Tran Ngoc Thuy is a professional Vietnamese teacher who has been in Taiwan for almost 12 years. She is also a Golden Bell Awards nominee radio show host. Ao Dai Vietnamese Cuisine is a restaurant she co-run and co-chef with her sister. President Tsai Ing-wen has once invited the famous influencer, Chien-Chien to enjoy the cuisine with her. When Tran Ngoc Thuy is working as a volunteer interpreter in the Ministry of the Interior National Immigration Agency, she deeply understands how other immigrant sisters might feel a sense of helplessness whenever they encounter legal issues. Tran Ngoc Thuy exerts her specialty on translation and publishes Taiwan-Vietnam Important Legal Terms Comparison Table which becomes a treasure book on handling new immigrants for Taiwanese legal units. With the spirit of “Love me, love my dog,” Tran Ngoc Thuy has dedicated herself to the cultural fusion of Taiwan’s new immigrants. In 2021, she received the Excellent New Migrant Award on International Migrants Day.
In 2021, Tran Ngoc Thuy received the Excellent New Migrant Award on International Migrants Day. (Photo / Provided by Tran Ngoc Thuy)
Growing up, Tran Ngoc Thuy has got in touch with Taiwanese dramas and Teresa Teng Li-Chun’s songs. In 2010, she came to Taiwan and studied the Department of Chinese as a Second Language at National Taiwan Normal University. Her elder sister who has been married in Taiwan for 20 years often talks about Taiwan’s environment and living conditions. These make Tran Ngoc Thuy fantasize about living in Taiwan. After graduating from college, Tran Ngoc Thuy has met her Mr. right for life and became a Taiwanese daughter-in-law. They have a beautiful daughter together.
However, the key to making Tran Ngoc Thuy’s life in Taiwan as occupied as it is now is under the influence of one of the volunteer Vietnamese interpreters in the Ministry of the Interior National Immigration Agency.
When Tran Ngoc Thuy was new in Taiwan, she ran into a beautiful Vietnamese lady. She was sorting out her resident-related documents in the Ministry of the Interior National Immigration Agency, this lady took the initiative to come out from her desk to help Tran Ngoc Thuy. The hospitality of this Vietnamese volunteer and their chit-chat in Vietnamese have comforted Tran Ngoc Thuy’s distraught and made her set down her mind to learn Chinese well. Even without any payment, she still hopes that she would be able to work as a volunteer interpreter in the Ministry of the Interior National Immigration Agency.
Tran Ngoc Thuy serves as a volunteer Vietnamese interpretation in the Ministry of the Interior National Immigration Agency. (Photo / Provided by Tran Ngoc Thuy)
Tran Ngoc Thuy uses her leisure time to take interpretation courses. She is aware that many Vietnamese new immigrant sisters and worker friends do not know much about Taiwanese laws. This lack of understanding would have an effect on their rights and could further cause harm. Therefore, she would pay special attention to legal-related news when she first started to organize the terms she has learned in class. Then, she uses her expertise to compile a Taiwan-Vietnam Important Legal Terms Comparison Table manual. Originally, she only wanted to print the information onto one page and display it at the Ministry of the Interior National Immigration Agency for people to take and read. Then, she succeeded to apply to the Ministry of the Interior National Immigration Agency for “Building Dreams for the New Immigrants and Their Children Project.” Tran Ngoc Thuy arranges her material into a booklet and prints it out as Taiwan-Vietnam Important Legal Terms Comparison Table.
Tran Ngoc Thuy encourages immigrants from other countries to write down the legal references of other languages with her experiences. Right now, volunteer interpreters of other nationalities are starting to sort out the legal term comparison table of various languages. Tran Ngoc Thuy is happy to see that the new immigrants in Taiwan understand, “Everyone is equal before the law, but we should be able to be equal on having relevant information beforehand.”
Tran Ngoc Thuy is translating and organizing Taiwan-Vietnam Important Legal Terms Comparison Table for publishing. (Photo / Provided by Tran Ngoc Thuy)
When Tran Ngoc Thuy is working as a volunteer interpreter, she also became a bridge of communication between Taiwanese people and new immigrants from Vietnam. Tran Ngoc Thuy believed she should exert the merit of her background to improve the understanding of Taiwanese and Vietnamese culture. In 2018, she took part in the broadcasting talent training courses for new immigrants and was invited to work as a radio show host in National Educational Radio, Xingfubeitaiwan. In the show, they would invite new immigrants who are living in Taiwan to share the culture of their countries and their stories on finding their ways in Taiwan. Tran Ngoc Thuy explains, “The guests on our show aren’t major figures, but they definitely put lots of effort into their lives even just a simple thing such as taking care of their families. It could also encourage more people to learn and understand our guests’.” She hopes either the Taiwanese audience or the new immigrant sisters could all have positivity through this show. In 2020, the show was nominated for the Golden Bell Award.
Tran Ngoc Thuy serves as a host at National Educational Radio, Xingfubeitaiwan. (Photo / Provided by Tran Ngoc Thuy)
Working as a voluntary interpreter, Vietnamese teacher, radio show host, Tran Ngoc Thuy is even better at being a Taiwanese daughter-in-law who insists on dropping off her children to school every day. She inherits her mother’s cooking ability and opens a restaurant Ao Dai Vietnamese Cuisine with her sister in Taipei, Wanhua. It is highly recommended by president Tsai Ing-wen. With its authentic taste, it has healed the homesickness of many Vietnamese new immigrants. It has large portions with an affordable price which makes many netizens evaluate it as the top 5 best Vietnamese cuisine restaurant in Taipei.
Ao Dai Vietnamese Cuisine is highly praised by president Tsai after tasting. (Photo / Provided by Tran Ngoc Thuy)
Tran Ngoc Thuy’s slash life in Taiwan is busy and brilliant every single day. She has to take care of her family, be a teacher, host a radio show, work as a volunteer interpreter, translate, make speeches, and go to their restaurant to help out boiling noodles every day. Tran Ngoc Thuy is a superwoman with a superpower. She not only knows how to make herself at ease in her everyday bustling but also learns how to make time management.【Taiwan Immigrant’s Global News Network】’s editor went to many new immigrant-related symposiums, lectures, and seminars in the last year. We all notice Tran Ngoc Thuy participated from the beginning to the end and her hard work was recognized by Taiwanese all walks of life. Tran Ngoc Thuy’s hard work and positive attitude in life have touched many new immigrant friends. They consider her as a model of striving to live in Taiwan. In 2019, Tran Ngoc Thuy was invited to represent as an outstanding new immigrant on New Year's Day Flag Raising Ceremony. She sang Taiwan’s national anthem at the National Day Ceremony.
“I am Vietnamese, but I am also Taiwanese. To be able to sing Taiwan’s national anthem on this land means so much to me.” Tran Ngoc Thuy has kept unlocking all kinds of achievements in life. She hopes she could dedicate her ability to help more new immigrant friends to shine in Taiwan.
Tran Ngoc Thuy is having a wonderful time on her family retreat. (Photo / Provided by Tran Ngoc Thuy)
Tran Ngoc Thuy was invited to sing Taiwan’s national anthem at the National Day Ceremony. (Photo / Provided by Tran Ngoc Thuy)
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