Author Description

It was around two a.m. "Wake up, wake up," called my mother. "We are leaving!" "We must leave our home!" I was fortunate to not die in the open sea along with the over 300,000 individuals trying to escape from Vietnam...and that was only the beginning of the suffering for survival! For more than 500 years, people from all over the world have made their way to America. We have become, in the words of Israel Zangwill, "God's Crucible," the great melting pot where all the races are converging and reforming. Cuong Quy Huynh, J.D., M.P.P. is the Founder and President of the Enlightened Initiative, a non-profit that invests and empowers refugee and immigrant youth across the United States. As a former refugee from Vietnam, Cuong's story and the stories of refugee and immigrant youth around the world illustrate the power of resilience, hard work, commitment, and the love of family and community. The stories demonstrate their dedication and perseverance to overcome difficulties and obstacles in coming to America and their lives living in this nation. Cuong and his wife, Jesecca, have one daughter. Both Cuong and Jesecca have combined over 25 years of volunteer services including serving and investing in the vulnerable youth. They are based in Northern Virginia.