For Adam Doan, who moved to the U.S. from Vietnam when he was 14, the most challenging aspect about coming to America was not after he moved here; the hardest part was simply getting permission to live here.

Doan, who now studies computer engineering at WSU, grew up in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. When his mom first decided to move his family to America, he did not know what to expect. Their first challenge was obtaining a U.S. visa. Doan reflected that the initial process was a “nightmare.”

“We came to the embassy, and they did a background check and interview,” Doan said. “The problem is, it’s really easy to fail.”

His family failed the first interview, which forced them to wait an additional period. Doan’s now-father-in-law then flew to Vietnam to speak to the embassy on his then-girlfriend’s family’s behalf.

Doan felt that the U.S. embassy treated his family and his future father-in-law poorly, despite the fact that his mother’s boyfriend at the time was a U.S. veteran. Feeling disrespected by the embassy was one of the most difficult and frustrating parts of coming here for Doan.

“Even though he was a U.S. veteran,” he said, “they still treated him like trash. It was painful.”

After another two weeks, the embassy agreed to interview the Doan family’s neighbors, who could provide a character reference and describe their experiences with the family. This process took an additional month, but after this step, Doan and his family were granted entry.

Despite all the challenges he faced to come here, Doan is glad he did. He says he feels he has more opportunity here than he ever did in Vietnam.