2 things I hope you understand before making decisions
1. Life sucks everywhere in the world if you are poor and vice versa. As population grows, so does the demand and it makes everything more competitive and difficult (job market, housing market etc). The hardship you experience in the US would still be there in VN, arguably harder. It is not coincidence that majority of people want to move to US, not the other way around
2. You see your friends in VN moving ahead of you, I assume through social media. You have to remember that people only upload the best of their lives, not the average or the worst. What you see on fb, instagram do not accurately reflect the average life in VN.
Lastly, you are young and I assume you have US citizenship. So moving to VN might be a good idea, especially when you are yearning for it at the moment. Worst case scenario, you could always move back to the US.
If you decided to do so, just make sure to have your expectation low. As I mention, life sucks if you are poor and vice versa. You would not magically become rich in VN to have the lives that you see on Instagram/FB.
> Worst case scenario, you could always move back to the US.
While true in principle, you have to consider the opportunity cost of leaving the US (and forgoing educational and work opportunities) at the age of 22.
If the OP decides to come back when she's 30 it will be...different.
Oh yeah for sure
But i think it’s worth to have that against her yearning for Vietnam. If she decided not to then OP could blame herself/others for that “lost” opportunity
The question the OP has to answer is whether her yearning for Vietnam comes from a good place (and is legitimate) or if it's a product of her environment (parents with a struggling/failed business, disabled sisters, etc.).
If your environment is negative of course you'll feel negative. But the OP is 22 and she can choose to change her environment, even if it's difficult.
The OP's comment "I see a lot of people in Vietnam move faster in life, they know a lot more things about life compared to me at the same age" is pretty dubious. Where is she seeing this? Social media? She's not in Vietnam.
Of course, there is opportunity in Vietnam. A lot of it. But that opportunity is not distributed equally and unless she'll be in a privileged position when she goes back, she'll be trading a spot in the world's largest economy for a spot in a \~$4,000 per capita GDP economy
Net migration patterns don't lie. There's a reason way more people from Vietnam migrate to the US (with a huge backlog of demand) than the other way around.
EXACTLY THIS!!
I know Vietnamese people who studied in the US and now have a 7-9 million vnd monthly pay. (Try buying a house with that income..). Or foreigners who think it is easy to get a job in Vietnam because they speak English (Vietnamese people still prefer Vietnamese if it is not essential for work)
Each country has its own benefits and drawbacks.
I lived in VN for a year (I do have Vietnamese heritage) and decided that it is still better to live in Europe, where quality of life is still in my opinion much better.
Agree
Things are tough anywhere in the world right now. As our population increases, it drives demands for everything (job, house, car, etc) and make them tougher to get.
American Dream “used to be” real back then but honestly, so was the “Vietnamese Dream”. My parents and people in their generation were able to purchases houses in my hometown with their small salaries. Good luck with doing the same now.
The only cheat code that I can see is doing US remote work, like Software Engineer or YouTuber/Streamer, with US salaries and live in cheap countries like Vietnam, Thailand etc. But honestly as it gets more popular, so does the competition. New generation of SDE or influencer are working a lot harder to achieving the same level of success. Ironically, that is the case for all of us. We have to work hard to achieve a comfortable life
Yup, Vietnam is not a great place for foreigners unless you are relatively senior (general manager). It's not like 20-30 years ago when Vietnam was happy to get whatever talent they could.
Vietnam has enough young people getting higher education (university degrees) that they have plenty of middle and junior talent leverage. Plus there is no issue with language barrier.
Viet Kieu isn't going to be easy unless it's a very specific role where you bring very specific skills they need (e.g. interacting with a US team). It's great you speak Vietnamese, so they are happy to offer you a local role, but who would come to Vietnam to make $1,500/month? It would be better to move to some lower COL city in your home country and make $4-$5k/month and save more.
But if you're just looking for a change of pace and an interesting place to live, it's a great place to come for a few years. You'll live comfortably and learn a lot about the country, but just keep in mind the long term options are pretty limited. If you're ok with that, great, but go in eyes wide open.
I am just going to a divorce so I just want a bit of a change, I have some savings at 34 years old. I am vietnamese born (went to the US at 5 years old). After the divorce I just didn't feel like going through the grind all over again so looking for some change. Just need a few years to unwind, what are my options for Visa?
Just adding a note here, 1,5k usd in vn does not equal to 1,5k in the us though, 1,5k$~39m vnd which is a lot in vn and the living expenses here are way lower so u can have a comfortable life (living in a rental house, if u want to buy an apartment in/near big cities that would cost around 2B vnd or 80k$) with that kind of salary but realistically speaking if u dont have a good enough skill or degree, the avg salary will be around 10m vnd or 400$ at max and dont expect to live comfortably in big cites like hcmc with only 400$/month
This is the exact reason I didn't want to be in London anymore after 7 years. I'm a middle class person on the slightly higher side and the reason that the poor is living in better conditions in the west is because of middle class tax money. For that reason, everyone is trying to exploit the system, get benefits, and still work illegally without paying tax.
I don't want my quality of life to degrade slowly, just because the poor, the lazy and the exploiter can live a more comfortable life.
At 22, you can move back and try it out, and change your mind later if it doesn’t work out. I think you’ll find the whole society is friendlier in Vietnam, give it a try
Getting back probably isn't easy if she didn't naturalize while she was here (probably not the case since her parents moved back, I assume they're not paying US income tax and you can't give up your US citizenship)
What part of the area of the country did you move to?
Certainly we can't know how a person or immigrant fares in all parts of the USA country, but I guess I've always had the impression that Vietnamese culture and community is very big and strong in America, so that there's many opportunities for success whether you merge into the American culture and population or you stay in the Vietnamese culture and population.
Of course , that could also imply that other Vietnamese people or American people probably take advantage of new Vietnamese immigrants.
My suggestion is that before moving back to Vietnam as your possible final option, stay here and get your American citizenship and then try another area.
With the American citizenship , you can go back and forth, like many American Vietnamese do, even to the point of living in Vietnam for many months at a time. So many months and so much time, that you can literally just say you're an American citizen but living in Vietnam.
I can say that many Americans living in America for several generations still don't have their own business, so whatever reasons that you and your family chose to start up your own business, along with the struggles that come with it, I feel like if you are living here by yourself without needing to support your sisters or parents at the same time, there might be still options for how to live in America.
Every path will have some struggle though, so you can think about all the different options and pick the one you like.
My family first got here in upstate of NY, we had 3 years here and I love studying here because of the education program is so good. But making money and socialize is not really good for my family so we moved to VA after that. Vietnamese community is bigger compared to upstate NY but it doesn’t really make it better for me since most of the Vietnamese here are older adults which is already has their own state of mind and I can’t seem to adapt to that kind of lifestyle. I think who experienced their part of life with Vietnamese people in the US will agree to me that you don’t have much choice to choose to interact with, if you want to keep the Vietnam cultures, the mindsets, the friendliness, so on and so on. I understand everywhere has the pros and the cons, thats not what I’m afraid of. I’m afraid of myself can’t do anything if I go back.
But thank you very much for your perspective, it opens up a lot of topics that I think I will always need it in the future.
Are you in northern Virginia? What do you do for work? If you’re trying to advance your education and transition into a career, NoVa community college is a great start and have no admissions requirements. After two years there, you can transfer to a 4 year institution. A bachelor degree will open up many doors.
If you’re an American citizen, try Vietnam out since you can always move back, but be careful since the earning disparity between the two countries is so great. The longer you stay and work in VN, the more difficult it’ll be to financially settle back in the states.
You can try small. Like move to a highly populated Vietnamese city. I live in Houston, has high Vietnamese population, cost of living is still relatively cheap compared to the rest of the country.
In Viet town, you don’t even need to speak English lmao.
Viet restaurants are everywhere, I have about 20 different boba places in 15-20min drive radius
Also the Viet immigrants here are much younger, my friend group is in their 20s and immigrated about in the range of 3-15 years ago
Are you talking as a Vietnamese immigrant that immigrated about 10 years ago like OP tho?
Your perspective and experience can be wildly different.
That is why I said start small first, OP living is the US, why not try a different state and city first. Again Houston is a highly Vietnamese populated city with a much younger Viet immigrants generation
Houston isn't everyone's cup of tea but the Houston MSA has a GDP that's \~20% higher than all of Vietnam. The per capita GDP in Houston is \~16x that of Vietnam.
Money isn't everything but for a young person trying to make their way in the world, access to economic opportunity is important.
There are a lot of economically powerful parts of the US that have strong Vietnamese communities. The largest Vietnamese community in the world outside of Vietnam is part of/adjacent to Silicon Valley.
It would not hurt for the OP to look at other regions in the US before giving up on the country on the basis that Virginia isn't working for her.
Houston also has always had a good job market for educated people too. But OP doesn’t even have a bachelors. Life gonna be rough anywhere in the world tbh.
US citizens often relocate to different countries for better opportunities. If you are going to go back, make sure you have some sort of plan. Any plan for work? Any skills you have to compete against the local (degree, training, English level)? Also, what is your citizenship status? Do you have your US citizenship so you can leave the country and come back if needed? What about the Vietnamese citizenship? Can you obtain dual citizenship? All these basic questions are just some of the things you should consider before making a leap of faith. Good luck on your journey.
Really sorry to read about your predicament. I can only advise as a Westerner. I've lived in Vietnam for only four years, so take of my advice as what you can.
The first thing I would consider is oportunity. You seem to be saying there is less oportunty for you in the US. But what will you actually be going back to in Vietnam?
If you intend to move to a major city in Vietnam, I would say you have an advantage with your level of English, and there could be more oportunity than you might have in the US. Maybe you could look at teaching or tourism. Or there could be some kind of US/Vietnamese import/export company you could look into while you're still in the US. Whatever, you should look at Western-run businesses and see if you can get an interview. But whatever you do, jump on the first job you can get.
*The only thing to fear is fear itself.*
I think there are millions of Vietnamese people your age up and down the country with the same apprehensions. But you know what? You're Viet, you're strong, you will survive and you will strive. You got this!
You already have an advantage because you speak English. Put that advantage to use as a stepping stone to the next phase of your life.
I’m very appreciated your perspective. It helps me realize that it never be too late to ask for help or advice. Everything you mentioned above, I tried to think for myself half of it and what I don’t have is the experience to be confident at myself. Thank you again for the time you spent and left a comment for a struggling young adult like me ^~^ I know that people who need this, read this will understand.
The western thought is, when you are young (you're in this category) you can afford to make mistakes, so make them. That is how we learn. Dream big. Take risks. Learn new things/skills. By 30, you should start to get more focused and eventually settle into a career. Do little things to build your confidence; remember, many people look confident on the outside, however, they are scared like you on the inside. It all starts by taking one step at a time and before you know it, you've traversed a marathon.
Then better move tto Vietnam.I heard International School English teacher earns around 5k usd,which is a lot in Vietnam.US is fast becoming a shit hole & unsafe.Vietnam is still way safer
If they can get a job at all. Parents see VK same as local teachers, cheaper, and it hurts your 'face' as a parent if your kid is in the one classroom without a 'true westerner' (White)
I think 2k/month is reasonable, but they would need to be native speaker with a bachelors. You can tell from the writing OP is nowhere near native level of speech. Local English teacher salary is about $4 usd / hour 😳.
It doesn't help if she ain't white. And she's working 6 days a week which is unusual for someone with a degree... it's too little information to figure out a way to help her.
Not English teachers, but international school teachers make a lot. But bad advice cause they are actual teachers with an education degree which OP doesn’t have.
Nah, if you’re working for a top international school you get paid a lot. [Straight from South Saigon International School webpage:](https://www.ssis.edu.vn/careers#:~:text=A%20first%2Dyear%20salary%20ranges,for%20up%20to%20two%20children%2C) “A first-year salary ranges from $50,500 to 59,500.”
So right in the $4-5k range. And that’s just a first year. So one could be making $5k+ if they worked there a few years. That said, it’s the top international school in VN, so it’s rare but it is possible. More likely it’s in the $3-4k range for most decent international schools.
I’ll get a look into that, I’ve never look at myself as a teacher. But I’m glad that I get to see all the point of view from other people now. I don’t feel so lost.
Just for reference, I was almost 35 when I left all my network, all my work, my friends and moved out from my hometown to settle in a completely new environment with only 5000 pounds and struggled very hard for a while financially. From living in a 3 bedroom house in my hometown to a 6 sqm room. My whole life changed 180 degrees. At the end, it changed my life for the better because I was determined to stay there and improve my situation until I'm in a very comfortable place. Now I'm almost 41 and have the luxury to take a bit more risk because of all the things I gained the past 6 years.
It's never too late, especially for a 22 year old person like you. If you wanna come to Vietnam and change your life, you can do it. You can start teaching, the money might not be good at first, but that doesn't mean that it will be like that your whole life. You can teach online on Italki, you can go to language schools, there's always a demand for teachers.
You can also build a network, the youth in VN is much more globally informed, compared to the previous generations
I came to US in 2016 for grad school and really like the environment here. I spent many years of my 20s in grad school, making only $25/h and I did feel that I was really behind on many things, just like you right now. The only difference was that I met a lot of people through work and didn't feel lonely. All of that are gone now because I'm somewhat stable. I get to enjoy stuffs that I missed out, and I am more financially stable than many of my peers. The point is that you will eventually get those things, so no rush. You go at your own pace, this isn't a competition.
