"Born in Vietnam, she came to France at the age of 11 despite not knowing French. Years later, Stéphanie Đỗ became a member of Parliament . She achieved this position through her tenacity, her desire for success, and her dedication to helping others."
Stéphanie Đỗ and her husband, along with French President Emmanuel Macron (center).
A few words from French President Emmanuel Macron have painted a portrait of Stéphanie Đỗ – the first Asian woman, the first woman of Vietnamese origin, to be a member of the French National Assembly.
She recently returned to Hanoi to launch her book, "The Road to Parliament: The First Vietnamese-French Female Member of Parliament" (Social Sciences Publishing House, Omega Plus), which recounts her journey into politics. She hopes her story will inspire everyone, especially the Asian community in France, who wants to embark on a political path they have long been hesitant to pursue.
Contrary to the common perception of a female parliamentarian, Stéphanie Đỗ embodies the image of a Vietnamese woman: slender, beautiful, intelligent, friendly, and especially charming and captivating in her speech, with a sweet Southern accent.
She granted Tuổi Trẻ an open interview.
From immigrant girl to the first Vietnamese-born female member of parliament in France.
* You said you had never thought about politics before, but then you unexpectedly entered politics and became very successful. Was this turning point entirely coincidental, or was the spirit of contributing to the community already ingrained in your blood, like your family?
- I think that in my blood, from my great-grandfather to my grandfather, and to my generation, there has always been a spirit of dedication to the community and the country. Especially my great-grandfather, Do Quang Dau.
Stéphanie Đỗ on the street named after her great-grandfather, Đỗ Quang Đẩu, 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 aimed at improving modern Vietnamese, which at the time was only a rudimentary Quốc ngữ script built from the Latin alphabet.
For his contributions to the community, he was awarded the Legion of Honor. A street named after him still exists near Ben Thanh Market in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City today.
When I was a child and first came to France, my family, like other immigrant families, faced many economic hardships, so I only thought about studying hard so that when I grew up I could earn money to help my parents.
However, even then, I was very actively involved in social work organizations, raising funds to provide scholarships for poor but studious children in Vietnam.
It was at these clubs that, at the age of 16, I met my first boyfriend, also of Vietnamese descent, who later became my husband.
* Your journey from a consultant with a "brilliant career in the private sector" (to use the words of French President Emmanuel Macron) to the first Vietnamese-born female member of the French National Assembly is truly impressive. How did that journey unfold?
Having achieved a certain level of success in the private sector, and being someone who is very eager to learn and enjoys challenging myself, I think it's time to broaden my horizons.
I wanted to explore the world of the public sector. I pursued a second master's degree in public administration at the University of Paris-Dauphine in collaboration with the National School of Administration. This school has produced many famous politicians.
Learning new things at this school, I discovered I had a particular interest in politics. After graduating, I joined the Ministry of Economy and Finance, where Emmanuel Macron was then minister.
He then resigned and founded the En Marche Movement (not yet a political party) in April 2016. Intrigued by him, I attended the movement's first meeting and was immediately captivated by the plan Macron intended to bring to the country.
I volunteered for this movement. In November 2016, the movement called for candidates to join by province, so I immediately submitted my application, thinking it was time for me to contribute to France. I was then chosen by Mr. Macron for the position of supervisory advisor in the Seine-et-Marne province.
I went door-to-door throughout the province to gather information, and I did this with great enthusiasm and passion. I'm a cheerful and sociable person. When I knocked on doors, people were surprised to see a small Asian woman talking politics.
Initially, I was alone, but after a few weeks of going door-to-door, I went directly to the market to make contact with them, which led to the establishment of local committees.
It wasn't just two hours a week as requested, but every evening after work and every weekend I was willing to travel to the most remote corners of this vast province to win the trust of even the smallest villages.
We worked tirelessly for an entire year to make Emmanuel Macron the official candidate in the presidential election, and then to make him the winner.
Immediately following Macron's victory came the parliamentary elections, and the president called for female candidates. I was encouraged by activists to run.
I entered a tough battle where my opponents included a former minister from the Socialist Party and a lawyer who was a Republican candidate.
