How many of us could be uprooted because of war and political turmoil and then make a loving and joy-filled life in a new country? Anh Pham did so, and she helped her family survive a difficult relocation to the United States.

From Homeland to U.S.

Her story begins in Vietnam where she was born, raised a Catholic, and taught by Catholic sisters. She later married, began a family, and owned and ran a coffee shop for 10 years before the Vietnam War tore her family’s life apart. To escape the trauma and destruction of the war, she and her husband, The, fled Vietnam with their four young children in 1975. While it was painful to leave parents, brothers, and sisters behind, they felt lucky to get out.

The first stop on their flight to the United States was a camp in Guam, where the needed paperwork took a month. Following this, there was a two-month wait in an army camp outside of Philadelphia, as more paperwork was completed. When a sponsoring family was found for them, they were finally able to relocate to Owen, Wisconsin.

However, the family only wanted them as free labor in running the farm. After one year, Anh and her husband decided that they no longer would be used and abused, so they uprooted their family one more time, this time to La Crosse, Wisconsin. A sister at Catholic Charities, who helped them get settled, did not think that Anh had ever worked before. She took Anh to St. Joseph Community Care Center in La Crosse for a job, and Anh was hired to help clean the facility.

At first, it was a shock. Anh “had never seen so many old people before!” She remembers that it took her eleven months to get used to them. Now she loves them, calls them her second family, and wants to bring them home. And they love Anh – calling her “goofy” because of the fun way that she does her work.

A Caring, Outgoing Worker

According to Wilma Spaeth, whose mother, Anna, lived her last years at St. Joseph, Anh was always friendly, outgoing, and caring. One example of Anh’s thoughtfulness was that Anh always turned up the heat early in the morning in Anna's room before she rose. Wilma also experienced how Anh picked up someone’s spirit and brightened the day when someone was down.

Anh has also cleaned, for almost 25 years, at WIZM, a employee-owned radio station in La Crosse. She says that she works at St. Joseph "for love" and at WIZM "for fun!”

Dick Record, president of WIZM, describes Anh as a “great lady who spends her life looking at ways to help other people.” He went on to say that, “Everybody likes Anh. She remembers everything about people.” He also marvels at her family’s perseverance “with all that they have been through.”

According to Jenny Knudson, Activities Director at St. Joseph, Anh “gets to know the residents and their families on a personal level, as family.” Anh gets to know other staff members as well. Since she knows so many people in the La Crosse community because of her two different jobs, she helps connect people with each other.

A Generous, Inclusive Spirit

In La Crosse, Anh is known for her generous spirit. Anh raised $200 for a van, needed by St. Joseph for transportation by making and selling 420 egg rolls, one of her specialties.

Her delicious egg rolls are also a way of connecting with, nurturing, and mentoring 10 foreign exchange students at UW-L (University of Wisconsin at La Crosse). She is like their “Mom” as they transition to living and attending school in a new country. Anh invites the students regularly to her house. One time, they made egg rolls in her kitchen (after Anh bought all of the ingredients) as their contribution to a fundraiser at UW-L.

Jan Larson, one of Anh’s many friends, experiences Anh as a very caring person. Jan calls her an “amazing woman” for “all the things that she does for other people. Her hospitality and generosity are endless.”

Strong Commitment to Family

With a strong commitment to family, Anh and her husband, The, put their children through parochial school and college. Each of their children is very successful; they have well-paying careers and are raising their own families. The and Anh are now grandparents to eleven grandchildren. Anh revels in being a grandmother!

Anh has returned to her Vietnam three times, and she relishes these visits. Co-workers from WIZM traveled with Anh on her most recent trip. They experienced Vietnam through Anh's eyes and enthusiasm, and they had a wonderful trip.

Her Vietnamese relatives frequently need Anh's support and financial assistance. While their needs are greater than her modest income, via two jobs, can meet, Anh does her best to help them out.

Doing "Ordinary" Work
in Inspiring Ways

Anh's cleaning jobs at St. Joseph and WIZM are the kinds of work that are taken for granted and not valued because they are not "professional" jobs. However, as Wilma Spaeth (who introduced Anh to Hill Connections) observes, "It is not so much what kind of job you have, but what you bring to it.” She goes on to say that, “There are people who do what many might call ‘ordinary’ work in inspirational ways -- with love, joy, and faithfulness. Anh Pham is one of those inspiring people.”

Acknowledgements
Pictures -- thanks to Anh Pham and Hill Connections