated “Education is the strongest weapon that people could use to change the world”.

100 years later, this movement continues to affect Vietnam in all areas, from economic, social, political, historical to culture and education. It is affirmative to say that almost every Vietnamese all over the world, including those who are present here today, have benefited from the two movements mentioned above, especially in culture and education. Without these movements, the Vietnamese students may still be educated in Chinese or ancient Vietnamese (which is even more complicated than Chinese); women would not have a chance to go to school. In other words, all Valedictorians, Salutatorians, who present today are the brilliant offsprings from the “Expanding People Knowledge” movement a century ago.

The Academic Excellence Recognition program is one of the bi-products of the continuous effort from our forefathers. This is also the intent of the VCSA-DFW Chapter - - to use education as the foundation to promote the Vietnamese culture. Education and culture tightly support each other, but these two tasks are full of challenges and obstacles that we continuously ask for your encouragement, support, and helping hands.

Both scholars also shared the same 2nd principle of “Restoring People’s Integrity”. This idea means to reorganize and strengthen the people’s courage to put the country’s interest in front of personal gain in hope to recapture the people’s momentum after 10 long centuries under the sacrifices and hardships of foreigner’s colonization.

Because of this aspiration, Vietnam has finally regained independence.

As a result of these movements, our ancestors fought and regained what belonged to us. Now, our tasks are to continue retaining, building, and promoting our heritage, or simply states -- “the Vietnamese Nationalism”. The national pride is the key factor that keeps us moving forward and surpasses all the hardships along the road. Without it, we will be melted into everyone else, who could not maintain their identities.

Today, you are our pride. However, this is not enough. Besides seeking for personal and family’s pride, you should strive to offer what you have learned and what you have obtained for the betterment of your community, your society, your nation, and furthermost, humanity. But if you carry the Vietnamese Nationalism along with you, you will always be Vietnam’s pride.

In the unique situation where the Vietnamese people are scattered all over the world, there is a great need for your talents and volunteerism regardless of where we live. Volunteerism will certainly cost you personal times and effort. However, a fraction of your leisure time in exchange for achieving our national dream is something worth doing.

Volunteerism and leadership, the two major missions of the Vietnamese Culture and Science Association, are also derived from the Restoring People’s Integrity movement that started a century ago. Volunteerism is the prerequisite for anyone to become a leader. Volunteerism starts with taking responsibility in all circumstances, all levels, and all facets of life, not just for those who are interested in politics.

In Hồ Thư Minh’s essay, which she won the scholarship for “Community Service”, and who is here today. She wrote, “"You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person"

Perhaps this idea originated from her social responsibility and the spirit of the community that leads a single person like Thư Minh to realize that this world needs you just as much as you need this world. The connection and dependency between one person to another in this world is as close to you as you to your own body.

A concrete step that you could take in the spirit of getting involved is return and help with future Academic Excellence Recognition Programs to nurture the spirit of education for the future generations.

Better yet …. take a lead role and plan the program since we have been waiting for others to take our places.

To take another step further, let’s stop and think for a minute the half-statement from the former President Kennedy “… ask what you can do for your country?”

In another 100 years, history will judge our efforts in the development and improvement of the Vietnamese people and its culture that each of us has a contributing role and responsibility.

In another 100 years, where would Vietnam be?

In another 100 years, what would our next generation inherit from us?

These are real challenges for the Vietnamese people, particularly those living in Dallas/Fort Worth. Future generations are waiting for our answers. Hopefully we will come up with a solution that our future generations will benefit for a long time.