Kien Le spent his early life in Vietnam, growing up as the American phase of the war was coming to an end. He recalls that he was not too impacted by the war in the early years, but since his father was in the navy, he and his family were on the move as the 1973-75 civil war bore down on them. They made the decision to leave, boarding their father’s ship and heading to the Philippines before going to the United States. During this time the young Kien Le went to school and learned English. The family made the decision to go to Canada, and they chose to settle in Toronto. Kien Le went to a Catholic school and improved his fluency, choosing to go to university, and then medical school.
Kien Le has been an active member of the Vietnamese community in Toronto for many years, and is a past president of the Vietnamese Association, Toronto. He came to Crestwood courtesy of the Vietnamese Canadian Federation, where he spoke to Mr. Masters’ history class.
