Congratulations Blinh Ramah!

Blinh Ramah is a Montagnard man from Vietnam.  The Montagnards are an ethnic group from Vietnam and were recruited by the U.S. Special Forces during the Vietnam War.  After the United States withrew from Vietnam, many Montagnards were forced to flee. Greensboro has the highest Montagnard population outside of Vietnam.

Blinh is happy to be a U.S. citizen now, as he describes differences between his life in Vietnam and his life in Greensboro. “I am happy to be a citizen because I like America and want to be free. In Vietnam, I had no food, medicine, car, or clothes. I am Montagnard and lived in the country and was a farmer. The Vietnamese people lived in the city.”

When Blinh fled Vietnam, he lived in the jungle for two months without access to  food  or water, then in Cambodia for one month.  The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) helped him live in the camps in Cambodia for three months, in Cambodia’s capital for two months, and in Bangkok for one week. He finally moved to Greensboro, and has lived here for nine years.

Blinh is excited to enjoy the privileges and responsibilities that come with American citizenship,  “Next year, I want to vote for President and contribute to society.” When asked about the citizenship class and test, he said it was helpful to have a class with people from other countries.  “The Church World Service class helped me pass the test because it told me everything I needed to know. And I liked the different accents in the class. It helped me learn English better.”