Tu Cam Anderson was an ethnic Vietnamese/Khmer, born under the name Minh-Hoa Thi Trinh in Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam. Due to unknown circumstances, she was given up for adoption and spent several years in a Catholic orphanage. A couple making a visit to the orphanage decided to adopt her, changed her surname from Trinh to Nguyen, and made her a part of the family. Her new family, father "Augustin" Khoan Trung Nguyen and mother "Anna" Trung Thi Nguyen, took her back to Saigon, where she spent the rest of her time until the fall of Saigon on May 1st, 1975. During her time in Saigon she became baptised, receiving the baptismal name "Teresa", and attended a French academy, earning her High School diploma. She had two siblings, also adopted: Huynh Mai and Chanh.
After the fall of Saigon, many tragedies befell her, including spending 5 years in a communist prison camp, an experience which affected her greatly. After her release from prison, she managed to escape from Vietnam, making her way to a refugee camp in Hong Kong, and then eventually relocating to California in 1981.
Having no original documentation with her when she escaped, she assumed the identity of a High School classmate, thus becoming the "Tu Cam" that we all knew.
Tu adjusted to life in America, holding several odd jobs while raising her children. She was known to cook up a delicious recipe called "Thit Kho" every so often for her family, which she humorously referred to as, simply, "Rice & Meat", a Vietnamese national dish and staple in every Vietnamese household. She was also known for her Christmas eggrolls, which to this day remain unmatched.
Tu spent her free time exploring the Asian Garden Mall in Little Saigon, Orange County, piquing her continued interests in Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology. She also enjoyed shopping for groceries at the Hoa Binh Supermarket, where she could be found most every weekend.