Huan Luu is retired after thirty years of service at the City of Gresham in fleet maintenance. He was born in Hanoi, Vietnam in 1950. Luu and his family struggled after his father, a high ranking official in the French Indochina government, was assassinated. In 1954, the family moved south to Saigon. Unlike his three brothers, Luu was able to continue his education in Vietnam, becoming a graduate student in law school instead of joining the army. In 1975, Luu was given the opportunity to come to the United States through his sister, Chau, and the Leatherman family. The family of twelve arrived in Portland, Oregon, on Wednesday, May 7, 1975. They were the first Vietnamese family in the state. The family were part of a newspaper feature on Friday, May 9, 1975.

The interview begins with Luu outlining the hardship his family endured with a single mother and little money. He goes on to discuss his path through education and the swift process of moving to the United States. He speaks about his experiences in seeking employment and friendships close to him in the Vietnamese community. He speaks of the great happiness that his grandchild, Henry, brings him in his elementary school’s dual language program and the joy of communicating with him in Vietnamese. Luu also describes trips returning to Vietnam and his experiences first arriving in Portland.