Scene 1:

Dennis sings part of the song Đời Tôi Cô Đơn.

Đời tôi cô đơn bao năm qua vẫn cô đơn
Trời cho tôi cô đơn bao nhiêu lần nữa đây?
Tôi không hề trách đời hay giận đời luôn đổi thay!!!

Dennis translates the song in English:

My life is lonely over the years, and still is today

How much longer is the heaven above going to keep me in loneliness? 

I neither complain nor hold grudge about the constant changes in life.

Dennis speaks:

As far as I can remember, I’ve always been alone. It is the story of my life. Every place that I have been or when I was a member of a group, I stood out. People rejected me because I’m “different.”

Classmate: “That’s Dennis, the weird guy from class.” 

Cool Kid: “They said he’s creepy.”

Friend: “Dee is a bitch.”

Another friend: “Man, why is he still in school.”

Siblings and relatives: “We picked you up at SFO; you’re adopted. Go back to Viet Nam and find your real parents.”

Dennis speaks: (Soft tone)

I don’t belong. I don’t belong anywhere, and I don’t belong in this society. I’m all alone. 

In today’s society, people assume that racism doesn’t exist anymore. However, I experienced racial prejudices and discrimination living in America.

Vice Principle: Nguyen? So you’re Vietnamese? 

Dennis: Yes sir, and I was born in Viet Nam

Vice Principle: Y’all Vietnamese kids running around thinking y’all some bad ass at school. Let me tell you something, Nguyen. I was in Viet Nam. I think Viet Nam is a dirty place. I wish I would have killed more of you gooks when I was there. 

(doing the spitting) Spit in his face and I walked out of the principle office.

From that moment, I chose to commit myself to the cause of fighting against racism. 

Quy: Dennis, wake up!!! Dennis, wake up, do you hear that?

Dennis: uhhhh…hear what?

Quy: I think mom and dad are fighting?

Dennis: Again? What is it about this time? Where are Kenny and Belinda?

Quy: I don’t know. They’re out?

Dennis: Holy shit!

My mom is screaming next door begging my dad to stop his violence.

Mom: Trời ơi là trời, kíu con với trời ơi.

Mom: Mi đi uống mô về rứa? thàng nào xút mầy về đập vợ. 

My dad is smashing things on the floor and then whipping my mom with the broom stick.

Dad: You have no right to talk back to me! Don’t you ever talk back to me!

Dennis: Quy gets the phone! Call uncles to come over and get Kenny and Belinda to come home right now!! I’ma go stop him.

I run into their room.

Dennis: Dad, what are you doing? Why are you hitting her? Are you crazy, look! She is bleeding on the fucking bed!!!

My dad takes the broom and hits me with it. 

Dennis act as dad: Mầy bước ra, ở đây không có chuyện của mầy. Đụ mẹ mầy bước ra cho tao!!

In the Asians’ tradition, men are expected to provide and support for the family. In America, however, women have more privileges and rights. With the cultural gap, the lack of English and no skill to find jobs, my dad is emasculated and feels threatened due to my mother now having more resources, which challenges the patriarchal hierarchy system of the Vietnamese tradition. Domestic violence is a problem in my family, and it’s a problem in my community. Having experienced this first hand, makes me want to help whole API communities that are in the same situation.

“The more you know, the lonelier you become.” – Bill Hing

Bill Hing is an Asian Americans professor at UC Davis. I always remember that quote from him. 

“The more you know, the lonelier you become.” 

Knowledge alone makes you lonely because if other people cannot understand what you’re saying or where you came from then there will be no one to help you fight the cause. In this sense, I am alone because there is only a certain amount of us who are willing to challenge the system and fight the social injustice. 

Scene 2:

I am three-year-old; my uncle is holding me in his arms running down the main road of our village to get to the boat. People are running, People are yelling, they are scattered everywhere trying to find their family members. My family is waiting for me at the boat. 

Villager: Thàng nào vào báo xã rồi, nỗ máy mà đi. 

Villager: The VC is informed, you must go now!!!

As we reach the boat, my uncle hands me to my mother. But in split seconds, he snatches me back from her arms. 

Villager: VC is here, VC is here. Go…go…go…!!!

Uncle: I’ll take care of him, you all go!! I’ll take care of him. 

My mother is crying as the boat shifts out to the sea. People are yelling. They’re screaming. The boat disappears into the sea; my grandfather begins to pray to Buddha to guide them to safety. People are running, people are yelling and hiding from getting arrested. I want to be with my family, but they’re not here with me anymore. The boat is getting farther and farther and farther and farther. (Pause for two seconds) They are gone.  They’re really gone, and I’m by myself without my parents. I’m all alone.

Everyday my grandpa comes to the sea and watches me stare at the sea. 

Grandpa: Cháu ơi cháu, ba mẹ con đi việt biên rồi, ba mẹ con không trở lại rựa mô.

Grandpa: Son, your parents are gone and they’re not coming back anymore.

1995, I am reunite with my family. My mom works from 7:00AM to 9:00PM. My dad works from 6:00AM to 7:00PM in hot and dangerous conditions. My two older siblings don’t get along with me because I’m new in their lives. There is one time, Kenny and I got into an argument, I run into the kitchen and get a knife, I run back into the living and tell him. 

Dennis: Đu mẹ mầy muốn chơi ạ, Come and get me, Come on!! Come and get some, Come on!!!

From that moment on, my whole family distanced themselves from me. Although I have my family, I feel alone. 

Scene 3:

However, through loneliness, I connect the dots and I understand about life’s struggles. I understand and have seen that not everyone is treated equally. Being alone gives me time to think about how society works. In a way, it enlightens me to be aware of the social injustice and the inequalities that are constructed by society. 

Being alone makes me happy, and I want to be alone. I have more time to work for the community. It makes me happy that knowing that I’m doing something good for the community. Not too many people are passionate about changing the system. So, in the end, I’m the lonely guy who wants to change the way society works. I am alone… 

Dennis sings fading out.

Đời tôi cô đơn bao năm qua vẫn cô đơn
Trời cho tôi cô đơn bao nhiêu lần nữa đây?
Tôi không hề trách đời hay giận đời luôn đổi thay!!!