Ke Huy Quan: From a refugee camp to the Oscars
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"Ke Huy Quan's Journey" is a thoughtful matching game that immerses players in the life of an immigrant. Through simple mechanics, players match symbols that reveal different parts of Quan's story, from the challenges of leaving home to finding a new life abroad.
-Nimrit Boparai, UC San Diego"
Back Story
“My journey started on a boat,” said Ke Huy Quan as he accepted his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor at the 95th Academy Awards.
Quan fled Vietnam as a child after his parents decided to seek a better life in America post-Vietnam War. After being separated from his mother and three siblings, he spent a year in a Hong Kong refugee camp with his father and five siblings, finally arriving in America in 1979.
Quan broke onto the Hollywood scene as a young boy in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies. However, this appeared to be the peak of his career, as he struggled to find adult acting jobs. His big break came after a two-decade hiatus when he auditioned and secured a role in Everything Everywhere All at Once, which earned him the Oscar. Quan credits his success to his mother, who sacrificed a “great life” in Vietnam for her nine children.
As a child actor in the US, Quan’s status as an ‘other’ was clear as he Americanised his name to ‘Jonathan’ to fit in. It’s powerful to see him recognised today by his real name. Coming from a refugee background, Quan always had the odds against him. But his refusal to give up, talent, and charm propelled him to become the first person of Vietnamese origin to win an Oscar. The heart Quan showed in his touching acceptance speech is refreshing in a time of global tension.
"They say stories like this only happen in movies. I cannot believe it's happening to me."
- Ke Huy Quan, March 2023
In this article Lukas Seifert highlight the arty refugee experience of Ke Huy Quan. He is a student journalist with us on a placement organised with Oxford University Career Services. This article was edited using Lex.page. The article was converted into a micro using Rosebud.ai by Constantin Victoria & Aniridduha. They are front end developers placed by Virtual Internships to build their Ai & Gaming Dev experience.
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