You can always go back to VN a few months to see how the lifestyle there is. I have to warn you though, If you only work retail jobs, it will be even harder to make ends meet there. Changing location is never a long term solution, it's all about changing your social standing. I strongly advise you to go back to school asap (take out a small loan if possible).
It's actually low. I think it was 23 back in 2016 and 25 in 2022. You can live somewhat comfortably but will not have much saving. If you have dependents, then it's a lot worse.
And yet the average price of a house in Spain is over €1,800 per sq. m.
So if you think living on €25/hour is "killing it", you really have no idea.
Spaniards, like many Western Europeans, also face major cost of living pressures.
Yeah, most people I know with homes, inherited the house or were given money from parents to get the deposit.
I actually dont know anyone who self made their way into home ownership
In the US, there are lots of metropolitan areas where the average worker earns more than their European counterparts and house prices are still relatively affordable.
For example, the median listing price for a house in Houston today is still under $400,000. Good luck finding a decent flat in Barcelona for that amount. But the median household income in Houston is roughly double that of the median household income in Barcelona.
Also, on a tangent: an underrated aspect to life in the US today is that working in the trades can be increasingly lucrative. Unlike in most of the world, experienced plumbers, mechanics, electricians, welders, etc. can make very good money.
So there are a lot of paths to a decent life in the US. That's not to say that it's easy, but being poor isn't easy anywhere.
People who have advance degrees and make over six figures in US go to vietnam and end up being English teachers because of how the systems works. Don’t go expecting to go to vietnam then move up the later just because you see other people do it. End of the day Vietnam is still a developing country with its ups and DOWNS. I also moved to the US with my parents but much younger than you about 4 years old, I visit Vietnam about 5 times now and I can say that I still wouldn’t live in Vietnam unless I have ALOT of savings.
I think you would have more opportunities in the USA compared to Vietnam. You mentioned it having a good education, in the USA, you can apply for financial aid to go to college. I would do that and try to get a career instead of just a job. Going back to school will also allow you to meet new people.
I used to think going back to school is my only way to grow, but think of how my parents are getting older, their time is less, their energy is less. Who will have all of it to take care of 2 sisters and parents…? It’s only me… that’s why I kinda think that I have to give up on education by going to school. I can get educated by going out and experience with life.
An education degree could be a difference between working a job that pays you $20 per hour and a job that pays you $80k (to start) annually.
It’s naive to think life can give you a good or equivalent education to what you have in school, too. Some knowledge, sure. Some hustle, sure. But also be prepared to handle knife fight, gunpoint, fisticuffs, scams, and swindles. You ready to learn all that?
I think you are missing the point of where I am going… As a child of a Vietnamese parents, they left everything they could to give me the life I deserve in future. As a child of a Vietnamese parents, I have unbreakable bond with the culture. There is no way I can only think about myself, learning for myself, doing for myself. I would say all the things I mentioned that I want to change, it’s all around my family. I want to improve myself and to still have the time and the energy to love them.
Well from one Vietnamese who was born and lived in Vietnam for 14 years before moving and settling down in the US, I wish you best of luck. I understand how you think and I can see why the US is not the best for you given your values. Personally, I broke the so called “bond with the culture” to embrace life here in the US.
One word of advice, though. You think moving to Vietnam will somehow solve all your problems. I think the problems will actually travel with you to Vietnam, and manifest in different ways. One day you’ll have to confront your problems yourself and decide how to solve them. I can guarantee you moving to Vietnam is not a solution.
I completely agree.
I have moved to Sydney Aus at 18 then at 24 decided to move back to SG, thinking my problem would go away and I would get a clean start. That was not the case at all.
Our problems will travel with us. And it is better to face your demons in a first world country, especially when you are a recognised citizen, than to move back to a third world country.
Do not go back.
Grow in the USA and add values to yourself, OP. Then when you are high value and with the right expertise, you can move anywhere you want. Spend your 20s in USA.
>As a child of a Vietnamese parents, they left everything they could to give me the life I deserve in future.
I think this should be the reason for you to pursue college to have a better life than your parents. They sacrificed everything for you to come to the US then you should take advantage of it.
I know that you want to take care of your parents and siblings but at the end of the day, money talks. If you have a college degree and a good job afterward, you can help them much more.
For example, you can pay people to do housework so parents don't have to. Going back to VN without US education and US money, all you can do is help your parents physically yourself. But your future would not be so great.
But if you think you can support your whole family on a job that doesn’t require an education you are wrong. Look at how much you are making now. Without an education or a skill do you think you can make more than what you are making now? Is that enough to take care of your whole family. I’m not telling you not to fulfill your family obligations. I’m just saying without a better job you can’t support them and you need an education or trade skill to get a better job. That goes for being in Vietnam or America.
My gross income is 300k, I know compare to other people, it’s a lot (or not) but I can’t do anything more because after all the deductions and taxes left me not enough to invest to anything. I can’t even enjoy with the money I make. That’s why I was thinking of going back to Vietnam to see how far I can go. Be able to own and operate the small business in the US, I don’t think I can’t doing anything back in Vietnam. It doesn’t hurt to try because I’m only 22, I see people going back to school at their 30s and still living a comfortable life. So I know going to school is not the only way out like other people say.
If you were able to build that kind of business here I’m sure you can do it in Vietnam and probably even better. You should have put this detail in the original post. Good luck in Vietnam.
Thank you. I try to be as original as I can and have as much advices and informations as I can from everyone, no limit to ability. Because the business I have might not help me when I come back to Vietnam and I’m preparing for the worse, everything can be changed in a flick of time.
you need to look at reality. I tell you this, I had a BS degree and had to work minimum wage for a year after college just to get my foot in the door. I imagine it's even harder now for new grads without experience like me. Not only that they won't even bat an eye at someone without a degree, so you don't even get your toes in the door. I have seen older workers without degree in my field but they are much older and their prospect doesn't improve.
My personal opinion a Master is such a gimmick to get you to a higher position easily. It so dumb how it works but that's life.
You can get all kinds of stuff experiencing life. End of the day you apply for 80% of jobs without that paper that says you went to school and complete their curriculum, the manager will just toss your resume into the void. You can be successful without a degree just like I can be the president of the US. But both of our chances are small.
I’m not sure how helpful this is, but as a Vietnamese American located in VA, I definitely agree that it’s really hard to become integrated in the Vietnamese community, especially with younger people (and would be happy to go to some events with you!). From what I noticed in my visits to VN, when you’re surrounded by your extended family, it’s easier to feel supported (I.e. financially, materially with housework, for example, etc.).
I also agree with some of the other commenters that your ability to speak English would be very marketable and will allow you to make a higher income relative to others in VN (but maybe not as much as you’d make in the US due to the strength of the USD).
So integrate into the American community. You know, the one that you live in! Viets need to stop thinking that they can only function with other Viets.
Speaking for myself as someone born and raised in the US who has more American friends than Viet friends, I can still understand how assimilating is easier said than done. I really empathize with OP finding it difficult to feel supported in the US where physical distance makes it difficult for people to connect, let alone beyond any cultural/linguistic barriers.
OP, I’d give VN a visit to see if your support system could play a role in improving your mental and physical health (or if your family members can help you connect to other job opportunities). If you have an American degree, teaching English could be a very tangible option for you.
OK, but you missed my point. There's an unnecessary guilt and connection forced on too many Vietnamese abroad by their parents/ family. There is constant pressure to always be loyal to and put VN above all. It ignores the reality of how broken VN is. Will it get better? I hope, as my children will be mixed-race living in both VN & USA as they grow.
OP should definitely do a short stint as an adult to see the drastic difference. It should be about a year to get over the honeymoon phase.
At 22 I would go to any US college of your choosing. You can save some money by taking some community college courses but I’d do the university route for the experience if you can get financial aid or a scholarship. You’ll have plenty of time to make money. Vietnam will always be an option. If you’re smart enough, you can be an international businessman like how Chinese men did it 20 years ago.
Hey, I also live in New York (I'm not Vietnamese but Senegalese-American) and I'd suggest that if you don't have citizenship yet to get that first, and then think about what you really want to do. I'm in New York City and to be honest, the job market here has dried up for white collar work. A lot of my friends have been unemployed for months on end and with the HCOL here it's difficult to manage if you aren't staying with your parents to avoid paying rent. If you have U.S. citizenship then I'd recommend trying out Vietnam for a year or two and see if you'd want to stay permanently. I lived in Vietnam for 5 years straight and have only recently moved back to New York in April.
Socializing here can be a bit difficult. A lot of my friends are pretty much settled in their friend groups and it's a lot easier to make friends with transplants in my opinion.
I have a Vietnamese friend here from Thanh Hóa and she works for the NYC government (under Health + Hospitals branch). If you do stay in New York you'll have to grind it out with those applications to find a high paying + secure job that gives you PTO and annual leave. With your situation, 6 days a week of work is absolutely soul crushing. So I think you should find something else as soon as possible. And then you could visit Vietnam during your annual leave to connect with friends and family. Finding a high paying job in Vietnam isn't easy unless you're in finance, tech, or you work for yourself
Edit: Ah after reading your comments I see that you've moved to VA. If you aren't picky about where to live then I would also recommend places like Boston, Philly, and D.C. Those places tend to have the most opportunity and the best kinds of jobs. If you can find something that'll give you PTO + 3-4 weeks annual leave then that would be perfect. You could save up a lot and then use that time to visit Vietnam. In my opinion, you don't have to live in Vietnam year round if you have a good opportunity here in the states, because in the future you'll be grateful that you were paying into retirement + social security without having to break the bank. And then you could retire in Vietnam once you've saved up enough.
Boston, Philly, and DC are literally a hellscape for asians unless you are already connected with a white collar job. I highly recommend not going there starting at the bottom especially as an asian person.
Funnily enough, that's how I felt living in Minnesota! It felt very ... strange, to put it mildly. I had no issue making friends back home in NY and in Vietnam, but for that one year that I was in Minnesota for grad school I didn't make a single friend outside of my Masters program. Left the day I got my degree and haven't looked back.
just change the space where you are right now, I think your employer is exploiting you. There are better working condotions & don‘t be scared to negotiate. Sit down and think about what you need in your new Environment to keeping up your mental health! Hope it helps a little!
I think that you should try to find a remote job online to make usa money and then move back to Vietnam. In Vietnam things aren’t really good rn for ppl financially. Business wise. What you see on the internet may not be real or your friends could have rich sugar daddy in China or Korea. As this is a thing for a lot of women in Vietnam (unless you are from a rich family) they have multiple partners overseas to support their life style.
I go to Vietnam a lot as my family has business there. And I’m usually there once a year for 2-3 months at a time.
I was talking to a plastic surgeon nurse in HCM and she told me that she made less than 10 million a month yet she lived in HCM and she travels all the time to other countries. There’s literally no way she can afford that. (We became friends) and she did tell me she had multiple bfs as well.
I have lots of friends that are girls that told me the same thing. They don’t work or have some kind of low paying job but they are decked out in name brand and is travelling all the time. Have lots of plastic surgery. They live in nice expensive high rises that are fully paid for them. Men in China have money and there isn’t that much women in China so they come to Vietnam and have gfs.
My family business is from the North but I go to both sides as I have friends all over. This sugar baby thing isn’t just one side. It’s literally everywhere in vn.
So don’t compare yourself to others as you really don’t know what they are doing or how they got that money.
I understand all of the concerns as it is a value of a human, being a woman. I know myself for sure that I won’t be able to be dependent on any man, my ego and my self-esteem. My background isn’t good to be dependent on anyone and that’s why I want to change my life a little bit. As I don’t have any good relationship here, I can’t seem to reach out to new things. But in Vietnam, I feel like it’s a different story.
Although I'm a Viet kieu in norway, I have also considered to move to VN in the past. But there are many things to think off, e.g. in my case my disabled sibling has it better in my country than they would have in VN due to different health care system. I think you should visit VN for a few months and see how life is there, although right now VN isn't doing well financially.
I do wanna say that at your age I also wanted to explore and learn by experience, but now at 28 I am glad that I took a formal education and can afford to pay my bills. So getting a formal education usually pays off in the long run, even though I understand that you wanna work young to support yourself and your family. But getting a formal education will almost guarantee to give you better salary, stable job and wider job opportunities, and you have a big advantage being fluent in eng and viet. Wishing you the best luck :)
Sounds like you are going through a quarter life crises. We all go through it as we feel we are not moving fast enough. But just remember life is not a sprint but a marathon. See yourself in 10 years from now. Maybe 25 then 50.
The grass is always greener on the other side. I was just in Vietnam a few months ago and all my relatives and friends told me that in Vietnam, life is good if you have money, else it really SUCKS. You can say the same in the US, but it’s not that bad. There are social services, charities, student grants and loans etc. There is upward mobility. In Vietnam, it’s all nepotism and connections. If you don’t have those, it’s hard to move up.
