Sandy Lu and Vietnam

Chinese-Canadians: At age 10, she was one hundreds of thousands of so-called "boat people" who fled Vietnam in the late 1970s and early 80s, according to CBC. Finding Refuge: Syrian arrivals prepare for a new life "It seems like a long time ago but it still very close at heart," says Lu, who is ethnically Chinese but was born in Vietnam. "When I see pictures like that, it really touches my heart." Lu experiences as a refugee and the welcome she received in Canada motivated her to join a group of Chinese-Canadians in Metro Vancouver sponsoring a Syrian refugee family. She been there. Sandy Lu says she wants to help because she arrived in Canada as a refugee herself at the age of 10, after her family fled Vietnam. Their Syrian family of six, with four children between the ages of three and 11, is expected in about a month. The group of 10 people includes refugees and immigrants from Hong Kong who share a desire to help newcomers adjust to life in B.C. "I as a refugee myself felt that Canada has given me a lot of opportunity," says Lu, who now works as a financial advisor. "I want to give back to the community and to society." She'll get a chance soon. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.