The Happiest Refugee

The Happiest Refugee is a 2010 autobiography by Vietnamese-born, Australian author, actor, comedian, and artist Anh Do. Following his journey from a perilous escape from Communist-ruled Vietnam as a toddler with his large family, to his working-class childhood in Australia where he struggled to fit into the predominantly white society, to his rise as one of Australia’s most sought-after comedians and motivational speakers, The Happiest Refugee is considered one of the most well-received stories of the immigrant experience in modern literature. It focuses on Anh’s relationships with his hard-working mother, his troubled, alcoholic father, his younger brother Khoa, and his close friend and eventual wife, Suzanne. The book is essentially divided into four segments, each chronicling a different part of Anh’s life and family history.

After a brief prologue flashing forward to Anh’s reunion with his father, chapters one through three focus on Anh’s family history in Vietnam. His mother and father meet in the aftermath of the war when his father saves his mother from being caught as an illegal vendor by communist police. His father, who comes from a large family, soon charms her and her family. The reader is introduced to her family, who suffered greatly during the war.