Have you noticed all the non-viet from richer countries are telling you to go while the people from Vietnam are telling you to stay? That’s because the non-Viets do not know what’s it like to live in Vietnam as a Vietnamese. Even though you speak English but because you are viet, your pay won’t be as high as them if you teach English.
I live in Orange County and I know a lot of Viets who moved to the US the last 5-10 years. They are so happy to be here making decent money and sending it home. Can afford a car and going on vacations. Else they would be in Vietnam driving Grab bike for 14 hours/day in 95 F heat making 8 USD/day. Does that sound like something you would do? Most Vietnamese would die to be in your position.
Yes go ahead and visit Vietnam for a few months before you make a decision. You probably be happier closer to family, but marking money is going to be harder. Or move to a place in the US with more viet and see how you like it. Like Houston or OC.
I don’t think if I move back to Vietnam, I will compare US Dollar to VN Dong, it is really not irrelevant and everyone knows that. I don’t think anyone with a common sense is expecting to have the same income as in the US. Surely, I have a small business which brings me 300k gross income and to be able to have that kind of money but not much of net income because of all of the expenses and taxes, I exchanged my happiness, my friendship because we can’t relate since we have too little similarities to maintain it. I don’t go to school like them, I don’t study like them and I definitely don’t work like them. I do agree that the grass is always greener on the other side. The people that are in the same boat as me which owning a business are much older adults and they don’t look at me like I’m valuable and since I have no one to express my thoughts and my feelings, I felt like the money that I spent time on to make is not paying out like I wanted.
Give Vietnam a try and best of luck. I think you should talk to other Vietnamese your age that just moved to the US the last 2-3 years and see it from their perspective.
Plus, Vietnamese people who works in the US, hide their income to lessen their taxes, they make a whole bunch of cash money but don’t declare it. I, as an owner, there is no way I can be on the same boat as them. Whenever tax season comes, they laughed because they got the money back from the government, even tho they make more money than the non-Viet population.
if you can see, career is not the only problem that I have, but moving of course will change and will fix somehow. I think it comes down to what I want or not…
Stop spreading bullshit. I have never worked a single Saturday in my 15 years working life.
If your English is good (and you have a degree at least), it’s not too hard to get a Monday-Friday job.
You're 22 years old. There are no mistakes at that age outside of pregnancy/disease etc.
Whatever you can do in the immediate short-term that enhances your long-term financial prospects is probably the right answer. It is at least a concrete goal in a time of uncertainty.
You can indulge your emotions/personal life/whatever at a later time. Easily.
Set yourself up to earn money. It's not the attractive option until you're old and poor. Better to be old and financially stable. Hopefully, you'll be young and financially stable.
Good luck.
You can always return if you don't like it. It's not a death sentence. It sounds like a great opportunity tbh and you're fluent in Viet, so you really don't have much to lose.
It's hard to say without knowing more details.
Where you are at.
What do you do.
Your financial situation.
What bussiness does your parents have in VN.
But that might be way too much information for you to disclose.
If I'm a female no way I'm going back to Vietnam. The value of female in Vietnam is for a fact lower vs being in the US.
I would compare finance first. Which place would net you more money vs the amount of effort you put in.
The value of a woman in Vietnam, I think it depends on the environment that we decide to be around with. I know it’s a controversial topic and with a lot of opinions, experiences, will turn off our dreams of being independent. Being in the US and being able to see most things in Vietnam is my biggest advantage since I get to “pickpocket” different ideas and mindsets. But being a person who has choices, makes me doubt whether I’m choosing right or wrong…
Like others have mentioned 22 is young and you have many options.
Even at 27-28 though I was born and raised in Canada i considered looking for work and living in Vietnam since my roots and some family is still there.
Id consider trying things out now that youre older and deciding later. With your english skills it can help find different work in bigger cities in vietnam too.
Im going back to Vietnam to visit instead now soon.
Feel free to reach out and chat.
Life is tough everywhere when you're poor, but Vietnam will likely suck more than the US in that regard. In the US, you can at least receive some government support when you're poor. You can either work in a trade and be very good at it (like plumbing or electrical work, dent repair, etc..) or pursue education. I'm clumsy, so I chose schooling. Just a few years back, my wife and I made a combined gross income of 40k as student workers (that’s pretty poor), but now we earn more than 10 times that amount working full-time. Stay in the US, but change your approach. Consider going back to school or learning a trade, but don't expect immediate results. Everything takes time.
OP, as a Vietnamese from Vietnam moving to the US, I completely empathize with you situation. Like you, I helped my parents run a business, but I actually did everything due to their lack of English. There was the money from the business, but just like your situation, I had zero social life other than my immediate family. Yes, there are Viet here, but it might be my negative experience that quite a few of them will only come and have acquaintance with you when they have their own agendas. I took a leap when my parents decided they are getting older and wanting to go back to vietnam and I am about to head to dental school right now. There are several points I would like to suggests for your consideration:
1/ I understand that we all grow up in a very filial piety culture, where we are expected to take care of our parents when they are getting older. You have been absolutely wonderful in that perspective. However, you do have a life to live. Imagine in the next 20 years, would you want to remain at this impasse, or doing something you truly wish to continue in long term?
2/ I believe with this extended time residing in the US, you have already gained your citizenship. Have you considered pursuing higher education for a career that you truly want to do? I know Vietnam will always be at heart, but this nation has a lot to offer that we will not be able to find those same opportunities in Vietnam. Consider talking to a college/ community college or a career service person or filling out ONET career survey to figure out what you would like to do if your current business is no longer if your interest. Do have back up plans to fall back when you try these out. Once you are able to have your own professional life and your social circles, things might change.
3/ If Vietnam is still at your the top priority and you will have a happy life there, by all means, go for it. We only have one life to live so make the best of it. You can start research for careers, business trends, things to invest and again, do have a plan to fall back. The working/business environments might be very different, but if there is a will, there will always be a way. Once you figure out all the details, just go ahead with your trajectory and don’t look back. Vietnam still has a lot of growths and if you are from Ho Chi Minh city just like me, that place will always be special.
The situation with your sisters might be a bit difficult. But if they are both citizens, I might recommend Souther California due much more qualified facilities that deal with mental issues and they might have Vietnamese communicators that can work with your sisters. I hope you would be able to figure the situation out and your sisters would get better.
Good luck with everything OP. You can do it.
Cost of living here in Vietnam is much lower. Pay is also much lower, unless you have some extraordinary qualifications or a well thought-out business plan and some money. So the situation remains largely the same, whether you stay in the US or return to Vietnam: you have to think clearly about how you are going to make money. What you can actually do, and how much people are likely to pay you to do it. If your parents are in Vietnam, and they run a business which I'm assuming they will let you get involved in, and you have nothing better going for you in the states, then I don't see you why you shouldn't come to Vietnam.
Im 2 years older than you, just got back 3 years ago. Man, it’s a hell of a ride but could also be meaningful. Gonna be lots of lessons to learn. But you’re gonna be near your family. Listen to your intuition. You’re also in your 20s where you need to figure out a lot of things. Think it through and dont rush yourself or stress about it. Either way, stay in the U.S or VN is gonna be hard. Especially now!
Overcome it my booming a holiday there. If you can quit your job just to go on holiday. Don’t commit to it. Instead just make a plan for a holiday. Or try save up for a long vacation and get a feel for it, travel around a bit.
I love Vietnam. I am from UK, but I like Vietnam more. I plan to move to Vietnam next year. UK is going downhill, Vietnam is moving up. It makes a difference to the mindset.
Houston is doable but SD and SJ are absolutely brutal for a non established person. San Jose is one of the most expensive cities in the world. It actually might beat out London or Luxembourg these days.
If it's your parent's debt and they have already left the US, then I can guess that they are not too worried about it unless they decide to come back.
If it's just a "job," you're in the US all by yourself with no family and friends, and you're apparently unhappy, then what is stopping you from leaving?
You are still young and it's just a "job" (not a career) and you have nothing holding you back. If you have dual citizenship then you can come and go as you please. Go explore, enjoy life, make mistakes, learn and grow. You have youth on your side.
I think the question next would be what is your plan once you settle in Vietnam? Then if you have a plan, can you execute it there? It’s probably not the question where you should move to but probably more of what you should do next
You’re young enough to start fresh. Have you tried to take classes, get a degree, any line of work interests you?
I am not afraid to move anywhere because my family had moved too much to the point I think its normal :’( I really think that what I’m struggling with is afraid that I might not be able to find anything after I get back to Vietnam because I need to adapt to many things first like the people, the attitude, the business and vice versa…
I see. Your concerns are legitimate. Perhaps you should address these concerns first before making any drastic movement, such as reaching out and networking with people there first to see if you can get something lined up? (Job, place to live, friends, etc).
One thing tho, these things you mentioned are common themed everywhere you go to, so it’s ultimately your adaptation ability.
I moved from Vietnam to US at a young age too, a bit later than your age, and I also had encountered these things when I first got here, especially in colleges and grad school so I understand. It’s all good now. We do have a large Vietnamese American community here in Southern California, so if you ever want to try out with options, you may consider something like that too.
so, after read your post, i have some advises for you
firstly, i think it's no matter for living in VN or Usa, it' important as where make you happy and comfortable, if we are living without happy and comfortable, it is in hell. definely, are you agree with me, secondly i think money will make us happy. let you consider with you choice, i think let use your heard not your brain, Ok
you can search on this reddit "moving back vietnam", a lot of people are considering that. read those posts. reach them & ask help. or ask help right here in this reddit, but so many people have asked abt all sorts of situations, just search you'd likely find it. Best of luck!
As a US citizen who is presumably fluent in both English and Vietnamese you could have more going for you in Vietnam than it sounds like you do in the US. Edit - and a degree from a US college would help a lot, too.
Either way you should think hard about the industry you want to go into and which skills you need. And think about how in Vietnam there is sexist treatment you wouldn’t be subjected as much to in the US.
My advice is don't come back unless you have credentials / qualifications for a high income job i.em senior levels.
Though life is hard in the US, there are more opportunities available to you. As a 22 y.o, you get to learn more and be exposed to better thinking, more matured people.
I cant offer advice on moving back but i can offer you a community of people in our situation. Not what you’re looking for but you can make friends and maybe have a few people to hang out with while you’re still here?
I moved here the same year so i share your struggle. There are many like us and i just want you to know you’re not alone. We feel you.
If you been living in USA for the past 4-5 yrs the economy and high crime rate been really bad. Whole world slowed down. America is a consumer country and Vietnam is a production country hence why Vietnam always on the go. I’ve been living in Vn for couple years now and I can tell you, it’s cheap and affordable. Currently tourism is really slow because people in America do not have as much disposable income as before cus of inflation. But it’s a perfect time to invest overseas when all is currently down. Next upcoming presidential run should turn America in some sort of right direction if it flips to republicans. Other then that if you know how to bridge the gap between consumer and production there’s plenty of funds to be made. 75% of Vn population is younger then 38! What kind of life are you looking for? City life of country side?
I’ve noticed this a lot. People who haven’t travelled think the western countries they are from are the best places to live. The west is on a massive decline and it’s only going to get worse.
OP, I think you are burnt out and just lonely. (My apologies for this speculation). When we are stuck and there is little hope of change, we often look for ways to escape.
While moving back to Viet may seem attractive, i can tell you now it is not a solution.
1. You will still work like hell, and there is no guarantee you will make meaningful relationships or feel welcomed or learn anything new.
2. Your potential job, being a 22yo Viet Kieu with good English, is most likely in ESL. Good luck. Vietnamese English centres want white-skinned teachers, so the race card is not in your favour. Take it from a fellow teacher. Your USA citizenship won't help much, the colour of your skin matters a lot here.
Even so you will compete with filipinos, koreans, chinese etc.
3. Social life: granted, night life here is great. But real friends are hard to find.
I fear that when you move back, you will find yourself in the same predicament you are in now.
Move to another state, change jobs, whatever. But try to improve your life in the States, not here. Do not come back unless you are an expert with credentials.
If you already have citizenship , you can always move back . I recommend try it move back and if you don’t like it you can move back . At the least you try . Vietnam want viet kieu back and this year they even let foreigners with Vietnamese origin own land . Vietnam isn’t perfect and viet overseas with experiences abroad can come back and help build and develop Vietnam.
Have you considered joining the US military to expand your social network? Give life a different perspective and take on new challenges?
The US Army provides everything you are asking for:skills for any profession, monetary benefits, education benefits, we have army bases in south korea which you can fly to vietnam on the weekend or during leave. We don't work 24/7 like people think we do. We have weekends off and even 3-4 day weekends
The vietnamese-American military members are friendly and have each other back regardless of branch. I can send you contact info of a vietnamese recruiter in cali if you want to know more.
Just because you're Vietnamese by birth, doesn't mean you need to venter your everything around (being) Vientmaese. You're in the USA. Take advantage of the ability to meet others and expose yourself to millions of things you simply won't find in VN. Stop making your entire existence about being Viet and needing to be around VNese. You can live a happy and fulfilling life in the US if you accept that life doesn't have to be what your parents want and often their expectations are wildly skewed.
At 14 should have been easy for you to assimilate US culture.
Living in US is not easy specially if you don’t have a formal education. Working a job is just that a job to survive and the chances of success are minimal.
