Story Time: Returning to the homeland to face life and death
As published by BBC Viet Nam
All truths are impermanent. I texted these words from America in the middle of the night in utter pain as I faced the threshold of life and death.
In October 2015, amid of business preparing for the election for council member of San José, California, the results of the periodic examination came as a verdict: My cancer was at level 4 and having metastasized, my survival was estimated by my doctor to be only two to three months. I was 49 years old.
I am an attorney, artist, and volunteer activist in San José, California.
My birth name is Dang Thi Phuong Thanh, born in Vũng Tàu. I was born from an American father and a Vietnamese mother. I left Việt Nam for the United States in 1984 when I was just 18 years old, and had to start over completely. I went to school, to work, and then graduated from a law school before opening up my own law practice in San Jose. I have never forgotten the image of my grandmother standing by the door watching her fade into the distance as I left. Upon my return, she was hidden away on the other side of the red horizon.
In 2009, after many cancer examinations and findings, I underwent surgery and chemotherapy, and then gradually recovered and returned to my daily work in law, art, and philanthropy.
I serve as a lawyer whose heart is to provide legal aid to low-income families, but I my passion also lies in the arts. I’ve curated numerous art exhibitions that showcase life from the Vietnamese American lens, and help found and organize the Áo Dài Festival which offers public programming in honor of the áo dài tradition of Vietnamese women throughout time in the North, Central and South Việt Nam. I find great joy in serving the community through social activism and community arts engagement. These causes have become the focus of my work, and I’ve been honored to have garnered so much support from the media, so that we can gain more support for our work in serving our communities in ways that expound on tradition, culture, and creativity.
A sweet birthday wish from our youth at the Friends of Huế Children’s Shelter
The proceeds from sold paintings, organizing Áo Dài Festival, and donating have a main purpose—to support the Friends of Huế Children’s Shelter in Huế, Việt Nam. I serve as Chairman of the Friends of Huế Foundation, a social organization I established with my colleagues in the United States to call for community action and support for disadvantaged children in Huế.
To date, the center has become the home of hundreds of our most vulnerable orphans, offering love, care, accommodation, education, and vocational training to our youth, some of whom have now continued their education at universities, and some of whom have been well-equipped to work in careers that give them stability and the self-confidence to build a life of their own, and for their families.
After having lived in America for many years, my heart is still devoted to the Motherland. Almost every year, I have had the privilege of returning to Viet Nam. I visit the pottery village and graze my hands over the smooth, stained soil. I go to the temple and stand quietly in front of the Buddha. I look over the village pond and stare down at the stagnant water. I walk along the dike with my hair fluttering with the wind. I sip coffee while listening to the breath of these 36 ancient streets.
I was born with an artistic and emotional mind, with a yearning to care for humanity, and consistently empathizing with my fellow human. My heart especially our burdened women who work in the markets, peddling their goods, pushing carts in the rain and wind, in the dust, in the sun and fire. These memories stamp themselves in my photographs, paintings, social activities, and illustrate my lifelong commitment to humanity.
I know my time is limited. In order to make use of my remaining time, I made the difficult decision to officially withdraw from the election for the city council. However, I still hope to direct my energy to continue holding the Áo Dài Festival IV next May, to set up a Vietnamese community center in San José, which has been one of my long-awaited dream.
One of my paintings: Biết Chết Liền, or I don’t know
Still remaining with me is the haunting scent of eucalyptus from my childhood in Việt Nam. While living in the temple in Việt Nam, I often soaked eucalyptus leaves to make medicine for the monk. I would crumple the leaves in my small hands, and inhale the strong scent that seemed to increase my vitality.
During my days spent in chemotherapy, this scent followed me in my desire to immerse myself in to gain strength. In California, the eucalyptus grows abundantly, but it pains me deeply when I remember the smell of eucalyptus that grows from Vietnamese soil, as the memories strike a longing for the Homeland.
Throughout my life, the eucalyptus has followed all her life like a circle of samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth to which life in the material world is bound. It reminds me of the end of the beginning as experienced in my life over the years. I continue journeying upon the path of eucalyptus, or The Eucalyptus Journey, a path toward healing, with the hope that others will follow in hope.
An excerpt from my writings about The Eucalyptus Journey:
This is eucalyptus. The shape of its leaves are not long, but they are round, echoing the circle of life and death, and this continued cycle. It illustrates the need for us to look for someone, to look for ourselves and find ourselves, to give back what we discover. It paints the image of an existing desire among our fellow humans as we work on loving each other more truly, as we learn to express more sympathy and care. This may seem simple, but it is a serious business, as it has great influence upon our communities and in the world. In the past, I have journeyed far to look for eucalyptus, but I realize now that it is always here with me—in life, in memory, in future. It is a gift for me. It is a give for every one of us.
I am passionate about poetry and have had the privilege to share my short stories and photographs in publications that include Chua Gianh and The Eucalyptus Journey, which have been well-received by the community.
For her dedication to the community, Jenny was voted Woman of the Year by the State of California (2007), the Lifetime Achievement Award (2015), and the Art Activism Award (2005) by the Belle Foundation.
