"Born in Vietnam, Stéphanie Do came to France at the age of 11 without knowing French. Many years later, she became a member of the National Assembly. She achieved this position thanks to her tenacity, desire to succeed and dedication to others."
Stéphanie Do and her husband and French President Emmanuel Macron (center)
A few words from French President Emmanuel Macron have outlined the portrait of Stéphanie Do - the first Asian woman, the first woman of Vietnamese origin to be a member of the French National Assembly.
She has just returned to Hanoi to launch a book about her journey into politics, titled The Road to the National Assembly of the First French Female Member of Parliament of Vietnamese Origin (Social Sciences Publishing House, Omega Plus), hoping that her story will encourage everyone, especially the Asian community in France, who wants to enter the political path that they have long been quite reserved about.
Different from the usual image of a female parliamentarian, Stéphanie Do represents the image of a Vietnamese woman: slim, beautiful, intelligent, friendly and especially she speaks very charmingly, attractively with a sweet Southern accent.
She gave Tuoi Tre an open dialogue.
From immigrant girl to first French female parliamentarian of Vietnamese origin
* You said you had never thought about politics before, but then you unexpectedly jumped into politics and became very successful. Was this turning point completely by chance or was it in your blood that you already had the spirit of contributing to the community like your family?
- I think in my blood, from my great-grandfather to my grandfather, to my generation, there must have been a spirit of dedication to the community, to the country. Especially my great-grandfather Do Quang Dau.
Stéphanie Do on the street named after her great-grandfather Do Quang Dau in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, August 2023
He was a writer, teacher and activist in the early 20th century.
He contributed to a working group to improve the modern Vietnamese script which at that time was only the rudimentary Quoc Ngu script built from the Latin alphabet.
For his contributions to the community, he was awarded the Legion of Honor. Next to Ben Thanh Market, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City today, there is still a street named after him.
When I was young, when I first came to France, my family suffered many economic hardships like other immigrant families, so I just thought I had to study well to grow up and earn money to help my parents.
However, since then I have been very active in participating in social work associations, raising funds to award scholarships to poor but studious children in Vietnam.
It was also at these clubs that I met my first boyfriend, also of Vietnamese origin, at the age of 16, who later became my husband.
* Your journey from a consultant with a "brilliant career in the private sector" (as French President Emmanuel Macron used it) to the first female member of the French National Assembly of Vietnamese origin is impressive. How did that journey take place?
- Having achieved certain success in the private sector, being a person who is very curious and loves to challenge myself, I think it's time to broaden my horizons.
I wanted to explore the world of the public sector. I went to study for a second master's degree in public administration at the University of Paris-Dauphine in collaboration with the École Nationale d'Administration. This school has trained many famous politicians.
Learning new things at this school, I discovered that I had a certain interest in politics. After graduating, I joined the Ministry of Economy and Finance, where Emmanuel Macron was the Minister at that time.
He then resigned to found the En Marche Movement (not yet a party) in April 2016. Curious about him, I attended the first meeting of this movement and was immediately fascinated by the plan that Mr. Macron intended to bring to the country.
I signed up to volunteer for this movement. In November 2016, this movement called for candidates to participate in each province, I immediately sent my application with the thought that it was time for me to contribute to France and was chosen by Mr. Macron for the position of consultant to supervise the province of Seine-et-Marne.
I went door-to-door in the province to collect information and I did this with great enthusiasm and enthusiasm. I was cheerful and very sociable. When I knocked on doors, people were surprised to see a small Asian woman talking about politics.
At first I was alone but after a few weeks of knocking on doors, I went straight to the market to approach them, from there opening up local committees.
Not just the two hours a week as required, but every evening after work and on weekends I was willing to go to the most remote corners of this vast province to win the trust of the smallest villages.
We worked tirelessly all year to make Emmanuel Macron the official candidate for the presidential election and the winner.
Immediately after Mr Macron's victory came the parliamentary elections, where the president called for female candidates. I was encouraged by activists to run.
I entered a tough battle as my opponents included a former minister from the Socialist Party and a lawyer, a Republican candidate.