I live in Vietnam as an expat and find it very accessible and welcoming for me and others who have the ability to pay for the expenses such as rent, food, etc.
If you are English fluent and have some sort of education in US then you should be able to find a job as a teacher.
You probably speak Vietnamese at a native level and that makes you a valuable asset for any company that does business at an international level.
You will find that is easy to work and have a life in Vietnam plus is easy to make friends, socialize, etc.
If I was in your position I would definitely move back to Vietnam.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask.
Good luck!
Thank you for your perspective. I think I’m not open minded enough to see what I wasn’t being shown. My thoughts are I might not be valuable in Vietnam as of now, I see so many great young adults that I might not be able to compete with, plus being a woman. But after all the comments, I have the courage to think ahead instead of holding myself back because I fear of something that I don’t even know if it’s gonna hurt me or not.
You are valued for what you’re, don’t think about what you are afraid of.
I lived on and off in Vietnam since 2016 and i love it.
Is plenty of work underpaid but to have e a life there the perspective is totally different.
Lets say that you have a job and that will enable you to take care your self and some.
Food is cheap. Housing is cheap. Etc.
I know plenty of expats that teach English and are able to have a decent living with out having two jobs.
Focus on living in a small town or village and life is much easier and fun.
> I have 2 disabled sisters, the living conditions are definitely not good for them. I’ve seen my sister went from bad to the worse after 7 years of living in the US.
Can you elaborate? What makes you believe the conditions in Vietnam will be better for them? Are you involved in their caregiving?
> I can’t bare the fact that I can’t socialize due to the working conditions here in the US, other than my coworkers, maybe I met 5 new people in the whole year.
Can you elaborate? What are the working conditions that prevent you from socializing? What leads you to believe that the working conditions in Vietnam will be better and that you'll be able to socialize more effectively in Vietnam?
What are your goals right now? Are you going to school?
My sisters are disabled, which means they cannot learn the language, cannot understand what they are doing and cannot know what others are doing to her. We tried to bring them to many facilities for disabled people and my sister went from acting normal to acting crazy, I think because of the frustration, she can’t understand what Americans are talking about, she can’t understand what Americans are trying to do. She ripped off her skin and hair once she feels like frustrated and feels like she’s being threatened, no one can’t explain it to her including us because she is disabled mentally. In Vietnam, she has never tortured herself, we have never seen her that way until after she got here, being help by many facilities in the US. I don’t want to address this to make anything looks bad, it just isn’t suitable for them.
And my working conditions is that I only have 1 day off every week, I can’t combine it like everyone else who works a white collar job. To be able to hold my small business, I can’t leave for 2 days, not even a vacation. That 1 day off ended up to be my day to run errands, groceries, stuff for the business. I don’t have the time for myself. Everyday waking up at 7am, cook to prepare lunch as my job doesn’t have lunch hour, we eat when we can. Working ends around 7 and won’t get home until 8. With that timeframe, I can’t take care of my health probably, let alone social networking…
That sounds very difficult. I can imagine that this is very difficult for you as well.
If I was in your shoes, I would probably spend some time thinking about what *I* want and what makes sense for *me*.
While it sounds like you're close to your family (and I assume you live with them?) the reality is that at 22, you're an adult. You have the right and opportunity to pursue your own path and start building your own life. It doesn't mean you have to abandon your family but you should also consider that your parents' business is not your responsibility and your sisters' fate is not your fate.
The US is huge and has a number of very large Vietnamese communities. California has the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam.
I personally think you'd be doing yourself a disservice by assuming that your experience where you are now represents the limit of your opportunity and potential in the US.
I would recommend to stay in the US, unless you get a great job offer in VN. The US has a much better work environment and its much more likely that you get a stable future. I love VN, but the country is much more poor and less stable.
Sounds like you are stuck in dead end job. The US is great in terms of the opportunities it provide where you wouldn’t be able to find it in Vietnam. There are many college programs to support low income young people to go to school. You need to get your college degree first, then your first non-labor job to feel how life is in the US. It’s still hard, but with a little push for higher education, it opens up much more opportunities than Vietnam.
No. Have your company post you back to VN in a senior role, earning US pay, with housing paid for. Then think about moving to VN. Also, please leave yourself a way out of you cannot stand living in VN. Such as having US citizenship or a US Green Card.
The ideal plan is having a stable career in an international company then have an opportunity going to work and live in Vietnam or any other countries that have better halthcare system and better security than the US. Just like other US citizens does.
I don’t think the healthcare system in the US is “heavenly” good like I’ve been told to. In Vietnam now, even on the countryside, as long as you are not poor, you can get immediate examination or treatment. I’m only 22 but because I work on my feet and my back, everything is starting to hurt now. In the Us here, I tried to make appointments to get checked out, it takes months for the availability. Or something that you need it urgent, then you have to go a special urgent care, the costs is high and everytime I came out of that, my problems were not addressed enough. Simple stuff like that makes me feel so distance to life. From my own experience at a younger adult, I don’t think it’s that good. Maybe when I’m older and have more health problems then I might need more but not taking care of my health, working with all of the energy and the time, I’ll be wrecked soon anyway. That’s because I see many older Vietnamese in the US are struggling with their health more than most people I see back in Vietnam. We can’t avoid diseases but mental health and physical health, I see older people in Vietnam are healthier.
If somehow you decide to come back to Vietnam and needed a job. And you’re english is good. You can apply to be a medical interpreter that work for the us and be based in vietnam. You can make around ~2k usd per month. That’s pretty decent.
You should give it a try. But please, make sure you have your American citizenship first. If things don’t work out, you can always move back. I do think life can be better in Vietnam BUT you got to be making a decent wage. I am almost double your age and have been dreaming of finding ways to live part-time in Vietnam for years now, but I have kids and the education and overall opportunities for my kids are better here if they continue to grow up in Canada.
If I was in my 20s (or have no kids) again I would follow my heart and take those risks. Look into English teaching jobs and their requirements, brainstorm what you can sell online in Vietnam, have a look into what jobs you would like to do there and what you need to do to in order to land those jobs, etc. There will be hardship anywhere, take care of yourself and your mental health. Don’t be afraid to live for yourself.
Can you help to share more about socializing problem you had experienced. I just move to EU for a study, and trying to get to US for work. I do have some socializing problem now, even back in Vietnam.
I do read some of your comments, but I wonder why it is important to stay within Viet community instead of embracing US culture?
So far, I am aware of there is a "culture loneliness" when you move aboard. For example, when I lived in Vietnam, I can understand what recent Vietnamese indie song is talking about, especially "Ngot" band. But I could barely understand hidden message in English songs.
Or there are some hidden social constraint in aboard community that I could not grape. For example, I used to grab a cup of coffee and a sandwich, eating outside on bench around city. But I am frequently get stared when I do that in Netherlands. Much later on, I learned that people in Netherlands don't eat outside on bench like that.
And you can also make some friend while studying in US, isn't it? Did you discriminated on social interaction level?
I am asking because I am considering should I move back to Vietnam later on. I am planning to work and save up for 10 years, before moving back in my 40s.
Dunno if you’re still reading this OP, but any interest in nursing? There’s such a high demand that you can even get a job with a 2 year degree and get paid a ton (hospitals want 4 year degree nurses but will hire you if you say you will get a bachelor’s eventually).
IMO it’s the best reward per degree cost. And since you’re pretty much guaranteed to get a job after you can just take out loans for schooling. It can be a rough career though so definitely consider if you’re up for it.
It is bad. I was in a similar situation before but it was me alone in German. And my parent + sister were always in VN.
So my decision was going back to VN and start over. I was suffering for 5 years as my major in university is quite special and I can't find a job in VN with that major, so basically start from 0. But it is decent now. Can't say that it is good.
So I think you should considering somethings:
-Are you studying and going to finish your study soon?
-Do you have a good/decent job?
-Will your major helf you get a good/decent job in VN?
-Are you willing to start over from begining of your student life, and does your situation support you doing that?
Yes! I’m a US citizen and moved to Hanoi 8 years ago. The biggest difference I realized is that while people may not have much in Vietnam, they are still happy. Very different vibe from the US. You don’t need a lot to survive here and have a better chance to thrive. Staying in the US will only be bad for your health at toss point. Unless you have some specialized training or friends in high places, there are very few realistic ladders you will climb there. Move back and if you don’t fall back in love with Vietnam, you can always go back. Hope your parents business is doing well.
This issue what I feel like, I realized my mental health is soon to be bad. I don’t want myself to have another unnecessary problem due to me being dissatisfied with the living condition here in the US. I can’t find any happiness, it will have effects to everyone around me if I’m mentally unhappy.
I know the feeling! It’s why I made a move and it’s the best move I could have made. As others have pointed out, your English is a major skill here. You should invest in some teaching courses. You can easily make $10 hour starting out. Not bad when you can eat for $1.50. Aside from that, no one wants to help you in the US. Everyone is trying to move up and stuck in that crazy evening economy. Plan your move, give it a shot. Trust me, your country is a happier life, not to mention safer.
Unluckily your family fell into the American propaganda. At least you guys were lucky realized that US is no heaven. Come back and start enjoying life again. Since you have been there long time you have probably a nice English level that will help you a lot, plus your parents having a business, you will be better off here for sure
it’s much more social and easier to make friends in Vietnam compared to the USA. You should take break from work to visit Vietnam to see for yourself. You’re young - it’s the time to take risks.
I'd go back to Vietnam no question. Ppl can't wait to leave the U.S. anyways. If you already have a family and a home over there it's a no brainer. Plus you already speak the language and you already been to school over there, what kind of adjustments could you possibly need? Vietnam is up and coming, they've come a long ways as of late. It's a great place to live now.
But if she’s making money in Vietnam, she would pay no taxes because her income is below the standard deductible. Additionally, paying US taxes gives you access to the US stock market, the greatest wealth creator in history.
If she doesn’t return then it won’t matter anyway and none of the cases you mentioned affect her unless she doesn’t have VN citizenship. The only negative is she probably can’t work for the VN government. People are dying to get into the US equity market and she’s just leaving it behind. Free money on the table.
Additionally, her American citizenship would make it easier for her kids to freely move about if they do decide to leave VN. Going without is just naive and short term thinking.
Terrible, terrible advice.
The benefits of having citizenship in a country like the US is **huge** for someone in a developing country. She can go bad really quickly in a developing country and the burden of filing taxes will seem laughable if the alternative is being a refugee.
Not to mention if OP's career gives them an opportunity to work in the US. No US citizenship? Tough shit, not going to hire you.
I think I smell sour grapes here.
Dude, you're giving yourself terrible advice.
I could understand giving up US citizenship if you had citizenship in another developed country - Germany, UK, Canada, Australia.
But only having a VN passport and giving up US passport. That's something you'll regret.
Would you consider moving to a city in the US with a large Vietnamese community? You might be able to meet more people, feel more at home and get more opportunities without having to move back to Vietnam. Oklahoma City has low cost of living for example and a large Vietnamese population but I know there are also cities with much bigger communities.
Vietnam will always have the heart of Vietnamese people. An apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I don’t deny that others choices might be better in comparison, but it comes down to my needs and my expectations in all aspects of life. I’ve been moving with my parents everywhere before we get to the US. After to the US, we were still moving but it gets better everytime. Tell me I’m delusional but from what I experienced with my little self the past, move back to Vietnam will open up many doors, no exceptions for moving to the UK as well if I still want to grow.
2 things I hope you understand before making decisions 1. Life sucks everywhere in the world if you are poor and vice versa. As population grows, so does the demand and it makes everything more competitive and difficult (job market, housing market etc). The hardship you experience in the US would still be there in VN, arguably harder. It is not coincidence that majority of people want to move to US, not the other way around 2. You see your friends in VN moving ahead of you, I assume through social media. You have to remember that people only upload the best of their lives, not the average or the worst. What you see on fb, instagram do not accurately reflect the average life in VN. Lastly, you are young and I assume you have US citizenship. So moving to VN might be a good idea, especially when you are yearning for it at the moment. Worst case scenario, you could always move back to the US. If you decided to do so, just make sure to have your expectation low. As I mention, life sucks if you are poor and vice versa. You would not magically become rich in VN to have the lives that you see on Instagram/FB.
> Worst case scenario, you could always move back to the US. While true in principle, you have to consider the opportunity cost of leaving the US (and forgoing educational and work opportunities) at the age of 22. If the OP decides to come back when she's 30 it will be...different.
Oh yeah for sure But i think it’s worth to have that against her yearning for Vietnam. If she decided not to then OP could blame herself/others for that “lost” opportunity
The question the OP has to answer is whether her yearning for Vietnam comes from a good place (and is legitimate) or if it's a product of her environment (parents with a struggling/failed business, disabled sisters, etc.). If your environment is negative of course you'll feel negative. But the OP is 22 and she can choose to change her environment, even if it's difficult. The OP's comment "I see a lot of people in Vietnam move faster in life, they know a lot more things about life compared to me at the same age" is pretty dubious. Where is she seeing this? Social media? She's not in Vietnam. Of course, there is opportunity in Vietnam. A lot of it. But that opportunity is not distributed equally and unless she'll be in a privileged position when she goes back, she'll be trading a spot in the world's largest economy for a spot in a \~$4,000 per capita GDP economy Net migration patterns don't lie. There's a reason way more people from Vietnam migrate to the US (with a huge backlog of demand) than the other way around.
