Seven-year-old Helen Lan Anh Shorack is quickly becoming an origami expert. But unlike most American children her age, Helen can name her origami creations in Vietnamese as well as English.
Helen was adopted two years ago from Vinh Phuc, a small rural village in north Vietnam. Her adoptive mother, Candace Shorack, said while Helen has adapted to her new environment, Eugene is very different from what she is used to.
“Eugene is a very white place,” she said. “It’s good for her to be around people who are grown up and who share her ethnicity.”
The University Vietnamese Student Association is helping children like Helen retain their cultural roots.
Published by the Daily Emerald on January 31, 2003.