Phil Moore was raised in Longview, an east Texas town with a population of around 70,000. His journey to the fourth-largest city in the United States to attend college was not surprising. In fact, that road probably was paved before he was born, as his grandmother, mother, father, and older sister all have ties to Rice. But his trip across the globe to explore Vietnam is another story altogether.

Phil became interested in Asian culture during his adolescence; he instantly saw cultural connections between his own upbringing and that of his Vietnamese American friends. “The family structure in a mixed black/white household closely resembles that of a Vietnamese household,” he explains. “Family ties are close, obedience is usually understood, and my success in school was a forgone conclusion.” Not only did he feel an affinity for the culture, but the Asian Americans embraced him as well. “Their families took me in, showed me love, and were never willing to let me leave without food in my stomach. I think that’s the Vietnamese way, and I love it,” he says. So when Rice offered an introduction to Vietnamese language course, he “jumped all over it.” He then decided to choose Asian studies as the second half to his double major.

Phil’s subsequent decision to pursue a study abroad in Vietnam became a simple choice given his close relationship with foreign language professor Thay Nam Van Nguyen. According to Phil, Professor Nguyen’s steady encouragement has guided him to achieve so much more than he thought possible. “I remember a point where I wanted to give up on Vietnamese, and he just would not allow it,” says Phil. “I am so thankful for him coming into my life.” Phil believes that his time with Professor Nguyen prepared him well for his trip abroad. “The proudest thing for me is to know that I’ve taken Vietnamese for a year and speak it fairly well.”

But he acknowledges that the thought of going so far from home was a bit frightening at first. “The only time I’ve ever been out of the U.S. was a short two-day trip to Mexico,” he says. “This is my first time actually going abroad and living in another culture.” He anticipated before his trip that he’d probably be received “strangely” by the Vietnamese. “I don’t think that I’ll face a lot of prejudice,” he explained, “but I know that since I’m 6' 4", athletically built, and American, I’m going to be looked at as either someone who plays sports or someone who has money, and I’m neither.”

So far, Phil, who is still abroad at this time, seems to be correct in his assessment. “They think I’m Spanish here,” he laughs, “and everyone seems to think they have to remind me that I’m tall. I went to a rice plant, and the men there kept touching my arms and calling me strong; it was hilarious. Everyone here either calls me fat or the strongest person they’ve ever met. Interestingly enough, when they say fat, they mean it in the most endearing way ever.”

This semester, Phil has had a host of brand-new experiences. He’s ventured into the tunnels of Cu Chi, which are the holes where Vietnamese soldiers hid during wartime. “They were so small that I could maybe fit one leg into them,” Phil jokes. He has floated along the Mekong River Delta in a boat and visited perhaps the largest Cao Dai temple in the country. And Phil’s adventurous spirit has definitely led him to some exciting culinary firsts. Although he didn’t like the scorpion he tried, he also ate frog legs and fried eel, and he really enjoyed them.

Assessing his experience in Vietnam, Phil says, “While I might be in one of the poorest nations, I’ve never seen such unity and pride among a people. Smiles come easily here—even though the dollar doesn’t. People are poor, children study and play, and families love each other most of the time. I just hope people associate all of that with Vietnam one day without a second thought.” He adds, “I’m glad I actually get to give back to a culture that I’ve grown to be a part of, in a sense, and love.”

Class: International Intrigue - Will Conrad

—by M. Ynonne Taylor
Photos by Tommy LaVergne
and Jeff Fitlow