Building bridges between cultures, one folktale at a time

As a young girl growing up in Vietnam, Trần Thị Minh Phước dreamed of getting a good education and working in a job where she could help others.

She wanted to be an attorney working in international law. But that goal was dashed when the Vietnamese government closed the law school in 1975 after the South Vietnamese regime and its capital of Saigon fell to North Vietnamese forces.

A few years later, Phước left her family and friends and boarded a small, crowded boat filled with strangers. She landed in a refugee camp in Malaysia, where she lived for 10 months before going on to California, and then, after a 50-hour Greyhound bus ride, Minnesota became her home.

Today, Phước is a successful author, retired librarian and sought-after storyteller. She also works with local groups to help immigrants transition to life in America. Her calendar is filled with dozens of events where she shares her experiences and knowledge of Vietnamese culture, work she considers a bridge between cultures.

Her most recent book, “Vietnamese Folktales for Children: Stories of Adventure and Wonder in Vietnamese and English” (VFFC), is complemented by online audio to enhance the reading experience.

This is Phuoc’s fourth book. It joins her earlier published works, “Vietnamese Children’s Favorite Stories,” “My First Book of Vietnamese Words” and “All About Vietnam.” Her story “The Ocean Where the Dreams Go” was included in the anthology “Sky Blue Water: Great Stories for Young Readers,” published by the University of Minnesota Press. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the Creative Child Magazine Book of the Year and the Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice.

Phước’s daughter lives in Eden Prairie, and last year, Phước has also visited the Kinderberry Hill preschool. In a recent interview, Phước shared insights about her life and work.

Q: The stories you’ve selected in the book all seem to have a moral or character lesson in them. Is this true of all Vietnamese folktales, or did you choose these specifically for that reason?

Phước: For years and years, folktales around the world have been used to teach morals to our children. Unlike the Brothers Grimm’s tales in their original form with no morals at the end, Vietnamese folktales often include a moral lesson, a lesson about right and wrong, good versus bad decisions or good versus evil. The legends and stories selected and retold in my book are most dear to my heart and teach values such as loyalty, sincerity, honesty, kindness, perseverance and bravery. The stories also explain the Vietnamese traditions and culture.

Q: Are these stories in their complete form, or did you edit them for the book or the audience?

Phước: When retelling a folktale, I always think of the great balance between the text and illustrations that will make it easy for readers to follow so as to captivate and entertain them. It is also important to know where to end the story or have a twist to make the story more appropriate for a young audience by avoiding some cruelty or gruesome scenes from the original folktale. These folktales have common themes where the good characters are rewarded and evil ones are punished; or true love conquers any obstacle.

Q: Many of these stories have supernatural characters in them, like a dragon or magic raven. Are there other such creatures that are a characteristic part of Vietnamese folklore, and if so, what are they?

Phước: Vietnamese people believe in mythical and sacred animals, such as the dragon, the unicorn, the tortoise and the phoenix. These are reflected in many legends and stories. Also, these tales depict humans continuously striving against misfortune, poverty and injustice with the help of magic and the aid of gods and goddesses.

In my other folktale book, “Vietnamese Children’s Favorite Stories,” there are heroes and heroines. “Lê Lợi, The Golden Turtle and The Magic Sword” is the best-loved historical Vietnamese legend on how Lê Lợi borrowed the Dragon King’s magic sword to save Đại Việt from the cruel Chinese Ming invaders and defeat the entire enemy army. Then Saint Gióng, also called the Celestial King of Phù Đổng, rode his iron horse up the Sóc Sơn Mountain and disappeared into the sky after defeating the northern invaders. Thạch Sanh’s honesty, bravery, kindness and loyalty were praised and admired, while Lý Thông and his mother’s selfishness, cruelty, greed and evil temple were punished at the end.

Q: Do these stories have personal meaning to you or your family? Are they considered religious?

Phước: It was through oral stories that my parents taught my siblings and me how to value virtue and live honorable lives. It was through childhood folktales that our grandparents and teachers taught us the morals we strive to apply and pass down to the younger generation. Most of the stories we heard painted a picture of a world that values the five great virtues, such as Nhân (Compassion), Nghĩa (Righteousness), Lễ (Rituals), Trí (Wisdom) and Tín (Trust). Folktales can connect cultures and religions to readers in different and interesting ways, but to me, they are not considered religious.

