Andrew Lam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andrew Lam
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Lam reading in 2017
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| Born |
Lâm Quang Dũng
1964 (age 61) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education |
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| Occupation | Writer and journalist |
| Relatives | Lam Quang Thi (father) |
Andrew Lam, born in 1964, is a Vietnamese American author and journalist. He is known for writing about the experiences of Vietnamese people living outside of Vietnam.
Contents
About Andrew Lam
Early Life and Moving to America
Andrew Lam was born Lâm Quang Dũng in 1964 in South Vietnam. His father, Lâm Quang Thi, was a general in the South Vietnamese army. Andrew went to school at Lycée Yersin in Đà Lạt.
In April 1975, Andrew and his family left Vietnam during the fall of Saigon. This was a big event when the Vietnam War ended. They moved to the United States.
Becoming a Writer and Journalist
Andrew first studied biochemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. He thought about becoming a doctor. However, he soon changed his mind. He decided to study creative writing instead at San Francisco State University.
While still in school, Andrew started writing for Pacific News Service. In 1993, he won an award for Outstanding Young Journalist. This award came from the Society of Professional Journalists.
In 2004, a PBS documentary called My Journey Home featured Andrew. The show told stories of Americans who returned to their family's home countries. Andrew's story was about his trip back to Vietnam.
Today, Andrew Lam is the web editor for New America Media. He continues to work as a journalist and writes short stories. He also often shares his thoughts on National Public Radio's All Things Considered. From 2001 to 2002, he was a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University.
His Books and Writings
Andrew Lam has written several books. In 2005, he published a collection of essays called Perfume Dreams. These essays explored what it means to be Vietnamese while living in the U.S. The book helped people understand the challenges of identity for Vietnamese people living far from their homeland. For this book, Andrew received the PEN/Beyond Margins Award in 2006.
His second book, East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres, came out later. This book looks at how Asian immigration has changed Western countries. It was named one of the Top Ten Indies by Shelf Unbound Magazine in 2010.
Andrew's third book, Birds of Paradise Lost, is a collection of short stories. These stories are about Vietnamese people who moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. They show how these newcomers worked hard to build new lives after leaving Vietnam. Andrew also writes regularly on the Huffington Post website.
Memorable Quote
- "Art is the lesser sister to medicine. It aims to heal."
Quotes
- "Art is the lesser sister to medicine. It aims to heal."