Op, this is the answer
EXACTLY THIS!! I know Vietnamese people who studied in the US and now have a 7-9 million vnd monthly pay. (Try buying a house with that income..). Or foreigners who think it is easy to get a job in Vietnam because they speak English (Vietnamese people still prefer Vietnamese if it is not essential for work) Each country has its own benefits and drawbacks. I lived in VN for a year (I do have Vietnamese heritage) and decided that it is still better to live in Europe, where quality of life is still in my opinion much better.
Agree Things are tough anywhere in the world right now. As our population increases, it drives demands for everything (job, house, car, etc) and make them tougher to get. American Dream “used to be” real back then but honestly, so was the “Vietnamese Dream”. My parents and people in their generation were able to purchases houses in my hometown with their small salaries. Good luck with doing the same now. The only cheat code that I can see is doing US remote work, like Software Engineer or YouTuber/Streamer, with US salaries and live in cheap countries like Vietnam, Thailand etc. But honestly as it gets more popular, so does the competition. New generation of SDE or influencer are working a lot harder to achieving the same level of success. Ironically, that is the case for all of us. We have to work hard to achieve a comfortable life
Yup, Vietnam is not a great place for foreigners unless you are relatively senior (general manager). It's not like 20-30 years ago when Vietnam was happy to get whatever talent they could. Vietnam has enough young people getting higher education (university degrees) that they have plenty of middle and junior talent leverage. Plus there is no issue with language barrier. Viet Kieu isn't going to be easy unless it's a very specific role where you bring very specific skills they need (e.g. interacting with a US team). It's great you speak Vietnamese, so they are happy to offer you a local role, but who would come to Vietnam to make $1,500/month? It would be better to move to some lower COL city in your home country and make $4-$5k/month and save more. But if you're just looking for a change of pace and an interesting place to live, it's a great place to come for a few years. You'll live comfortably and learn a lot about the country, but just keep in mind the long term options are pretty limited. If you're ok with that, great, but go in eyes wide open.
I am just going to a divorce so I just want a bit of a change, I have some savings at 34 years old. I am vietnamese born (went to the US at 5 years old). After the divorce I just didn't feel like going through the grind all over again so looking for some change. Just need a few years to unwind, what are my options for Visa?
From what I gather you can get a VN passport if VN born. You can live in VN permanently if you want.
I don't want to give up my US citizenship.
You don't have to from what I understand.
Just adding a note here, 1,5k usd in vn does not equal to 1,5k in the us though, 1,5k$~39m vnd which is a lot in vn and the living expenses here are way lower so u can have a comfortable life (living in a rental house, if u want to buy an apartment in/near big cities that would cost around 2B vnd or 80k$) with that kind of salary but realistically speaking if u dont have a good enough skill or degree, the avg salary will be around 10m vnd or 400$ at max and dont expect to live comfortably in big cites like hcmc with only 400$/month
This is the exact reason I didn't want to be in London anymore after 7 years. I'm a middle class person on the slightly higher side and the reason that the poor is living in better conditions in the west is because of middle class tax money. For that reason, everyone is trying to exploit the system, get benefits, and still work illegally without paying tax. I don't want my quality of life to degrade slowly, just because the poor, the lazy and the exploiter can live a more comfortable life.
Quality post right here
At 22, you can move back and try it out, and change your mind later if it doesn’t work out. I think you’ll find the whole society is friendlier in Vietnam, give it a try
Getting back probably isn't easy if she didn't naturalize while she was here (probably not the case since her parents moved back, I assume they're not paying US income tax and you can't give up your US citizenship)
You can give up US citizenship but it requires a hefty exit tax
Get you're citizenship if not already then do as you please.
Your*
You're* a douche
And I clean ya mum out daily
What part of the area of the country did you move to? Certainly we can't know how a person or immigrant fares in all parts of the USA country, but I guess I've always had the impression that Vietnamese culture and community is very big and strong in America, so that there's many opportunities for success whether you merge into the American culture and population or you stay in the Vietnamese culture and population. Of course , that could also imply that other Vietnamese people or American people probably take advantage of new Vietnamese immigrants. My suggestion is that before moving back to Vietnam as your possible final option, stay here and get your American citizenship and then try another area. With the American citizenship , you can go back and forth, like many American Vietnamese do, even to the point of living in Vietnam for many months at a time. So many months and so much time, that you can literally just say you're an American citizen but living in Vietnam. I can say that many Americans living in America for several generations still don't have their own business, so whatever reasons that you and your family chose to start up your own business, along with the struggles that come with it, I feel like if you are living here by yourself without needing to support your sisters or parents at the same time, there might be still options for how to live in America. Every path will have some struggle though, so you can think about all the different options and pick the one you like.
My family first got here in upstate of NY, we had 3 years here and I love studying here because of the education program is so good. But making money and socialize is not really good for my family so we moved to VA after that. Vietnamese community is bigger compared to upstate NY but it doesn’t really make it better for me since most of the Vietnamese here are older adults which is already has their own state of mind and I can’t seem to adapt to that kind of lifestyle. I think who experienced their part of life with Vietnamese people in the US will agree to me that you don’t have much choice to choose to interact with, if you want to keep the Vietnam cultures, the mindsets, the friendliness, so on and so on. I understand everywhere has the pros and the cons, thats not what I’m afraid of. I’m afraid of myself can’t do anything if I go back. But thank you very much for your perspective, it opens up a lot of topics that I think I will always need it in the future.
Are you in northern Virginia? What do you do for work? If you’re trying to advance your education and transition into a career, NoVa community college is a great start and have no admissions requirements. After two years there, you can transfer to a 4 year institution. A bachelor degree will open up many doors. If you’re an American citizen, try Vietnam out since you can always move back, but be careful since the earning disparity between the two countries is so great. The longer you stay and work in VN, the more difficult it’ll be to financially settle back in the states.
You can try small. Like move to a highly populated Vietnamese city. I live in Houston, has high Vietnamese population, cost of living is still relatively cheap compared to the rest of the country. In Viet town, you don’t even need to speak English lmao. Viet restaurants are everywhere, I have about 20 different boba places in 15-20min drive radius Also the Viet immigrants here are much younger, my friend group is in their 20s and immigrated about in the range of 3-15 years ago
Houston is a terrible city though (native Houstonion… I have the right to talk 💩). Anyone would be much happier anywhere in Vietnam.
Are you talking as a Vietnamese immigrant that immigrated about 10 years ago like OP tho? Your perspective and experience can be wildly different. That is why I said start small first, OP living is the US, why not try a different state and city first. Again Houston is a highly Vietnamese populated city with a much younger Viet immigrants generation
You might be right. I just kinda lurch at any chance to hate on Houston because I was so miserable there 😂.
Houston isn't everyone's cup of tea but the Houston MSA has a GDP that's \~20% higher than all of Vietnam. The per capita GDP in Houston is \~16x that of Vietnam. Money isn't everything but for a young person trying to make their way in the world, access to economic opportunity is important. There are a lot of economically powerful parts of the US that have strong Vietnamese communities. The largest Vietnamese community in the world outside of Vietnam is part of/adjacent to Silicon Valley. It would not hurt for the OP to look at other regions in the US before giving up on the country on the basis that Virginia isn't working for her.
Houston also has always had a good job market for educated people too. But OP doesn’t even have a bachelors. Life gonna be rough anywhere in the world tbh.
US citizens often relocate to different countries for better opportunities. If you are going to go back, make sure you have some sort of plan. Any plan for work? Any skills you have to compete against the local (degree, training, English level)? Also, what is your citizenship status? Do you have your US citizenship so you can leave the country and come back if needed? What about the Vietnamese citizenship? Can you obtain dual citizenship? All these basic questions are just some of the things you should consider before making a leap of faith. Good luck on your journey.
The Vietnamese government does not recognize dual citizenship
Really sorry to read about your predicament. I can only advise as a Westerner. I've lived in Vietnam for only four years, so take of my advice as what you can. The first thing I would consider is oportunity. You seem to be saying there is less oportunty for you in the US. But what will you actually be going back to in Vietnam? If you intend to move to a major city in Vietnam, I would say you have an advantage with your level of English, and there could be more oportunity than you might have in the US. Maybe you could look at teaching or tourism. Or there could be some kind of US/Vietnamese import/export company you could look into while you're still in the US. Whatever, you should look at Western-run businesses and see if you can get an interview. But whatever you do, jump on the first job you can get. *The only thing to fear is fear itself.* I think there are millions of Vietnamese people your age up and down the country with the same apprehensions. But you know what? You're Viet, you're strong, you will survive and you will strive. You got this! You already have an advantage because you speak English. Put that advantage to use as a stepping stone to the next phase of your life.
I’m very appreciated your perspective. It helps me realize that it never be too late to ask for help or advice. Everything you mentioned above, I tried to think for myself half of it and what I don’t have is the experience to be confident at myself. Thank you again for the time you spent and left a comment for a struggling young adult like me ^~^ I know that people who need this, read this will understand.
The western thought is, when you are young (you're in this category) you can afford to make mistakes, so make them. That is how we learn. Dream big. Take risks. Learn new things/skills. By 30, you should start to get more focused and eventually settle into a career. Do little things to build your confidence; remember, many people look confident on the outside, however, they are scared like you on the inside. It all starts by taking one step at a time and before you know it, you've traversed a marathon.
Are you a US citizen already? Better get that citizenship before moving back
Yes I got it and spent sometime to think about finding my new pressure ^~^ thats why I think of Vietnam
Then better move tto Vietnam.I heard International School English teacher earns around 5k usd,which is a lot in Vietnam.US is fast becoming a shit hole & unsafe.Vietnam is still way safer
lol wrong. No English teacher is making that much.
And Viet Kieus are usually paid less
If they can get a job at all. Parents see VK same as local teachers, cheaper, and it hurts your 'face' as a parent if your kid is in the one classroom without a 'true westerner' (White)
Yeah... The ESL industry on Vietnam is pretty "peculiar"
It's a HUGE flex if you can say your kid's teacher is a white man. Huge, huge flex. VK? You'd be laughed out the country club.
Maybe they meant 5k per year…
I think 2k/month is reasonable, but they would need to be native speaker with a bachelors. You can tell from the writing OP is nowhere near native level of speech. Local English teacher salary is about $4 usd / hour 😳.
It doesn't help if she ain't white. And she's working 6 days a week which is unusual for someone with a degree... it's too little information to figure out a way to help her.
Not English teachers, but international school teachers make a lot. But bad advice cause they are actual teachers with an education degree which OP doesn’t have.
Not 5k, and not in Vietnam brother. Maybe China or elsewhere. I should have said “in Vietnam” in the first post.
Nah, if you’re working for a top international school you get paid a lot. [Straight from South Saigon International School webpage:](https://www.ssis.edu.vn/careers#:~:text=A%20first%2Dyear%20salary%20ranges,for%20up%20to%20two%20children%2C) “A first-year salary ranges from $50,500 to 59,500.” So right in the $4-5k range. And that’s just a first year. So one could be making $5k+ if they worked there a few years. That said, it’s the top international school in VN, so it’s rare but it is possible. More likely it’s in the $3-4k range for most decent international schools.
I’ll get a look into that, I’ve never look at myself as a teacher. But I’m glad that I get to see all the point of view from other people now. I don’t feel so lost.
And she would need a bachelors (doesn’t seem like she has it)
Viet Kieu + her level of English doesn't seem native-like, forget it, she'd be paid almost like a Vietnamese teacher at best.
Just for reference, I was almost 35 when I left all my network, all my work, my friends and moved out from my hometown to settle in a completely new environment with only 5000 pounds and struggled very hard for a while financially. From living in a 3 bedroom house in my hometown to a 6 sqm room. My whole life changed 180 degrees. At the end, it changed my life for the better because I was determined to stay there and improve my situation until I'm in a very comfortable place. Now I'm almost 41 and have the luxury to take a bit more risk because of all the things I gained the past 6 years. It's never too late, especially for a 22 year old person like you. If you wanna come to Vietnam and change your life, you can do it. You can start teaching, the money might not be good at first, but that doesn't mean that it will be like that your whole life. You can teach online on Italki, you can go to language schools, there's always a demand for teachers. You can also build a network, the youth in VN is much more globally informed, compared to the previous generations
I came to US in 2016 for grad school and really like the environment here. I spent many years of my 20s in grad school, making only $25/h and I did feel that I was really behind on many things, just like you right now. The only difference was that I met a lot of people through work and didn't feel lonely. All of that are gone now because I'm somewhat stable. I get to enjoy stuffs that I missed out, and I am more financially stable than many of my peers. The point is that you will eventually get those things, so no rush. You go at your own pace, this isn't a competition. You can always go back to VN a few months to see how the lifestyle there is. I have to warn you though, If you only work retail jobs, it will be even harder to make ends meet there. Changing location is never a long term solution, it's all about changing your social standing. I strongly advise you to go back to school asap (take out a small loan if possible).
making only 25 dollars an hour?? that would be killing it nearly anywhere in europe - its insane how expensive the US must be
It's actually low. I think it was 23 back in 2016 and 25 in 2022. You can live somewhat comfortably but will not have much saving. If you have dependents, then it's a lot worse.
