Cuong Huyng (Van) is a Teamster and Shop Steward at Swire. In August 2017, his story won the Teamsters Story Challenge Contest. His story is republished below:

In the early 1980s, Vietnam was still dealing with the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Many people were trying to flee the country and amongst them was my family. During their attempt to escape, my dad was shot in the leg and captured by the Viet Cong along with my mom. My eleven-year-old sister was left to care for the family. We had no food and no money. To survive, she sought food where she could, often times eating food off of the streets. 

Eventually, my parents were released and my family was reunited. They continued on their journey to immigrate to the United States. During this time, all three of my siblings became ill because of the food that they had been consuming. My four-year-old sister died from her illness and my sister and brother continue to live with hepatitis today. 

The struggle never ended for us. We made it to Seattle and lived within the housing projects. My dad was handicapped and my mom lived with hearing impairments. I was never able to focus on my education because my family needed me to provide financially. I felt as though there was no such thing as the American Dream. 

In 2013, I was hired by Coca Cola and two years later I was accepted as a shop steward for the Local 117. Because of the union, I am given job security and a wage I am proud of. Because of the union, I have been able to buy my first home and provide a comfortable life for my young sons and wife. The union has given my sons the opportunity to focus on their educations and to live lives that are even better than mine. Because of the union, all of my dreams have come true and I can honestly say that the sacrifices my family made have paid off — that the American dream does exist.