The Refugees

Liem, an 18-year-old Vietnamese refugee, arrives at an airport in San Francisco. Bewildered by the flight and the foreignness of America, he searches for his sponsor, a British man named Parrish Coyne. When he finds Parrish and his companion, Marcus Chan, he is overwhelmed by the affection Parrish shows him. Parrish mispronounces Liem’s name, using two syllables instead of one, but Liem does not correct him. Liem is slightly intimidated by Marcus because “compared with Marcus, he was sorely lacking in every regard […] Marcus had the posture of someone expecting an inheritance, while Liem’s sense of debt caused him to walk with eyes downcast” (27). They get in Parrish’s car, and as they drive, Liem tells them his story even though he’s tired of telling it.

Parrish tells Liem that he and Marcus are a couple. Liem assumes this is an idiomatic expression for good friends until he sees Marcus staring at him in the rearview mirror. Liam claims that he is liberal and open-minded, but he remembers the discomfort of the nights he spent in the crowded workhouse as other men masturbated. As they drive, Liem is struck by the diversity of cultures represented by the businesses they pass.

During his first few weeks in Parrish’s house, Liem wishes he could call Mrs. Lindemulder, his immigration agent, and say she made a mistake sending him to live with Parrish. He is reminded of when his family sent him north to Saigon in 1974 to earn money. He worked in a tea house, where he picked up rudimentary English from American GIs, which he used to get a cleaning job in a brothel. In April of 1975, when Saigon began to fall, Liem fought his way aboard a barge to escape and wound up in Camp Pendleton near San Diego, California, as a refugee. He worries about his family’s fate; he has written them two letters, but they have not replied.

Parrish and Marcus argue often. Parrish refuses to let Liem pay rent, but Liem finds a job at a liquor store anyway. He studies a book, Everyday Dialogues in English, hoping to better understand Parrish and Marcus, but he finds it to be little help. Liem worries that the filth from his job will not wash off. He showers at the end of the day, trying not to think of Marcus’s body. One night, he runs into Marcus after his shower; the two are comically unable to pass each other, each stepping to the same side.

Parrish leaves for a weekend in November to attend a conference on the environmental impact of nuclear power. Marcus complains to Liem about Parrish’s activism. Marcus takes Liem to a dim sum restaurant in Chinatown; Liem feels comforted by the presence of Asian crowds. Liem asks Marcus about his family. Marcus grew up in Hong Kong and now attends San Francisco State University. His father, a business executive, disowned him when a former lover sent him Marcus’s love letters and revealing candid pictures. Parrish now pays for Marcus’s expenses.

Liem tells Marcus about his family: “all farmers, hawkers, and draftees” (35). Liem is the first of his family to leave Long Xuyen. Liem vividly recalls parting with his parents: he was so anxious to board the crowded bus to Saigon that he did not tell them he loved them. Marcus tells him not to dwell on it and to just worry about himself. Unable to think of a viable future for himself, Liem tells Marcus he just wants to be good.

Liem pays for the meal, and Marcus shows him around San Francisco. They have sushi, watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at a theater, and split one of Parrish’s bottles of wine back home. Liem finds it easy to speak with Marcus.

Liem rushes home from work the next day and finds Marcus lounging on a bathrobe on the couch. He says a letter came for Liem. Liem is reluctant to open it. He sits with Marcus, and Marcus insinuates that he knows Liem is gay. Before long, they have sex; Liem, who is in the habit of forgetting details of his life, has a hard time remembering their intimacy. Afterward, he tells Marcus he loves him. Marcus tells Liem that for some people, love is just a reflex; Liem will feel differently after some time passes.

After Marcus falls asleep, Liem decides to read the letter. His father’s tone is falsely jovial, praising the communist party and the reeducation of Liem’s uncles. He concludes the letter by saying that America must be more sinful than Saigon and that Liem must be careful because “The revolutionary man must live a civil, healthy, correct life!” (40).

Liem puts the letter away. He goes to the dark window and looks at his reflection. He sees two men walking side by side on the sidewalk. He once would have thought they were just friends but now realizes that they could be lovers. One of the men waves to him. Liem waves back, sharing this momentary connection.