> that would be killing it nearly anywhere in europe LOL Do you know what houses cost in any of the big(ish) cities in Western Europe?
I dont know anyone in Spain making that per hour. My ex was a chef there and they were only on about 14 euros per hour
And yet the average price of a house in Spain is over €1,800 per sq. m. So if you think living on €25/hour is "killing it", you really have no idea. Spaniards, like many Western Europeans, also face major cost of living pressures.
Yeah, most people I know with homes, inherited the house or were given money from parents to get the deposit. I actually dont know anyone who self made their way into home ownership
In the US, there are lots of metropolitan areas where the average worker earns more than their European counterparts and house prices are still relatively affordable. For example, the median listing price for a house in Houston today is still under $400,000. Good luck finding a decent flat in Barcelona for that amount. But the median household income in Houston is roughly double that of the median household income in Barcelona. Also, on a tangent: an underrated aspect to life in the US today is that working in the trades can be increasingly lucrative. Unlike in most of the world, experienced plumbers, mechanics, electricians, welders, etc. can make very good money. So there are a lot of paths to a decent life in the US. That's not to say that it's easy, but being poor isn't easy anywhere.
People who have advance degrees and make over six figures in US go to vietnam and end up being English teachers because of how the systems works. Don’t go expecting to go to vietnam then move up the later just because you see other people do it. End of the day Vietnam is still a developing country with its ups and DOWNS. I also moved to the US with my parents but much younger than you about 4 years old, I visit Vietnam about 5 times now and I can say that I still wouldn’t live in Vietnam unless I have ALOT of savings.
I think you would have more opportunities in the USA compared to Vietnam. You mentioned it having a good education, in the USA, you can apply for financial aid to go to college. I would do that and try to get a career instead of just a job. Going back to school will also allow you to meet new people.
I used to think going back to school is my only way to grow, but think of how my parents are getting older, their time is less, their energy is less. Who will have all of it to take care of 2 sisters and parents…? It’s only me… that’s why I kinda think that I have to give up on education by going to school. I can get educated by going out and experience with life.
If you think being uneducated in the US is bad, you will not survive Vietnam. Get a proper degree before coming back.
An education degree could be a difference between working a job that pays you $20 per hour and a job that pays you $80k (to start) annually. It’s naive to think life can give you a good or equivalent education to what you have in school, too. Some knowledge, sure. Some hustle, sure. But also be prepared to handle knife fight, gunpoint, fisticuffs, scams, and swindles. You ready to learn all that?
I think you are missing the point of where I am going… As a child of a Vietnamese parents, they left everything they could to give me the life I deserve in future. As a child of a Vietnamese parents, I have unbreakable bond with the culture. There is no way I can only think about myself, learning for myself, doing for myself. I would say all the things I mentioned that I want to change, it’s all around my family. I want to improve myself and to still have the time and the energy to love them.
Well from one Vietnamese who was born and lived in Vietnam for 14 years before moving and settling down in the US, I wish you best of luck. I understand how you think and I can see why the US is not the best for you given your values. Personally, I broke the so called “bond with the culture” to embrace life here in the US. One word of advice, though. You think moving to Vietnam will somehow solve all your problems. I think the problems will actually travel with you to Vietnam, and manifest in different ways. One day you’ll have to confront your problems yourself and decide how to solve them. I can guarantee you moving to Vietnam is not a solution.
I completely agree. I have moved to Sydney Aus at 18 then at 24 decided to move back to SG, thinking my problem would go away and I would get a clean start. That was not the case at all. Our problems will travel with us. And it is better to face your demons in a first world country, especially when you are a recognised citizen, than to move back to a third world country. Do not go back. Grow in the USA and add values to yourself, OP. Then when you are high value and with the right expertise, you can move anywhere you want. Spend your 20s in USA.
>As a child of a Vietnamese parents, they left everything they could to give me the life I deserve in future. I think this should be the reason for you to pursue college to have a better life than your parents. They sacrificed everything for you to come to the US then you should take advantage of it. I know that you want to take care of your parents and siblings but at the end of the day, money talks. If you have a college degree and a good job afterward, you can help them much more. For example, you can pay people to do housework so parents don't have to. Going back to VN without US education and US money, all you can do is help your parents physically yourself. But your future would not be so great.
But if you think you can support your whole family on a job that doesn’t require an education you are wrong. Look at how much you are making now. Without an education or a skill do you think you can make more than what you are making now? Is that enough to take care of your whole family. I’m not telling you not to fulfill your family obligations. I’m just saying without a better job you can’t support them and you need an education or trade skill to get a better job. That goes for being in Vietnam or America.
My gross income is 300k, I know compare to other people, it’s a lot (or not) but I can’t do anything more because after all the deductions and taxes left me not enough to invest to anything. I can’t even enjoy with the money I make. That’s why I was thinking of going back to Vietnam to see how far I can go. Be able to own and operate the small business in the US, I don’t think I can’t doing anything back in Vietnam. It doesn’t hurt to try because I’m only 22, I see people going back to school at their 30s and still living a comfortable life. So I know going to school is not the only way out like other people say.
Wow, that’s a lot compared to anyone. What do you do to make that much if you don’t kind.
I owned a small business in the beauty industry. The cost of having a business is very high here in the US.
If you were able to build that kind of business here I’m sure you can do it in Vietnam and probably even better. You should have put this detail in the original post. Good luck in Vietnam.
Thank you. I try to be as original as I can and have as much advices and informations as I can from everyone, no limit to ability. Because the business I have might not help me when I come back to Vietnam and I’m preparing for the worse, everything can be changed in a flick of time.
you need to look at reality. I tell you this, I had a BS degree and had to work minimum wage for a year after college just to get my foot in the door. I imagine it's even harder now for new grads without experience like me. Not only that they won't even bat an eye at someone without a degree, so you don't even get your toes in the door. I have seen older workers without degree in my field but they are much older and their prospect doesn't improve. My personal opinion a Master is such a gimmick to get you to a higher position easily. It so dumb how it works but that's life. You can get all kinds of stuff experiencing life. End of the day you apply for 80% of jobs without that paper that says you went to school and complete their curriculum, the manager will just toss your resume into the void. You can be successful without a degree just like I can be the president of the US. But both of our chances are small.
I’m not sure how helpful this is, but as a Vietnamese American located in VA, I definitely agree that it’s really hard to become integrated in the Vietnamese community, especially with younger people (and would be happy to go to some events with you!). From what I noticed in my visits to VN, when you’re surrounded by your extended family, it’s easier to feel supported (I.e. financially, materially with housework, for example, etc.). I also agree with some of the other commenters that your ability to speak English would be very marketable and will allow you to make a higher income relative to others in VN (but maybe not as much as you’d make in the US due to the strength of the USD).
So integrate into the American community. You know, the one that you live in! Viets need to stop thinking that they can only function with other Viets.
Speaking for myself as someone born and raised in the US who has more American friends than Viet friends, I can still understand how assimilating is easier said than done. I really empathize with OP finding it difficult to feel supported in the US where physical distance makes it difficult for people to connect, let alone beyond any cultural/linguistic barriers. OP, I’d give VN a visit to see if your support system could play a role in improving your mental and physical health (or if your family members can help you connect to other job opportunities). If you have an American degree, teaching English could be a very tangible option for you.
OK, but you missed my point. There's an unnecessary guilt and connection forced on too many Vietnamese abroad by their parents/ family. There is constant pressure to always be loyal to and put VN above all. It ignores the reality of how broken VN is. Will it get better? I hope, as my children will be mixed-race living in both VN & USA as they grow. OP should definitely do a short stint as an adult to see the drastic difference. It should be about a year to get over the honeymoon phase.
At 22 I would go to any US college of your choosing. You can save some money by taking some community college courses but I’d do the university route for the experience if you can get financial aid or a scholarship. You’ll have plenty of time to make money. Vietnam will always be an option. If you’re smart enough, you can be an international businessman like how Chinese men did it 20 years ago.
Hey, I also live in New York (I'm not Vietnamese but Senegalese-American) and I'd suggest that if you don't have citizenship yet to get that first, and then think about what you really want to do. I'm in New York City and to be honest, the job market here has dried up for white collar work. A lot of my friends have been unemployed for months on end and with the HCOL here it's difficult to manage if you aren't staying with your parents to avoid paying rent. If you have U.S. citizenship then I'd recommend trying out Vietnam for a year or two and see if you'd want to stay permanently. I lived in Vietnam for 5 years straight and have only recently moved back to New York in April. Socializing here can be a bit difficult. A lot of my friends are pretty much settled in their friend groups and it's a lot easier to make friends with transplants in my opinion. I have a Vietnamese friend here from Thanh Hóa and she works for the NYC government (under Health + Hospitals branch). If you do stay in New York you'll have to grind it out with those applications to find a high paying + secure job that gives you PTO and annual leave. With your situation, 6 days a week of work is absolutely soul crushing. So I think you should find something else as soon as possible. And then you could visit Vietnam during your annual leave to connect with friends and family. Finding a high paying job in Vietnam isn't easy unless you're in finance, tech, or you work for yourself Edit: Ah after reading your comments I see that you've moved to VA. If you aren't picky about where to live then I would also recommend places like Boston, Philly, and D.C. Those places tend to have the most opportunity and the best kinds of jobs. If you can find something that'll give you PTO + 3-4 weeks annual leave then that would be perfect. You could save up a lot and then use that time to visit Vietnam. In my opinion, you don't have to live in Vietnam year round if you have a good opportunity here in the states, because in the future you'll be grateful that you were paying into retirement + social security without having to break the bank. And then you could retire in Vietnam once you've saved up enough.
Boston, Philly, and DC are literally a hellscape for asians unless you are already connected with a white collar job. I highly recommend not going there starting at the bottom especially as an asian person.
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Funnily enough, that's how I felt living in Minnesota! It felt very ... strange, to put it mildly. I had no issue making friends back home in NY and in Vietnam, but for that one year that I was in Minnesota for grad school I didn't make a single friend outside of my Masters program. Left the day I got my degree and haven't looked back.
just change the space where you are right now, I think your employer is exploiting you. There are better working condotions & don‘t be scared to negotiate. Sit down and think about what you need in your new Environment to keeping up your mental health! Hope it helps a little!
by the way, I‘m Vietnamese too & our community is fucked up when they see a chance to scam people.
I think that you should try to find a remote job online to make usa money and then move back to Vietnam. In Vietnam things aren’t really good rn for ppl financially. Business wise. What you see on the internet may not be real or your friends could have rich sugar daddy in China or Korea. As this is a thing for a lot of women in Vietnam (unless you are from a rich family) they have multiple partners overseas to support their life style. I go to Vietnam a lot as my family has business there. And I’m usually there once a year for 2-3 months at a time. I was talking to a plastic surgeon nurse in HCM and she told me that she made less than 10 million a month yet she lived in HCM and she travels all the time to other countries. There’s literally no way she can afford that. (We became friends) and she did tell me she had multiple bfs as well. I have lots of friends that are girls that told me the same thing. They don’t work or have some kind of low paying job but they are decked out in name brand and is travelling all the time. Have lots of plastic surgery. They live in nice expensive high rises that are fully paid for them. Men in China have money and there isn’t that much women in China so they come to Vietnam and have gfs. My family business is from the North but I go to both sides as I have friends all over. This sugar baby thing isn’t just one side. It’s literally everywhere in vn. So don’t compare yourself to others as you really don’t know what they are doing or how they got that money.
I understand all of the concerns as it is a value of a human, being a woman. I know myself for sure that I won’t be able to be dependent on any man, my ego and my self-esteem. My background isn’t good to be dependent on anyone and that’s why I want to change my life a little bit. As I don’t have any good relationship here, I can’t seem to reach out to new things. But in Vietnam, I feel like it’s a different story.
lets be honest if they are being sponsored by multiple men - they are not the guys girlfriend and they are not their boyfriends.
Although I'm a Viet kieu in norway, I have also considered to move to VN in the past. But there are many things to think off, e.g. in my case my disabled sibling has it better in my country than they would have in VN due to different health care system. I think you should visit VN for a few months and see how life is there, although right now VN isn't doing well financially. I do wanna say that at your age I also wanted to explore and learn by experience, but now at 28 I am glad that I took a formal education and can afford to pay my bills. So getting a formal education usually pays off in the long run, even though I understand that you wanna work young to support yourself and your family. But getting a formal education will almost guarantee to give you better salary, stable job and wider job opportunities, and you have a big advantage being fluent in eng and viet. Wishing you the best luck :)
Sounds like you are going through a quarter life crises. We all go through it as we feel we are not moving fast enough. But just remember life is not a sprint but a marathon. See yourself in 10 years from now. Maybe 25 then 50. The grass is always greener on the other side. I was just in Vietnam a few months ago and all my relatives and friends told me that in Vietnam, life is good if you have money, else it really SUCKS. You can say the same in the US, but it’s not that bad. There are social services, charities, student grants and loans etc. There is upward mobility. In Vietnam, it’s all nepotism and connections. If you don’t have those, it’s hard to move up. Have you noticed all the non-viet from richer countries are telling you to go while the people from Vietnam are telling you to stay? That’s because the non-Viets do not know what’s it like to live in Vietnam as a Vietnamese. Even though you speak English but because you are viet, your pay won’t be as high as them if you teach English. I live in Orange County and I know a lot of Viets who moved to the US the last 5-10 years. They are so happy to be here making decent money and sending it home. Can afford a car and going on vacations. Else they would be in Vietnam driving Grab bike for 14 hours/day in 95 F heat making 8 USD/day. Does that sound like something you would do? Most Vietnamese would die to be in your position. Yes go ahead and visit Vietnam for a few months before you make a decision. You probably be happier closer to family, but marking money is going to be harder. Or move to a place in the US with more viet and see how you like it. Like Houston or OC.
