Vietnamese 'heritage' in New Caledonia

Honorary Consul of Vietnam in New Caledonia, Mr. Dinh Ngoc Riem, attended the Homeland Spring 2025 program - Photo: NAM TRAN

Born and raised on the remote island of New Caledonia, Mr. Dinh Ngoc Riem has always maintained a strong connection to his homeland through the Vietnamese language "heritage" passed down by his parents. During his 15 years of dedication, he has not only helped the Vietnamese community but also spread Vietnamese cultural values to the next generation.

Preserve mother tongue

Mr. Riem’s parents left Vietnam in the late 1930s, taking their memories of their homeland with them to New Caledonia, a French island in the Pacific Ocean. At home, his parents always reminded their children not to forget their mother tongue.

"My mother always told me: Don't forget your mother tongue and remember to teach your children Vietnamese later," Mr. Riem shared. His father, a strict man, required his children to maintain Vietnamese in all family activities.

He also recalls a happy memory when learning Vietnamese. Someone once told him that "thỏ cốm" is no longer used, but "nấu cốm" (cooking rice).

But on his trip back to his hometown, when he saw his relatives cooking rice with straw, he understood why the word "cooking rice" is so closely associated with Vietnamese life.

Although he speaks Vietnamese quite fluently, he admits that he is still "bad" at Vietnamese because his reading and writing skills are limited.

"I always regret not having learned Vietnamese properly when I was young," he confided. Not only that, Mr. Riem "actively spoke Vietnamese wherever he went," whether when he returned to his hometown or when he met Vietnamese people abroad.

15 years of tireless companionship

In 2016, Mr. Riem was appointed as the honorary consul of Vietnam in New Caledonia, based in Noumea. However, his love and devotion to the Vietnamese community began 15 years earlier, when he did not hesitate to support his compatriots for free.

"I only help, never take money. No matter if they are rich or poor, I help everyone. Sometimes when I do paperwork for them, I lose money because I have to print more paperwork," he shared.

His love and reputation were respected by the local authorities. One time, in the middle of the night, the police called him when they discovered a Vietnamese man missing papers.

He helped them find a place to stay and completed the paperwork the next morning. He also helped cook for Vietnamese fishermen who were arrested for catching sea cucumbers.

"They were not used to eating French food, so I cooked for them myself," he recalled.

He is currently working with the French Embassy to resolve visa issues for Vietnamese workers in New Caledonia. He said that despite being approved to work, many people still face obstacles when applying for visas.

There are currently about 3,000 Vietnamese people living in New Caledonia.

According to Mr. Riem, no one here is poor. Half of them do not have French nationality, while the other half have nationality but want to own a Vietnamese passport.

In particular, those who already have French nationality want to own a Vietnamese passport to invest in real estate and return home when they retire.

With his love for his mother tongue, Mr. Riem is preparing to open a free Vietnamese class at the consulate for overseas Vietnamese children. He has received support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with 200 Vietnamese books.

"I really want to learn more Vietnamese, and I also hope my children will continue to speak Vietnamese. Next month, I will set up a Vietnamese class for children at the consulate. I have found a teacher, and the children will come here to study for free," he shared passionately.

Returning to Vietnam to attend the Homeland Spring 2025 program, Mr. Riem felt moved when meeting overseas Vietnamese from all over the world. He believes that uniting the overseas Vietnamese community will create strength to build an increasingly strong homeland.