American Dreamer is an inspirational, first-hand account of the motivating power of an immigrant’s dream for a better life. From the rural Vietnam of Tim Tran’s childhood to his eventual escape to America and his rise as CFO of a multi-billion-dollar company, Tran’s memoir is a lesson in perseverance and ingenuity. After he initially left Vietnam in 1970 to attend American universities on a USAID scholarship, Tran’s sense of commitment led him home shortly before the fall of Saigon in 1975. Suspected of being a CIA agent, he found life under Communism increasingly difficult and dangerous, and was forced to flee. During multiple attempts to escape, he encountered deceit, betrayal, and even murder. Finally, in 1979 Tran and his wife, Cathy, escaped with 350 others in a rickety, overcrowded boat, and faced pirate attacks and months in a Malaysian refugee camp before reaching their new home in Oregon. American Dreamer, written with passion, unflinching candor, and wit, is an extraordinary debut that confirms the American dream is alive and gives hope to anyone willing to work for a better life.

• Acronyms vii
• Preface xi
• Acknowledgments xiii
• A Note from the Author xv
• A Note about Vietnamese Names xvii
• Prologue xix
• The Early Years 1
• Discovering America 41
• Eight Months in Saigon 95
• Living Under Communism 121
• Voyage to Freedom 215
• The Refugee Island of Pulau Bidong 233
• Rebuilding My Life 269
• Giving Back 343
• Epilogue 349
• Chronology 355

© 2020 by Tim Tran (Tran Manh Khiem). All rights reserved.