ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the participants' experiences of migration from Vietnam to London through the themes of departure and arrival. It focuses on the migration experiences of individual participants, locating them within broader geographies and histories of Vietnamese migration to London. The chapter explores the narratives of participants who left their homes to escape the Vietnam conflict and its aftermath. It examines the journeys of participants who have arrived, many of whom have come to study in London and focuses on experiences of arrival in East London and the ways in which participants encounter and come to know the city. The chapter also examines how participants practise the skills needed to find work, housing and a sense of belonging in the city, noting the ambivalence that is often bound up with this concept. It considers the ways in which participants narrate their experiences in relation to architecture, governance and everyday life in urban Vietnam.
