Tuân Lê was born in Gia Dinh, Vietnam, and evacuated to the United States with his family in 1975 as a refugee. He came to Portland in 1977 after spending time in Syracuse, New York. Lê worked for the company Tektronix for twenty years and is now retired. During his time in Portland, Lê and his wife also raised three children.
In this interview, Lê begins by talking about how he and his family settled in Portland and what it was like living in the Vietnamese community at Halsey Square. He discusses adapting to and integrating into American culture and what his work and retired life is like. Lê then goes on to talk about the Vietnamese community and the religious organizations that brought people together when he first arrived. He also talks about the changes in the growing community today, like the increase in demand for Vietnamese language schools. He then recalls the differences between working for the military in Vietnam versus working for the private company Tektronix in the United States, as well as the differences in the education systems he noticed when sending his three children to school. At the end of the interview, Lê shares his thoughts on the social and political issues within the Vietnamese community today, such as divisions within the community. Lê also shares his hopes for the younger generations living in America.