Editor’s note: Dr. Nguyen Minh Hoa believes that something should be done in order to stop people from migrating to Saigon, as the ‘promised land’ has become increasingly overcrowded to receive them all. As in the previous years, when the Lunar New Year is drawing near, I join my family members and my students to gather used clothes and bring them to internal migrants, to those homeless people who have to live on sidewalks across Saigon. Saigon is without a doubt a city of generosity where people are willing to help and share the hardship of those in need, and it is surely a ‘promised land,’ but this land will inevitably become too crowded for everyone. What’s the point of flocking to a ‘promised land’ when everyone will share nothing but poverty, once there is little space for growth? The best solution is to keep the migrants-to-be where they are, and Saigon, on its way to achieve prosperity, will never forget those needy people. A series of rented houses for internal migrants are seen in Binh Chanh District, outside Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre Empty-handed and homeless As the cold weather this year was much more biting than in previous years, less homeless people had chosen to spend the night at the doorsteps of others. Instead, they would flock to bridges citywide such as Kieu, Thu Thiem and Chu Y for shelter. Some said they had to do so, because people no longer allowed them to sleep in… [Read full story]
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