Vietnamese America
27 March 2003
Revised Calendar
►The Website has been updated. Pay it a visit!
►Exam 2 will be postponed one class meeting. All the assigned readings will be
postponed to the class meeting after the class meeting indicated on the course calendar.
►For April 1, 2003: Study Vietnamese Americans and Thai Americans (Tilting the
Continent)
►For April 3, 2003: Study Hmong Americans; Presentation by Donechan Ingthalasy
(Tilting the Continent)
►For April 8, 2003: Class Presentations on Southeast Asian Americans
►April 10, 2003: Exam 2. Turn in Part 2 of Reading Journal
French Colonial Background
►French defeated at Dien Bien Phu in 1954; the Geneva Accords signed, dividing North
from South Vietnam at the 17th parallel and led by Ho Chi Minh and Ngo Dinh Diem,
respectively. “Civilians were allowed a certain amount of time to resettle either in the
north or in the south if they wished. About 850,000 Vietnamese moved south during this
period” (Cao and Novas 202)
The Vietnamese Communists
►Viet Minh, the Vietnamese Communists who fought for independence from France
under Ho Chi Minh
►Vietcong, the Communist National Liberation front of insurgents in South Vietn Nam;
distinct from the North Vietnamese army (Cao and Novas 203)
Timeline
►1960s, “the United States enters the Vietnam War and the ally of South Vietnam”
(Takaki, Strangers from a Different Shore)
►1975, “The Vietnam War ends in victory for North Vietnam; the first wave of
Vietnamese refugees flees South Vietnam; refugees also begin leaving Laos after the
communist takeover there” (Takaki)
Timeline
►1979, “An agreement between the United States and Vietnam allows Vietnamese to
enter the United States as immigrants to join Family members” (Takaki)
►1979-80, “The second wave of Vietnamese refugees, the ‘boat people,’ reaches North
America” (Takaki)
►1993, “The United States and Vietnam resume trade relations” (Takaki”
The Amerasians
►Amerasians, “children born of Asian mothers (mostly vietnamese_ and U.S.
servicement stationed in Southeast Asia”; the Amerasian Homecoming Act of 1987
passed “to facilitate the transfer to American soil of Vietnamese Amerasians born
between January 1, 1962, and January 1, 1977.
►By 1994 more than 75,000 Amerasians and accompanying family members, mostly
from Vietnam, had begun new live in the United States.” Part of the fourth wave of
immigrants (Cao and Novas 210-11)
The Meaning of Tet
►Tet “means ‘New Year’ in Vietnamese: Tet Nguyen Dan, “festivity on the first
morning.” The Tet Offensive was launched by 70,000 Communist soldiers on the
evening of January 31, 1968, in violation of a New Year’s truce they had pledged to
observe. The offensive was targeted not against fortifications in the countryside but
specifically against towns and cities in the South. Saigon was hit hard during the Tet
Offensive, and one of its main targets was the United States embassy” (Cao and Novas
204, 223).
Boat People
►“In the first weeks after the Communists seized Saigon, between forty thousand and
sixty thousand Vienamese fled by boat. Many of these first Vienamese boat people were
rescued by U.S. naval ships, which transported them to Guam and the Philippines, where
they would wait for resettlement” (Cao and Novas 209).
►With socialist expropriations and repressions in 1979, a third wave of refugees set off
in boats. Forty percent were Chinese Vietnamese (Cao and Novas 210).
Vietnamese Gangs
►“The lost generation,” youths who arrived in America unaccompanied, formed gangs.
Mostly of boys, some exclusively of girls, such as the Wally Girls.” They are called bui
doi, “dust of life.” They will seek out other Vietnamese, often through the phone
directory, and rob them (Novas and Cao 214).
Little Saigon
►Where more than 400,000 Vietnamese Americans reside and do business. A two-mile
stretch of Bolsa Avenue in Westminster, California. Elected first Vietnamese American,
Tony Lam, to the city council (Novas and Cao 215).
Religion Among Vietnamese Americans
►Buddhism practiced by the majority: Mahayana among the Northerners, Theravada by
the Southerners. Many also follow Catholicism. Many mix their religious beliefs and
practices.
Supreme Master Ching Hai
►Ching Hai, “honorary American citizen since 1993,” “a symbol of spiritual wisdom and
guidance for hundreds of thousands of seekers of enlightenment around the globe. She
teaches, free of charge, a non-denominational form of meditation called the Quan Yin
method in thirty-six center worldwide.” Known also for humanitarian and disaster-relief
projects; has addressed the United Nations. At the center of Ching Hai’s philosophy are
the ideals animating all world religions: “universal brotherhood and sisterhood, moral
courage, and purity of mind.” Offers the “Key to Immediate Enlightenment” and its
method, “the silent contemplation of the ‘inner soundstream,’ by which the individual
may experience higher levels of consciousness and uncover the path to enlightened
understanding” (Novas and Cao 222-3).
What Is Nuoc mam?
►Nuoc mam, “an all-purpose condiment made of fermented fish sauce, red chile peppers,
garlic, sugar, and lime juice” (Novas and Cao 224-5).
Today’s Readings for Discussion
►Isabelle Thuy Pelaud, story, “Christmas ‘95” (Tilting the Continent 8-11)
►Minh-Mai Hoang, story, “The Pilgrimage” (21-31): First half
►Minh-Mai Hoang, story, “The Pilgrimage” (21-31): Second Half
►Sophie Nguyen, story, “Famine All Around” (59-62)
►Jora Trang, poem, “Legacy” (78-80)
►Kim Le Bui-Burton, poem, “My Father’s Pho” (89)
Questions to Answer
►1. How does the story or poem depict the family?
►2. How does the story or poem connect the past and the present?
►3. What does the story or poem tell about the immigrant experience?
►4. What does the story or poem tell about Southeast Asian American identity?