The Ngo Club [p.2]

Before Ella arrived at her job as a copy editor for our online division, she had an extensive background in print media. She has worked at several lifestyle magazines as a writer, copy editor, and managing editor. Despite her success as a journalist, Ella still faces many challenges as a woman in entertainment. Quoting Ella, “When I tell guys that I work in magazines, they always assume I’m an import model, but I’m actually smart and have something to say.”

Ella decided to pursue journalism as a teenager after considering several other career options. According to Ella, “At 10, I wanted to be a pediatrician and then later an anchor woman. However, I realized that I was a good writer and entertainment was a genre I enjoyed because it helps people take their mind off of society’s problems.” Ella is definitely a person with substance, but as Bee and I would learn, she is also a woman with sass and style.

After our recruitment e-mail exchanges, Ella, Bee, and I met up for lunch a week later. Bee and I didn’t know what to expect from Ella, but we both realized that she would add immediate credibility to Ngo Club. As Bee eloquently told me, “We won’t look like two Asian geeks trying to start a computer gaming society with her in the club.” Bee and I jokingly assumed that Ella would either be a fob or a former Asian sorority girl before we met her in person. For our first Ngo Club lunch, we all met in our company lobby. I was the first to meet Ella, and immediately noticed her classy sense of style. She was clearly not a fob. Although soft-spoken, it became obvious that Ella has a sharp wit. When we realized that we both grew up in the O.C., Ella made some classic Little Saigon references to Lee’s Sandwiches and Bolsa. She may have also referenced those cafes where the old Vietnamese men drink coffee served by scantily clad waitresses too. Anyhow, it was clear that Ella had a sense of humor. As she and I got acquainted in the lobby, Bee arrives late (he’s always on Asian time) and we were finally off to our first official Ngo Club meeting.

At lunch, an instant chemistry formed between the three of us. Like the cartoon Voltron, we were three robotic lions that finally united to become one gigantic robot that could defend the universe. I haven’t met many peers in entertainment who can share in the Vietnamese American experience, and now I had two other Ngos at my lunch table who did. For example, we all have similar stories about Vietnamese parenting. On the subject of names, Bee summed it up best when he said, “My parents wanted to give me an American name similar to Huy, so I ended up with Bee. Funny thing is I’ve always been called by various nicknames my whole life.” (To this day, my parents still only call me by my nickname too.)

Besides our nicknames, we all could relate to the parental pressures of pursuing traditional Vietnamese American careers such as medicine, law, and engineering. During lunch, Ella remarked, “I still get pressured today to study medicine even though I’m pretty far into my journalism career.”

Growing up, I always found it ironic that my parents would drop hints about attending law school while a Vietnamese melodrama starring Vietnamese actors written by Vietnamese producers featuring Vietnamese music played on our living room TV. Clearly, art is a vital element of Vietnamese tradition and culture. Those Paris by Night videos don’t sell themselves. The career paths that Ella, Bee, and I have chosen are, in many ways, an extension of the artistic heritage of our ancestry. We’re the current generation of Vietnamese artisans, except we’ve traded in the ao dai for track jackets and sneakers.

Don’t get me wrong, I have a tremendous amount of respect for doctors and lawyers, and often times I’m envious of their paychecks. However, what drives me is the opportunity to excel in a career field where I can utilize one of my best strengths—creativity. If I was good in math, I would’ve been an accountant. In reality, I could never get an “A” on a math test in high school, but I always got “A”s on my English papers. In an ethereal way, I was destined to write scripts, direct films, program television, and write this very article. Similarly, my Ngo Club compatriots have found solace in the creative arts as well.

About his career choice, Bee said, “My first goal was to actually own a nail salon, but I ended up doing what I know best, which is producing, editing, and creating television for a wide audience.”

When discussing the creative arts, Ella remarks, “As much as you want to please your parents and go into traditional fields, you’re actually servicing the Vietnamese community by broadening the scope of what a Vietnamese American is capable of accomplishing.”

Vietnamese people aren’t all math nerds; we are creative people too.

Although we can help increase the presence of Vietnamese Americans in the media, Ngo Club understands the challenges that lie ahead of us. The Vietnamese community is very diverse and everyone has their own views on politics, religion, and society. Although most people assume we all live in San Jose, Vietnamese Americans reside in different parts of the U.S. at various socioeconomic levels.