This artifact is a Vietnamese stamp book filled with hundreds of stamps collected before the Vietnam War in a simpler time of life. My family consists of immigrants all coming into the U.S and I am a first generation child. The reasons behind why my family decided to move to America was because of the Vietnam War forcing them to escape to save their lives. These stamps are a few of the only artifacts we have of life before the Vietnam War as they had to leave everything behind just to make it out. In a war torn country there was nothing they could do and this stamp book brings back memories of life before it all. My family built their lives in the city of Saigon now renamed Ho Chi Minh City towards the south of the country. It was a place where they prospered and felt safety throughout their lives. They were able to farm, receive an education, and whatever else anything they wanted with full freedom. Eventually, they lost their home due to war and were forced into leaving their homes. Everything was lost and they had to start new lives in different countries starting from scratch. This stamp book is one of the last things they own from their home country and its value as an artifact is immensely important. The artifact reminds us all of life back in Vietnam and my grandma can share hundreds of stories off of the stamp book alone. All of the different symbols on each and every stamp mean a different thing to our family making this artifact worth more than you would ever know. 

– NK

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant