Tatiana Mac was born in Portland and is a first-generation Vietnamese American. Growing up, they attended schools in Portland’s suburbs and went to high school in Hillsboro. After obtaining degrees in Mathematics and Environmental Studies from Willamette University, they worked in design for many years before transitioning to engineering. Currently, Mac is a software engineer, technologist, activist, and speaker.

In this oral history interview, Mac begins by talking about growing up in Portland, the schools they attended, and how they feel connected to the Vietnamese community. Mac discusses the experiences that fueled their passion in research and journalism, like working for both their high school and college newspapers. They go on to talk about their college life and career afterwards, and what led them to work in design, website development, and eventually software engineering. Mac also shares experiences about the first talks they gave and both negative and positive messages they received throughout their speaking events. They reflect on their experience as a Vietnamese American and what it is like to be a child of immigrant parents living in Portland, Oregon. At the end of the interview, Mac discusses the differences they see between younger and older generations of Vietnamese Americans, as well as the importance of solidarity across different communities.