8 2 ▁Category : T ax a ▁named ▁by ▁Charles ▁Eric ▁Daw son <0x0A> </s> ▁Mon ique ▁T . D . ▁Tru ong ▁( born ▁ 1 3 ▁May ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁in ▁Sa ig on ▁in ▁South ▁Vietnam ) ▁is ▁a ▁Vietnam ese ▁American ▁writer ▁living ▁in ▁Brook lyn , ▁New ▁York . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 6 , ▁she ▁and ▁her ▁mother ▁left ▁Vietnam ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁as ▁refuge es ▁of ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War . ▁Her ▁father , ▁a ▁high ▁level ▁executive ▁for ▁an ▁international ▁oil ▁company , ▁initially ▁stayed ▁behind ▁for ▁work ▁but ▁later ▁left ▁the ▁country ▁as ▁well ▁after ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁Sa ig on . ▁The ▁family ▁lived ▁in ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁Ohio , ▁and ▁Houston , ▁Texas . ▁ ▁Tru ong ▁completed ▁her ▁under grad uate ▁studies ▁at ▁Y ale ▁University , ▁gradu ating ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁with ▁a ▁B . A . ▁in ▁Liter ature . ▁She ▁attended ▁Columbia ▁University ▁School ▁of ▁Law ▁where ▁she ▁special ized ▁in ▁intellectual ▁property ▁law . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Tru ong ▁co - ed ited ▁the ▁anth ology ▁Wat erm ark : ▁Vietnam ese ▁American ▁Po etry ▁& ▁Pro se ▁with ▁Barbara ▁T ran ▁and ▁K ho i ▁Tru ong ▁Lu u . ▁One ▁of ▁her ▁co - edit ors ▁suggested ▁that ▁she ▁apply ▁for ▁a ▁Van ▁L ier ▁fellow ship , ▁which ▁allowed ▁her ▁to ▁take ▁two ▁months ▁off ▁from ▁her ▁law