Q: When/how did you first learn of these stories?

Phước: At a very young age, I was fond of “Les Fables de La Fontaine” and “Les Contes de Charles Perrault” from school. I also enjoyed Vietnamese folktales from my paternal grandmother and my parents as bedtime stories and during holidays, such as “The Kitchen God Legend” during Vietnamese New Year or “The Jade Rabbit” and “Chú Cuội” around the time of Trung Thu, or Mid-Autumn Festival.

Q: Did you tell these stories to your own children?

Phước: Some, and only when they were young, because my children would say that before bed, their mother wouldn’t read them “Good Night Moon.” Instead, they would fall asleep to the story of a girl who would ride around on a giant, magical turtle name Mimi and do good deeds. My dearest children were captured by the stories of how the girl saved her village or helped an elderly woman. Some of the tasks the kind girl did were simple. Others were dangerous, but the moral was the same for each story: everyone has the ability to help others and make a positive impact. Today, my children and my grandchildren love to read my folktale books and share the stories with friends. They are all folktale lovers.

Q: Have these stories ever been enacted onstage or in movies?

Phước: I loved folktales and fairy tales at a young age, and I never missed any show on television about them. “The Jade Rabbit,” “The Story of Tam and Cam,” “Thach Sung and the Cracked Earthen,” “Toad is Sir Sky’s Uncle,” and “Son Tinh Thuy Tinh” are some of my favorite stories and movies.

Q: What would you like the readers of this book to know about Vietnam and/or its language that might not be evident in the stories?

Phước: As a retired librarian, a respected storyteller and published author, I have been privileged to bring amazing Vietnamese tales and legends to life for listeners of all ages. Today, with so many Vietnamese-born people forced to live so far from their native home, I believe my Vietnamese legends and folktales help children learn about the land of their ancestors, its people, culture and values. They also foster bonds between generations.

For my non-Vietnamese readers, I hope these stories will become a vehicle for bridging gaps between cultures. As the late David Zander, a cultural anthropologist and co-founder of the Asian Storytellers Alliance, wrote, “Phước Tran’s stories remind us of the depth and beauty of Vietnamese culture. The folktales help heal us all from the tragic history of the Vietnam War and bring the deep enduring cultural traditions back into the light to be shared by all.”

Q: What have parents/grandparents/children said about this book? What has had the most meaning to them?

Phước: They say the storytelling style and originality of the folktales remind them of what they listened to or were told when they were young. They also say I have a good choice of stories, and the selected stories give them a warm feeling when they read them.

For these reasons, grandparents and parents will cherish (this latest book), as it is my first bilingual folktale book. The illustrations are beautiful, and the stories are easy to follow, with a good layout. This book provides a vehicle for them to connect and bond with younger generations and understand where some of the unique Vietnamese culture and traditions come from.

Q: Did you choose your illustrators, or did the publisher choose them for you? What do you most like about their work?

Phước: I am so blessed and supported from Tuttle Publishing to choose my talented illustrators, Nguyen Thi Hop and Nguyen Dong (husband and wife). They illustrated all four of my books. Their artwork is gorgeously colorful and detailed. Their illustrations always bring a smile to my face. Thank you to my wonderful publishing team and my awesome illustrators!

Q: Will you be performing or reading in public settings in the coming months?

Phước: I have a vision of sharing Vietnam’s rich cultural heritage with the world and fostering communication between generations through Vietnamese folktales, myths, and legends. Telling stories is a treasure! Retelling my favorite childhood folktales and stories gives me an opportunity to honor my ancestors and my heritage, to preserve my culture, to remember my roots and to enchant children and their families.

I perform many storytelling events in the Twin Cities and beyond. As a member of Story Arts of Minnesota, I participate in their annual Tellabration, in addition to schools, library and community events. I performed at Kinderberry Hill in Eden Prairie last year. Upcoming events can be found on my website: phuocthiminhtran.wordpress.com.

Q: Are you writing any other books now?

Phước: Yes. I am doing the translation of the series “See and Say Vietnamese.” I am thinking of writing a picture book about my journey to America and a book about the late (U.S. Army) Gen. John William Vessey Jr., who was a great benefactor of the Vietnamese community.