There’s a particular monument in my city, a statue that carries a lot of meaning to us, the Vietnamese diaspora here in France.
This sculpture is “The Dream of the Mother” (called Le Rêve de la Mère in french) and was set on the Rond-Point de Saïgon in 2010, right in Bussy St-Georges, the city where I currently live…
The population of the city Bussy St-Georges is composed of almost 40% people having Asian ancestry, which more than half of them came from former South Vietnam. Thus making my city a very rare case in France as the 2nd one with the highest percentage of Asian citizens.
The reason why this monument was erected is because the Vietnamese diaspora is mainly composed of refugess who fled Vietnam after the end of the war in 1975 until the mid 80’s. 800,000 of them were seeking freedom out of a country ravaged by war, under blood and fire for more than 3 decades.
At any cost, they fled by land, by air, and for the most unfortunate of them by sea : the Boat People which at least an estimated 200,000 up to 400,000 died trying to reach surrounding countries while risking deadly threats such as storms, diseases, starvation and infamous pirate attacks…
As a result, over 120,000 of Boat People made it alive to France leaving everything behind them for the hope of a new and better life…
The cost in human life was one of the most tragic crisis in recent history.
Since I was a kid, I heard sad and horrible stories told from survivors and I realize how much I was lucky to be born in a free country from parents who had the chance to leave our homeland by plane, keeping them in safety, more than 40 years ago…
Top-center photo inscriptions :
In tribute to France, land of asylum.
Country of the Human Rights.
In memory of the Vietnamese Boat People since 1975.
Bottom-center photo inscriptions :
Thanks to
Member of Parliament Chantal Brunel
Mayor Hugues Rondeau
and his municipal team
To the sculptor Vu Dinh Lam
for “The Dream of the Mother” (2008-2009)
The Team Owner of the Association Bussy Saigon
Mr Nguyen Trinh Nghia
Mr. Nguyen Hoai Thanh
(2008-2009)
Left photo inscriptions :
Thanks to (the sacrifice)
The list of 72 Vietnamese Boat People who died at the sea.
Right photo inscriptions :
Donors
The list of all the donors who contributed to the monument, including his Venerable Thích Minh Tâm, whose at the origin of the Khánh Anh Buddhist Pagoda, the biggest in Europe.
The “Dream of the Mother” carries a message of hope from a Mother who suffered so much and dreams about a brighter future for her Child.
May this monument bring peace to all the dead and may their voices echo in our heart forever…
Statue “The Dream of the Mother” on Google Maps : https://goo.gl/maps/8i8kVrGFjAtUu6zA9
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