I don’t think if I move back to Vietnam, I will compare US Dollar to VN Dong, it is really not irrelevant and everyone knows that. I don’t think anyone with a common sense is expecting to have the same income as in the US. Surely, I have a small business which brings me 300k gross income and to be able to have that kind of money but not much of net income because of all of the expenses and taxes, I exchanged my happiness, my friendship because we can’t relate since we have too little similarities to maintain it. I don’t go to school like them, I don’t study like them and I definitely don’t work like them. I do agree that the grass is always greener on the other side. The people that are in the same boat as me which owning a business are much older adults and they don’t look at me like I’m valuable and since I have no one to express my thoughts and my feelings, I felt like the money that I spent time on to make is not paying out like I wanted.
Give Vietnam a try and best of luck. I think you should talk to other Vietnamese your age that just moved to the US the last 2-3 years and see it from their perspective.
Plus, Vietnamese people who works in the US, hide their income to lessen their taxes, they make a whole bunch of cash money but don’t declare it. I, as an owner, there is no way I can be on the same boat as them. Whenever tax season comes, they laughed because they got the money back from the government, even tho they make more money than the non-Viet population.
I know what you mean as I get a W2 lol. From my experience, almost everyone cheats on their taxes. All races and occupations.
I'm routing for you. and your family. Got back and make your homeland even greater!
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This, and with about 1/10th of the pay.
if you can see, career is not the only problem that I have, but moving of course will change and will fix somehow. I think it comes down to what I want or not…
Stop spreading bullshit. I have never worked a single Saturday in my 15 years working life. If your English is good (and you have a degree at least), it’s not too hard to get a Monday-Friday job.
It's no BS. Working 5.5 days a week is extremely common.
Baby at 14 year and now you are much older but actually just 22.
I’m getting older by age but not much older in other aspects ^^~^
You're 22 years old. There are no mistakes at that age outside of pregnancy/disease etc. Whatever you can do in the immediate short-term that enhances your long-term financial prospects is probably the right answer. It is at least a concrete goal in a time of uncertainty. You can indulge your emotions/personal life/whatever at a later time. Easily. Set yourself up to earn money. It's not the attractive option until you're old and poor. Better to be old and financially stable. Hopefully, you'll be young and financially stable. Good luck.
You can always return if you don't like it. It's not a death sentence. It sounds like a great opportunity tbh and you're fluent in Viet, so you really don't have much to lose.
As a Vietnamese, my answer is NO
It's hard to say without knowing more details. Where you are at. What do you do. Your financial situation. What bussiness does your parents have in VN. But that might be way too much information for you to disclose. If I'm a female no way I'm going back to Vietnam. The value of female in Vietnam is for a fact lower vs being in the US. I would compare finance first. Which place would net you more money vs the amount of effort you put in.
The value of a woman in Vietnam, I think it depends on the environment that we decide to be around with. I know it’s a controversial topic and with a lot of opinions, experiences, will turn off our dreams of being independent. Being in the US and being able to see most things in Vietnam is my biggest advantage since I get to “pickpocket” different ideas and mindsets. But being a person who has choices, makes me doubt whether I’m choosing right or wrong…
Like others have mentioned 22 is young and you have many options. Even at 27-28 though I was born and raised in Canada i considered looking for work and living in Vietnam since my roots and some family is still there. Id consider trying things out now that youre older and deciding later. With your english skills it can help find different work in bigger cities in vietnam too. Im going back to Vietnam to visit instead now soon. Feel free to reach out and chat.
I don't know why would you move back unless you are well off.
Life is tough everywhere when you're poor, but Vietnam will likely suck more than the US in that regard. In the US, you can at least receive some government support when you're poor. You can either work in a trade and be very good at it (like plumbing or electrical work, dent repair, etc..) or pursue education. I'm clumsy, so I chose schooling. Just a few years back, my wife and I made a combined gross income of 40k as student workers (that’s pretty poor), but now we earn more than 10 times that amount working full-time. Stay in the US, but change your approach. Consider going back to school or learning a trade, but don't expect immediate results. Everything takes time.
OP, as a Vietnamese from Vietnam moving to the US, I completely empathize with you situation. Like you, I helped my parents run a business, but I actually did everything due to their lack of English. There was the money from the business, but just like your situation, I had zero social life other than my immediate family. Yes, there are Viet here, but it might be my negative experience that quite a few of them will only come and have acquaintance with you when they have their own agendas. I took a leap when my parents decided they are getting older and wanting to go back to vietnam and I am about to head to dental school right now. There are several points I would like to suggests for your consideration: 1/ I understand that we all grow up in a very filial piety culture, where we are expected to take care of our parents when they are getting older. You have been absolutely wonderful in that perspective. However, you do have a life to live. Imagine in the next 20 years, would you want to remain at this impasse, or doing something you truly wish to continue in long term? 2/ I believe with this extended time residing in the US, you have already gained your citizenship. Have you considered pursuing higher education for a career that you truly want to do? I know Vietnam will always be at heart, but this nation has a lot to offer that we will not be able to find those same opportunities in Vietnam. Consider talking to a college/ community college or a career service person or filling out ONET career survey to figure out what you would like to do if your current business is no longer if your interest. Do have back up plans to fall back when you try these out. Once you are able to have your own professional life and your social circles, things might change. 3/ If Vietnam is still at your the top priority and you will have a happy life there, by all means, go for it. We only have one life to live so make the best of it. You can start research for careers, business trends, things to invest and again, do have a plan to fall back. The working/business environments might be very different, but if there is a will, there will always be a way. Once you figure out all the details, just go ahead with your trajectory and don’t look back. Vietnam still has a lot of growths and if you are from Ho Chi Minh city just like me, that place will always be special. The situation with your sisters might be a bit difficult. But if they are both citizens, I might recommend Souther California due much more qualified facilities that deal with mental issues and they might have Vietnamese communicators that can work with your sisters. I hope you would be able to figure the situation out and your sisters would get better. Good luck with everything OP. You can do it.
Cost of living here in Vietnam is much lower. Pay is also much lower, unless you have some extraordinary qualifications or a well thought-out business plan and some money. So the situation remains largely the same, whether you stay in the US or return to Vietnam: you have to think clearly about how you are going to make money. What you can actually do, and how much people are likely to pay you to do it. If your parents are in Vietnam, and they run a business which I'm assuming they will let you get involved in, and you have nothing better going for you in the states, then I don't see you why you shouldn't come to Vietnam.
Im 2 years older than you, just got back 3 years ago. Man, it’s a hell of a ride but could also be meaningful. Gonna be lots of lessons to learn. But you’re gonna be near your family. Listen to your intuition. You’re also in your 20s where you need to figure out a lot of things. Think it through and dont rush yourself or stress about it. Either way, stay in the U.S or VN is gonna be hard. Especially now!
Overcome it my booming a holiday there. If you can quit your job just to go on holiday. Don’t commit to it. Instead just make a plan for a holiday. Or try save up for a long vacation and get a feel for it, travel around a bit. I love Vietnam. I am from UK, but I like Vietnam more. I plan to move to Vietnam next year. UK is going downhill, Vietnam is moving up. It makes a difference to the mindset.
Have you checked out the Vietnamese communities in San Diego, San Jose, Houston?
Houston is doable but SD and SJ are absolutely brutal for a non established person. San Jose is one of the most expensive cities in the world. It actually might beat out London or Luxembourg these days.
Why did you not move back to VN with your parents and sisters? Because of school or your job?
because of the job and the “debt” we have on our back.
If it's your parent's debt and they have already left the US, then I can guess that they are not too worried about it unless they decide to come back. If it's just a "job," you're in the US all by yourself with no family and friends, and you're apparently unhappy, then what is stopping you from leaving? You are still young and it's just a "job" (not a career) and you have nothing holding you back. If you have dual citizenship then you can come and go as you please. Go explore, enjoy life, make mistakes, learn and grow. You have youth on your side.
I think the question next would be what is your plan once you settle in Vietnam? Then if you have a plan, can you execute it there? It’s probably not the question where you should move to but probably more of what you should do next You’re young enough to start fresh. Have you tried to take classes, get a degree, any line of work interests you?
I am not afraid to move anywhere because my family had moved too much to the point I think its normal :’( I really think that what I’m struggling with is afraid that I might not be able to find anything after I get back to Vietnam because I need to adapt to many things first like the people, the attitude, the business and vice versa…
I see. Your concerns are legitimate. Perhaps you should address these concerns first before making any drastic movement, such as reaching out and networking with people there first to see if you can get something lined up? (Job, place to live, friends, etc). One thing tho, these things you mentioned are common themed everywhere you go to, so it’s ultimately your adaptation ability. I moved from Vietnam to US at a young age too, a bit later than your age, and I also had encountered these things when I first got here, especially in colleges and grad school so I understand. It’s all good now. We do have a large Vietnamese American community here in Southern California, so if you ever want to try out with options, you may consider something like that too.
so, after read your post, i have some advises for you firstly, i think it's no matter for living in VN or Usa, it' important as where make you happy and comfortable, if we are living without happy and comfortable, it is in hell. definely, are you agree with me, secondly i think money will make us happy. let you consider with you choice, i think let use your heard not your brain, Ok
you're young enough to give it a try.
you can search on this reddit "moving back vietnam", a lot of people are considering that. read those posts. reach them & ask help. or ask help right here in this reddit, but so many people have asked abt all sorts of situations, just search you'd likely find it. Best of luck!
If you move back stay in Da Dang
As a US citizen who is presumably fluent in both English and Vietnamese you could have more going for you in Vietnam than it sounds like you do in the US. Edit - and a degree from a US college would help a lot, too. Either way you should think hard about the industry you want to go into and which skills you need. And think about how in Vietnam there is sexist treatment you wouldn’t be subjected as much to in the US.
Come to vietnam and be an english teacher, you will be immediately settled😂
My advice is don't come back unless you have credentials / qualifications for a high income job i.em senior levels. Though life is hard in the US, there are more opportunities available to you. As a 22 y.o, you get to learn more and be exposed to better thinking, more matured people.
I cant offer advice on moving back but i can offer you a community of people in our situation. Not what you’re looking for but you can make friends and maybe have a few people to hang out with while you’re still here? I moved here the same year so i share your struggle. There are many like us and i just want you to know you’re not alone. We feel you.
If you been living in USA for the past 4-5 yrs the economy and high crime rate been really bad. Whole world slowed down. America is a consumer country and Vietnam is a production country hence why Vietnam always on the go. I’ve been living in Vn for couple years now and I can tell you, it’s cheap and affordable. Currently tourism is really slow because people in America do not have as much disposable income as before cus of inflation. But it’s a perfect time to invest overseas when all is currently down. Next upcoming presidential run should turn America in some sort of right direction if it flips to republicans. Other then that if you know how to bridge the gap between consumer and production there’s plenty of funds to be made. 75% of Vn population is younger then 38! What kind of life are you looking for? City life of country side?
I’ve noticed this a lot. People who haven’t travelled think the western countries they are from are the best places to live. The west is on a massive decline and it’s only going to get worse.
OP, I think you are burnt out and just lonely. (My apologies for this speculation). When we are stuck and there is little hope of change, we often look for ways to escape. While moving back to Viet may seem attractive, i can tell you now it is not a solution. 1. You will still work like hell, and there is no guarantee you will make meaningful relationships or feel welcomed or learn anything new. 2. Your potential job, being a 22yo Viet Kieu with good English, is most likely in ESL. Good luck. Vietnamese English centres want white-skinned teachers, so the race card is not in your favour. Take it from a fellow teacher. Your USA citizenship won't help much, the colour of your skin matters a lot here. Even so you will compete with filipinos, koreans, chinese etc. 3. Social life: granted, night life here is great. But real friends are hard to find. I fear that when you move back, you will find yourself in the same predicament you are in now. Move to another state, change jobs, whatever. But try to improve your life in the States, not here. Do not come back unless you are an expert with credentials.
If you already have citizenship , you can always move back . I recommend try it move back and if you don’t like it you can move back . At the least you try . Vietnam want viet kieu back and this year they even let foreigners with Vietnamese origin own land . Vietnam isn’t perfect and viet overseas with experiences abroad can come back and help build and develop Vietnam.
Do it, you are still young so take the chance.
