David Ngo is a psychology student at Oregon State University. He is the son of Cuong Ngo, who also participated in this oral history project. His parents and extended family immigrated from Vietnam to the United States in 1989 and 1992. David was born in Michigan early in the twenty-first century. Shortly after his birth, his family returned to the Portland area, and they have remained here ever since. They first settled in the Burnside area, and currently live in Gresham. As a student in Portland, David attended Bella Creek Elementary School and Centennial High School. His father is the pastor for the Vietnamese Community Church (Seventh-day Adventist denomination). Because of this, David and his siblings are very active in their church and the church’s community outreach programs.

Ngo begins his interview by describing his childhood in Portland. He starts by recounting his memories of living on Burnside, attending Portland Public Schools, and Vietnamese language lessons with his grandfather. Ngo also goes into detail about the experience of being a pastor’s son and how this identity shaped his childhood and current outlook on life. He goes on to describe his duties at the church, and all of the events that his church facilitates throughout the year. He then transitions and talks about his experience of being a college student in the year 2020. COVID-19 redefined the college experience, and David gives the listeners insight on what it has been like to be a student during these trying times. He ends the interview by discussing what events in his family’s life shaped his identity as a Vietnamese American.