by Oanh Ly

The term Generation X was popularized in America by Canadian-born author Douglas Coupland from his book Generation X: Tales of an Accelerated Culture published in 1991. The main characters in the book are over-educated, under-employed and live above their financial means. In other words, they are slackers. This book and the arrival of the flannel-fabulous grunge movement helped the media to label and brand Generation X. Movies, music, books and Coca Cola commercials shifted their marketing campaigns to appeal to this slogan.

For practical purposes, people of the X can be defined as those whose teen years crossed or touched the 1980’s. Gen Xers were brought up on television, video games, and personal computers. As youth, they were raised in the tumultuous anti-war/anti-establishment 1970’s and the selfish consumption-obsessed 1980’s. This is the shared history of Gen Xers. Today, the notion of this being a generation of slackers is up for debate. Are they indeed too relaxed in their career goals? Or are they resisting the strict corporate culture of the generation before them and embracing something else?

Here we catch up with three Vietnamese American Gen Xers who grew up in different cities and followed different paths in career and family life. What are they doing with their lives? Are they fulfilling their dreams? With these second-generation Vietnamese Americans, there is a set of shared experiences that have caused a ripple of changes in their lives. Most notably, it’s that these Gen Xers all immigrated to America as children and grew up one of very few Asians in their hometowns all the while melding into Generation X. 

DC Wolfe
AGE: AGELESS
PROFESSION: ACTOR
COLLEGE: NIAGARA UNIVERSITY

Meet DC Wolfe. Don’t ask him what his initials stand for because he won’t tell you. DC is a man of mystery, an actor who’s had some mileage behind his young adult life. He was born in Sai Gon to a Vietnamese mother. His father was an American GI. DC grew up in “cow country” in Orchard Park, New York where he attended a private college prep school. Had it not been for private school, DC swears he would have gotten into fights with classmates because he was the only Asian in his home town. He managed to do fairly well in high school and attended college where he majored in theatre and has been pursuing acting as a career since then. Oh, wait, there was a brief chapter of his life called marriage. And home ownership. Followed by divorce. He’s now single and living in Los Angeles.

How has computer technology affected your life?
It enables extensive research without having to go anywhere, which is important when it comes to writing. Although I think it detracts from the experience of being a kid and going to the library or those mobile libraries that used to come to my neighborhood. I loved immersing myself in literature growing up. The Internet kind of freaks me out sometimes though, because there’s all this accessible information at your fingertips that probably shouldn’t be. For example, there was a site that had every single person’s address based on whether they had a credit card or not. Talk about invasion of privacy!

Is there a difference in the way you and your parents live?
Absolutely. Isn’t there between most generations? Parents then were getting settled much younger and having families, working towards their retirement fund. I can’t even conceptualize a retirement fund right now.

Do you have any regrets in life?
Yeah, I wish I had a childhood. I think I grew up too quickly. I wish I would’ve been more career-oriented when I was in high school and realized how important a good university is.

Now that you’re all grown up, what is the biggest difference between the person you are now and the person you thought you would be when you were a teenager?

I thought I’d be in a more secure place in my career. Sure there are so many variables in the entertainment industry but time and networking are essential. Had I started six years ago instead of getting married, I would be in a totally different place.