English Essay:
Anh Do’s story is a timely reminder of the plight of refugee in our country. Discuss the Happiest Refugee in the light of Do’s universal message about the suffering of human beings during times of war and the struggle to make a better life in a foreign country.

The Happiest Refugee is a memoir written by Anh Do which was first published on the 1st of August in 2010. It is regarded as one of the most influential and well-received novels in the world of literature for its great insight on the life of refugees. The book provides a universal message to its readers about the suffering of human beings during wars and their struggle to make a better life in a foreign country. The Happiest Refugee is about Anh Do and his family’s journey for Vietnam to Australia during the Vietnam War in 1962; which was the longest war the Australia had been involved in. Due to the war Anh’s family and friends were forced to leave their country and come to Australia in search for a better life. Refugees often have to risk their lives on dangerously crude and overcrowded boats to escape life threatening circumstances and poverty and war in their nation. The Happiest Refugee provides reader with a n insight to a refugee’s life and demonstrates the circumstances and situation they must get through in order to start a new life.

The Happiest Refugee is a memoir written by Anh Do in August 2010. It’s a story about the Anh and his family being forced to flee from Vietnam and come to Australia in search for a better life. Anh’s family and friends were forced to sell all their belonging and spend all their savings just to by a boat in which they could escape in. During the war not only was it expensive to buy a boat it was also considered to be extremely dangerous due to the threats of the local police and army. As described by Anh in The Happiest Refugee.”Getting your hands on a boat was an extremely risky business. They were only available on the black market and anyone caught trying to buy one could be jailed or even killed.” (Ch.2 page 9 paragraph 1). During the Vietnam War in 1962-1975 citizens trying to flee the country was treated very harshly by the government; they were brutally beaten and some were even killed during the attempt.

Anh’s journey from Vietnam to Australia was similar to many other refugees. Anh and his family were forced to travel on a small dangerous and unsafe boat to get to Australia in order to save their life and a better future. Anh described the boat as “
The journey from Vietnam to Australia was dangerous and life threatening situation for everyone travelling on the boat.

about Anh and his family’s hardship