I barely slept a week before the election. When the election was over and I received the results, my mind went completely blank for 24 hours, and I slept for a whole day.
The qualities of Vietnamese women helped me win.
* As a woman, of Asian descent, an immigrant, with no previous political experience, you seemed to have all the reasons to fail, but you "defeated all predictions". Do you think that the disadvantage of being a Vietnamese woman has become your advantage?
- Doing politics in France is very difficult for the French themselves. I am also an Asian immigrant. But perhaps as you said, the strong qualities in an elegant, lovely appearance of a Vietnamese woman in me helped me win in a difficult situation.
Stéphanie Do at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts in August 2023 - Photo: NGO TAN DAI
When I entered the National Assembly, I was the only Asian. When I walked in, everyone's first reaction was to look at me and exclaim, "Oh my gosh, how beautiful!" I am a cheerful person. When working with them, they found me to be very positive and talented (laughs).
* What is your secret to success, besides only sleeping 5 hours a day since you were little?
- When I first came to France, I didn't know French. I was determined to study because I thought it was the only way to help my family escape poverty at that time.
Every night I struggled to look up the dictionary to learn French, do my homework and rarely went to bed before 2-3am. When I went to work, I worked like crazy because in an environment where everyone was good, the difference was the ability to contribute and sacrifice personal life.
But on the contrary, I am passionate about sports, like meeting and chatting with friends, and when I am too stressed, I play the guitar. In general, I always keep a happy spirit. I also have a family that loves and supports me wholeheartedly. When I was young, there was my father, when I grew up, there was my husband, two men who always support me wholeheartedly.
* President Emmanuel Macron said that France has given you many opportunities, but you have given back to France a hundredfold. What do you think about this comment?
- When I read the words you wrote for me as an introduction to my first book, I cried, I was so touched. I didn't expect you to understand me and my dedication so well. You recognized my efforts to strengthen France - Vietnam relations in my role as President of the France - Vietnam Friendship Association in the French National Assembly and my efforts to protect French citizens in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
At that time, the epidemic in France was very scary, no one dared to go to the National Assembly to work, but I was one of the volunteers who still went to work every day. At that time, I had a small child. And there were many efforts to build progressive laws during my five-year term (2017 - 2022).
Whatever I do to contribute to my country, I try my best.
* Will you continue to run for Congress?
- After my term ends in 2022, I will return to work at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. I will give myself a break and then go out again. I am preparing to run for re-election as a member of the National Assembly in three years.
Stéphanie Do interacts with readers at the book launch in Hanoi on October 20 - Photo: T.Dieu
* You speak Vietnamese very well and continue to teach Vietnamese to your daughter. Is your homeland Vietnam very close to your heart?
- When I went to France at the age of 11, I missed Vietnam so much. I read Vietnamese newspapers, watched movies... to ease my homesickness and also to continue learning Vietnamese. When my 5-year-old daughter visited Vietnam, she loved Vietnam so much, she liked to speak Vietnamese more than before and even liked to eat with chopsticks like her mother.
I still remember the first time I came back to visit Vietnam, oh my gosh I can't express how happy I was at that time. That year was 2006, I came back with my fiancé. We decided to take our wedding photos in Vietnam. Besides my own happiness, I had indescribable joy when I saw the country change, become much more beautiful and rich.
Since that year, I have returned to Vietnam every year. When I was a member of parliament, I also returned to Vietnam on business trips. Whatever I do to contribute to my country, I always try my best. Vietnam is in my blood and in my heart.
* Do you see yourself as a very positive, energetic person?
- That's what people say about me. Maybe I inherited the positivity and enthusiasm from my mother, a woman from Hanoi who is very good at business, likes to socialize, chat, likes to be active and doesn't like to sit still. Plus the genes from my father's side are from a family of intellectuals for many generations.
* People see you as being fulfilled in every way, having both career and personal happiness. Are you given too much?
- I also contribute a lot (laughs). First of all, I am a nice person so people love me. I live a very simple life, I don't ask for much, I just have a spirit of dedication and courage (laughs).
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