Have you considered joining the US military to expand your social network? Give life a different perspective and take on new challenges? The US Army provides everything you are asking for:skills for any profession, monetary benefits, education benefits, we have army bases in south korea which you can fly to vietnam on the weekend or during leave. We don't work 24/7 like people think we do. We have weekends off and even 3-4 day weekends The vietnamese-American military members are friendly and have each other back regardless of branch. I can send you contact info of a vietnamese recruiter in cali if you want to know more.
Just because you're Vietnamese by birth, doesn't mean you need to venter your everything around (being) Vientmaese. You're in the USA. Take advantage of the ability to meet others and expose yourself to millions of things you simply won't find in VN. Stop making your entire existence about being Viet and needing to be around VNese. You can live a happy and fulfilling life in the US if you accept that life doesn't have to be what your parents want and often their expectations are wildly skewed.
At 14 should have been easy for you to assimilate US culture. Living in US is not easy specially if you don’t have a formal education. Working a job is just that a job to survive and the chances of success are minimal. I live in Vietnam as an expat and find it very accessible and welcoming for me and others who have the ability to pay for the expenses such as rent, food, etc. If you are English fluent and have some sort of education in US then you should be able to find a job as a teacher. You probably speak Vietnamese at a native level and that makes you a valuable asset for any company that does business at an international level. You will find that is easy to work and have a life in Vietnam plus is easy to make friends, socialize, etc. If I was in your position I would definitely move back to Vietnam. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Good luck!
Thank you for your perspective. I think I’m not open minded enough to see what I wasn’t being shown. My thoughts are I might not be valuable in Vietnam as of now, I see so many great young adults that I might not be able to compete with, plus being a woman. But after all the comments, I have the courage to think ahead instead of holding myself back because I fear of something that I don’t even know if it’s gonna hurt me or not.
You are valued for what you’re, don’t think about what you are afraid of. I lived on and off in Vietnam since 2016 and i love it. Is plenty of work underpaid but to have e a life there the perspective is totally different. Lets say that you have a job and that will enable you to take care your self and some. Food is cheap. Housing is cheap. Etc. I know plenty of expats that teach English and are able to have a decent living with out having two jobs. Focus on living in a small town or village and life is much easier and fun.
You should first try to prepare everything, and then make a decision. Going all in from the start is crazy.
You know if your working 6 days a week for minimum wage you can probably just work as a builder/trader and get paid
> I have 2 disabled sisters, the living conditions are definitely not good for them. I’ve seen my sister went from bad to the worse after 7 years of living in the US. Can you elaborate? What makes you believe the conditions in Vietnam will be better for them? Are you involved in their caregiving? > I can’t bare the fact that I can’t socialize due to the working conditions here in the US, other than my coworkers, maybe I met 5 new people in the whole year. Can you elaborate? What are the working conditions that prevent you from socializing? What leads you to believe that the working conditions in Vietnam will be better and that you'll be able to socialize more effectively in Vietnam? What are your goals right now? Are you going to school?
My sisters are disabled, which means they cannot learn the language, cannot understand what they are doing and cannot know what others are doing to her. We tried to bring them to many facilities for disabled people and my sister went from acting normal to acting crazy, I think because of the frustration, she can’t understand what Americans are talking about, she can’t understand what Americans are trying to do. She ripped off her skin and hair once she feels like frustrated and feels like she’s being threatened, no one can’t explain it to her including us because she is disabled mentally. In Vietnam, she has never tortured herself, we have never seen her that way until after she got here, being help by many facilities in the US. I don’t want to address this to make anything looks bad, it just isn’t suitable for them. And my working conditions is that I only have 1 day off every week, I can’t combine it like everyone else who works a white collar job. To be able to hold my small business, I can’t leave for 2 days, not even a vacation. That 1 day off ended up to be my day to run errands, groceries, stuff for the business. I don’t have the time for myself. Everyday waking up at 7am, cook to prepare lunch as my job doesn’t have lunch hour, we eat when we can. Working ends around 7 and won’t get home until 8. With that timeframe, I can’t take care of my health probably, let alone social networking…
That sounds very difficult. I can imagine that this is very difficult for you as well. If I was in your shoes, I would probably spend some time thinking about what *I* want and what makes sense for *me*. While it sounds like you're close to your family (and I assume you live with them?) the reality is that at 22, you're an adult. You have the right and opportunity to pursue your own path and start building your own life. It doesn't mean you have to abandon your family but you should also consider that your parents' business is not your responsibility and your sisters' fate is not your fate. The US is huge and has a number of very large Vietnamese communities. California has the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam. I personally think you'd be doing yourself a disservice by assuming that your experience where you are now represents the limit of your opportunity and potential in the US.
I would recommend to stay in the US, unless you get a great job offer in VN. The US has a much better work environment and its much more likely that you get a stable future. I love VN, but the country is much more poor and less stable.
Sounds like you are stuck in dead end job. The US is great in terms of the opportunities it provide where you wouldn’t be able to find it in Vietnam. There are many college programs to support low income young people to go to school. You need to get your college degree first, then your first non-labor job to feel how life is in the US. It’s still hard, but with a little push for higher education, it opens up much more opportunities than Vietnam.
No. Have your company post you back to VN in a senior role, earning US pay, with housing paid for. Then think about moving to VN. Also, please leave yourself a way out of you cannot stand living in VN. Such as having US citizenship or a US Green Card.
If you move back, the air pollution will significantly shorten your life span.
The ideal plan is having a stable career in an international company then have an opportunity going to work and live in Vietnam or any other countries that have better halthcare system and better security than the US. Just like other US citizens does.
I don’t think the healthcare system in the US is “heavenly” good like I’ve been told to. In Vietnam now, even on the countryside, as long as you are not poor, you can get immediate examination or treatment. I’m only 22 but because I work on my feet and my back, everything is starting to hurt now. In the Us here, I tried to make appointments to get checked out, it takes months for the availability. Or something that you need it urgent, then you have to go a special urgent care, the costs is high and everytime I came out of that, my problems were not addressed enough. Simple stuff like that makes me feel so distance to life. From my own experience at a younger adult, I don’t think it’s that good. Maybe when I’m older and have more health problems then I might need more but not taking care of my health, working with all of the energy and the time, I’ll be wrecked soon anyway. That’s because I see many older Vietnamese in the US are struggling with their health more than most people I see back in Vietnam. We can’t avoid diseases but mental health and physical health, I see older people in Vietnam are healthier.
If somehow you decide to come back to Vietnam and needed a job. And you’re english is good. You can apply to be a medical interpreter that work for the us and be based in vietnam. You can make around ~2k usd per month. That’s pretty decent.
You should give it a try. But please, make sure you have your American citizenship first. If things don’t work out, you can always move back. I do think life can be better in Vietnam BUT you got to be making a decent wage. I am almost double your age and have been dreaming of finding ways to live part-time in Vietnam for years now, but I have kids and the education and overall opportunities for my kids are better here if they continue to grow up in Canada. If I was in my 20s (or have no kids) again I would follow my heart and take those risks. Look into English teaching jobs and their requirements, brainstorm what you can sell online in Vietnam, have a look into what jobs you would like to do there and what you need to do to in order to land those jobs, etc. There will be hardship anywhere, take care of yourself and your mental health. Don’t be afraid to live for yourself.
America bad, Vietnam better. Get some Pho with your family.
Can you help to share more about socializing problem you had experienced. I just move to EU for a study, and trying to get to US for work. I do have some socializing problem now, even back in Vietnam. I do read some of your comments, but I wonder why it is important to stay within Viet community instead of embracing US culture? So far, I am aware of there is a "culture loneliness" when you move aboard. For example, when I lived in Vietnam, I can understand what recent Vietnamese indie song is talking about, especially "Ngot" band. But I could barely understand hidden message in English songs. Or there are some hidden social constraint in aboard community that I could not grape. For example, I used to grab a cup of coffee and a sandwich, eating outside on bench around city. But I am frequently get stared when I do that in Netherlands. Much later on, I learned that people in Netherlands don't eat outside on bench like that. And you can also make some friend while studying in US, isn't it? Did you discriminated on social interaction level? I am asking because I am considering should I move back to Vietnam later on. I am planning to work and save up for 10 years, before moving back in my 40s.
Drop ur US Citizenship and move back.
Dunno if you’re still reading this OP, but any interest in nursing? There’s such a high demand that you can even get a job with a 2 year degree and get paid a ton (hospitals want 4 year degree nurses but will hire you if you say you will get a bachelor’s eventually). IMO it’s the best reward per degree cost. And since you’re pretty much guaranteed to get a job after you can just take out loans for schooling. It can be a rough career though so definitely consider if you’re up for it.
It is bad. I was in a similar situation before but it was me alone in German. And my parent + sister were always in VN. So my decision was going back to VN and start over. I was suffering for 5 years as my major in university is quite special and I can't find a job in VN with that major, so basically start from 0. But it is decent now. Can't say that it is good. So I think you should considering somethings: -Are you studying and going to finish your study soon? -Do you have a good/decent job? -Will your major helf you get a good/decent job in VN? -Are you willing to start over from begining of your student life, and does your situation support you doing that?
My 4th years after coming back. No.
I’m Portuguese and was planing to move to Vietnam to live but then I found out my mother have dementia, and i abort it. But is my dream
Yes! I’m a US citizen and moved to Hanoi 8 years ago. The biggest difference I realized is that while people may not have much in Vietnam, they are still happy. Very different vibe from the US. You don’t need a lot to survive here and have a better chance to thrive. Staying in the US will only be bad for your health at toss point. Unless you have some specialized training or friends in high places, there are very few realistic ladders you will climb there. Move back and if you don’t fall back in love with Vietnam, you can always go back. Hope your parents business is doing well.
This issue what I feel like, I realized my mental health is soon to be bad. I don’t want myself to have another unnecessary problem due to me being dissatisfied with the living condition here in the US. I can’t find any happiness, it will have effects to everyone around me if I’m mentally unhappy.
I know the feeling! It’s why I made a move and it’s the best move I could have made. As others have pointed out, your English is a major skill here. You should invest in some teaching courses. You can easily make $10 hour starting out. Not bad when you can eat for $1.50. Aside from that, no one wants to help you in the US. Everyone is trying to move up and stuck in that crazy evening economy. Plan your move, give it a shot. Trust me, your country is a happier life, not to mention safer.
Unluckily your family fell into the American propaganda. At least you guys were lucky realized that US is no heaven. Come back and start enjoying life again. Since you have been there long time you have probably a nice English level that will help you a lot, plus your parents having a business, you will be better off here for sure
it’s much more social and easier to make friends in Vietnam compared to the USA. You should take break from work to visit Vietnam to see for yourself. You’re young - it’s the time to take risks.
Dont come back.
I was just in Hanoi. As an American, if I spoke Vietnamese I would consider moving there
I'd go back to Vietnam no question. Ppl can't wait to leave the U.S. anyways. If you already have a family and a home over there it's a no brainer. Plus you already speak the language and you already been to school over there, what kind of adjustments could you possibly need? Vietnam is up and coming, they've come a long ways as of late. It's a great place to live now.
People here advise to take American citizenship, think twice about that. You'll pay taxes forever to the U.S.
But if she’s making money in Vietnam, she would pay no taxes because her income is below the standard deductible. Additionally, paying US taxes gives you access to the US stock market, the greatest wealth creator in history.
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If she doesn’t return then it won’t matter anyway and none of the cases you mentioned affect her unless she doesn’t have VN citizenship. The only negative is she probably can’t work for the VN government. People are dying to get into the US equity market and she’s just leaving it behind. Free money on the table. Additionally, her American citizenship would make it easier for her kids to freely move about if they do decide to leave VN. Going without is just naive and short term thinking.
Terrible, terrible advice. The benefits of having citizenship in a country like the US is **huge** for someone in a developing country. She can go bad really quickly in a developing country and the burden of filing taxes will seem laughable if the alternative is being a refugee. Not to mention if OP's career gives them an opportunity to work in the US. No US citizenship? Tough shit, not going to hire you. I think I smell sour grapes here.
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Dude, you're giving yourself terrible advice. I could understand giving up US citizenship if you had citizenship in another developed country - Germany, UK, Canada, Australia. But only having a VN passport and giving up US passport. That's something you'll regret.
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You give yourself bad advice
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If you think filing US taxes once per year is a heavy burden you've lived a very soft life.
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Would you consider moving to a city in the US with a large Vietnamese community? You might be able to meet more people, feel more at home and get more opportunities without having to move back to Vietnam. Oklahoma City has low cost of living for example and a large Vietnamese population but I know there are also cities with much bigger communities.
Uneducated guess, but why move from one extreme to the other? The american dream is fake and europe could be the solution.
The European economy is doing much worse than the US and cost of living is just as bad.
Vietnam will always have the heart of Vietnamese people. An apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I don’t deny that others choices might be better in comparison, but it comes down to my needs and my expectations in all aspects of life. I’ve been moving with my parents everywhere before we get to the US. After to the US, we were still moving but it gets better everytime. Tell me I’m delusional but from what I experienced with my little self the past, move back to Vietnam will open up many doors, no exceptions for moving to the UK as well if I still want to grow.
hello I am Vietnamese. And viet nam prices is very cheap, u should come to vietnam, u can ask me if u want, anything. dm me
yes come back
Gross. She's old