For a week before the election, I barely slept. When the election was over and I received the winning results, my mind went completely blank for 24 hours; I slept for an entire day.
The qualities of Vietnamese women helped me win.
* As a woman, of Asian descent, an immigrant, and with no prior political experience, she seemed to possess all the reasons for failure, yet she "defied all predictions." Do you think that this disadvantage of being a Vietnamese woman actually became an advantage for you?
- Doing politics in France is very difficult, even for the French themselves. I'm also an Asian immigrant. But perhaps, as you said, the strong qualities within me, combined with the graceful and charming appearance of a Vietnamese woman, helped me to prevail in such a difficult situation.
Stéphanie Đỗ at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts, August 2023 - Photo: NGÔ TẤN ĐẠI
When I entered Congress, I was the only Asian person. When I walked in, everyone's first reaction was to stare at me and exclaim, "Wow, you're so beautiful!" I'm a cheerful person. When working with them, they find me very positive and capable (laughs).
* Besides sleeping only 5 hours a day since childhood, what else is your secret to success?
- When I first arrived in France, I didn't know any French. I was determined to study because I thought it was the only way to help my family escape poverty at that time.
Night after night, I struggled to look up words in the dictionary to learn French, did my homework, and rarely went to bed before 2 or 3 in the morning. When I went to work, I worked like crazy because in an environment where everyone was highly skilled, the difference lay in the ability to dedicate oneself and sacrifice one's personal life.
But on the other hand, I'm passionate about playing sports, enjoy meeting and chatting with friends, and when I'm too stressed, I play the piano. In general, I always maintain a cheerful spirit. I also have a loving and supportive family. When I was little, I had my father, and now I have my husband; both men have always supported me wholeheartedly.
* President Emmanuel Macron said that France has given you many opportunities, but you have repaid France a hundredfold. What do you think of this comment?
- When I read the words he wrote for me as an introduction to my first book, I cried; I was deeply moved. I never imagined he understood me and my contributions so well. He acknowledged my efforts to strengthen Franco-Vietnamese relations in my role as president of the Franco-Vietnamese Friendship Association in the French Parliament and my dedication to protecting French citizens in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Back then, the pandemic in France was terrifying; no one dared go to Parliament to work, but I was one of the volunteers who still went to Parliament every day. At that time, I had a young child. And I made many efforts to draft progressive laws during my five-year term (2017-2022).
Whatever I can do to contribute to my country, I will do my best.
* Will you be running for a seat in Parliament again?
- After my term ended in 2022, I returned to work at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. I took a short break before going back to work. I'm preparing to run for re-election as a member of Parliament three years from now.
Stéphanie Đỗ interacts with readers at her book launch in Hanoi on October 20th - Photo: T. Điểu
* She speaks Vietnamese very well and continues to teach Vietnamese to her daughter. Is Vietnam deeply ingrained in her heart?
- When I moved to France at the age of 11, I missed Vietnam terribly. I read Vietnamese newspapers, watched movies... to ease my homesickness and also to continue learning Vietnamese. My 5-year-old daughter, when she visited Vietnam, loved it so much, she liked speaking Vietnamese more than before and even liked eating with chopsticks like her mother.
I still remember the first time I returned to Vietnam; oh my God, I can't even begin to describe how happy I was. That was in 2006, and I came back with my fiancé. We decided we had to have our wedding photos taken in Vietnam. Besides my personal happiness, I was overjoyed to see how much the country had changed and become so much more prosperous and beautiful.
Since that year, I've returned to Vietnam every year. When I was a member of parliament, I even went back to Vietnam on official trips. I always strive to do my best to contribute to my country. Vietnam is in my blood, in my heart.
* Do you see yourself as a very positive and energetic person?
That's what people say about me. Perhaps I inherited my positivity and enthusiasm from my mother, a woman from Hanoi who was very good at business, enjoyed socializing and chatting, and preferred being active rather than sitting still. Plus, I have genes from my paternal side, a family of intellectuals for generations.
People see her as having everything she could want, both a successful career and personal happiness. Has she been given too much?
- I've contributed a lot too (laughs). First of all, I'm a lovely person, that's why people love me. I live a very simple life, I don't demand much, I just have a spirit of dedication and courage (laughs).
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