Southeast Asians Make Great Strides in U.S.

That's the recent headline in an article in the Sacrametno Bee by Stephen Magagnini, who interviewed some impressive children of immigrants and their parents about their hard work and successes in the United States.

The numbers in a Bee analysis of census data prove true regarding what the headline shouts. Half of Sacramento area Southeast Asians were poor in 1990 but today, 52 percent own homes and have a median household income of $50,000. Pretty impressive when you compare it to the 1990 median household income of $17,350!

The great outcome is attributed to good old-fashioned hard work, close family ties, and parents who sacrifice and push their children to achieve.

A quote from 34-year old Thao Xuan Doan sums it up nicely when he speaks about being a public school student: "I had a running story line in my brain, 'you're going to get straight A's,' and I willed myself to do it. We loved learning, and Mom told us that education would be our key out of poverty."

Accountant Lieu Nguyen, who helps refugees get social services and housing goods, has her own sentiments about growing up as a child of immigrants and living in the United States: "We owe America, so we're trying to work hard so we can pay back," she said. "You share your time and your blessings."

It's clear that success does not just come in the form of $ bills. It comes from a giving heart, too, and this article shows how paying it forwards pays off for everyone.