Telling Your Asian Parents “I Love You”, Struggling with Filial Piety & Her Breast Cancer Journey ft. Dai Le | Ep. 63

In this episode of the Level Asian podcast, we're joined by Dai Le, a Vietnamese-born Australian politician currently serving as the federal member for Fowler and councillor for Fairfield/Cabravale Ward.

Dai shares her harrowing experience of escaping on a boat at age seven during the fall of Saigon, getting stranded at sea multiple times, and ending up in refugee camps for months before being resettled in Australia.

She also talks about the intergenerational trauma of the refugee experience, the challenges Dai's mother faced adjusting to life in Australia, and the painful realisation that gambling had become an unhealthy coping mechanism for many Vietnamese refugees.

Show Notes Links:
https://daile.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/DaiLeMP/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dailemp/
https://www.instagram.com/dai_le/
https://www.youtube.com/@DaiLeTheOfficial

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 2:55 Dai Le’s Refugee Story
• 15:02 Davie’s Parents’ Refugee Story + The Second Exodus
• 32:42 Understanding the Stories of Immigrant Families, Migrating to Fairy Meadow, Dai Le’s Mother’s Struggle with Gambling
• 32:42 Telling Your Asian Parents, “I Love You.”
• 36:06 Asian Community Struggle with Financial Literacy & Personal Responsibilities
• 40:11 The Meaning of Filial Piety
• 45:05 The Story of Chau Van Kham
• 49:30 Dai Le’s Story Going Back to Vietnam, Reconnecting with Her Grandma, and Taking Her Mum to Vietnam for the Last Time
• 57:37 Dai Le’s Breast Cancer Journey
• 1:08:26 Asian Female Leadership & Crafting an Optimistic Mindset + The Gratitude Jar
• 1:17:12 The Importance of Building Mental Resilience
• 1:22:00 Dai Le’s Final Advice
• 1:24:32 Outro