Family History: The Effect Of The Vietnam War On Immigration

Back in Vietnam, her family had a coffee trading business in Sai Gon, Vietnam. Being Chinese, private business owner, her family were influenced a lot after the war. They turned from a middle class family, with pretty high education to refugees leaving the country with bare hands. Being a high school student when her family came here in 1987, Professor Hong was old enough to experience the harsh life of southern people in Vietnam after the war, and told her personal story.

Vietnamese did not magically appear in the United States, the Vietnam War sparked the immigration of Vietnamese to America. Vietnamese did not virtually exist in the United States until 1975 when the war forced Vietnamese to evacuate (Povell). The war began after Vietminh defeated France and split into North and South Vietnam (O’Connel). In 1956 communist Ho Chi Minh ruled the North Vietnam, and Bao Dai ruled the South, who the United States supported and backed up (O’Connel). The Vietnam War consisted of the North and South Vietnam, fighting against eachother in order to stay two separate countries. The North tried to overtake the South, and the United States sent in troops to

Unfortunately, Vietnamese Americans make up only a small percent of the total American Population today. There are many stereotypes associated with the Vietnamese, but the truth is, we really know very little about their culture. After the Viet Nam War, many Vietnamese citizens immigrated to the United States to escape political Prosecution and poverty. Faced with a variety of obstacles and

Throughout the history of the United States immigration has become apart of our country’s fabric which, began centuries ago. Only to become a hot topic in the US in recent years with its primary focus being illegal immigrants. Illegal immigration is when people enter a country without government permission. As of 2008 the Center for Immigration Studies estimated that there are 11 million illegal immigrants in the US which is down from 2007‘s 12.5 million people. Although the Center for Immigration Studies estimates are very different from other estimates that range from 7 to 20 million. While the Pew Hispanic Center estimated in March of 2009 there are 11.1 million illegal immigrants and that number is from March 2007’s peak of 12

Asian Americans may also be discouraged to go into pre-collegiate teaching because they feel a sense of personal inadequacy. In the United States, school is seen as a social service mission, where teachers, who are primarily female, are tasked to teach students, especially those from working-class and immigrant backgrounds, middle-class values. Chinese tradition, in contrast, has different views on schooling. This tradition brings schooling to the local community with preexisting hierarchies. Teachers, who are primarily male, maintain this status quo by upholding strict intellectual standards determined by elite members of society. These teachers are revered as experts—scholars who screen local school children to see if they are capable of

My parents immigrated here to the United States from Vietnam in the hopes of seeking a better future for themselves and for future generations. As a young child, my parents put in many grueling hours of work to support our family. My mother worked as a waitress and a cashier at a Chinese restaurant while my father would work at a steel factory where he assembled parts for furniture. They both worked for minimum wages which made it more difficult to have extra money laying around to enjoy and relax. As our family lived here in the United States, my parents received some harsh judgements and critiques from American citizens. My mother got some feedback for her limited English conversation skills, and she got taunted for that. My father openly practiced his cultural beliefs which differed from American traditional values and customs. He prayed and meditated to his God with his special incense. This behavior has received some backlash from others in his workplace. As we continued to live here in the United States, immigrants widespread such like my parents have received negative judgements and misconceptions from Americans. The topic of immigration has been more controversial due to border patrol issues and illegal immigration in the recent election. Were any of these actions done by naturalized American citizens justified, and what were the motives and reasonings behind the strong dissenting opinions regarding the negative perception of immigrants?

Immigration has existed around the world for centuries, decades, and included hundreds of cultures. Tired of poverty, a lack of opportunities, unequal treatment, political corruption, and lacking any choice, many decided to emigrate from their country of birth to seek new opportunities and a new and better life in another country, to settle a future for their families, to work hard and earn a place in life. As the nation of the opportunities, land of the dreams, and because of its foundation of a better, more equal world for all, the United States of America has been a point of hope for many of those people. A lot of nationals around the world have ended their research for a place to call home in the United States of America. By analyzing

My family immigration story involves a lot of typical topics and a few hardships which people may not expect. By my generation, we have become accepted as White. However, both of my grandmothers had mixed ancestry.

Immigration and Migration have greatly impacted Minnesota history from the state’s beginning to the present. The impact of migration from the end of the 1800s to the Vietnam War to today has brought social, cultural, and political changes that have shaped the state. Within each time period, different ethnic groups migrated to Minnesota, including: Europeans, Africans, and Asians. People of different backgrounds moved to the same location, bringing their culture, views and beliefs with them. The migration periods: the iron range from the end of the 1800s to 1920, after the end of the Vietnam War, and today contain similarities and differences. There’s no doubt that the migration of people has greatly influenced the present, as will the migration of people today influence the future.

According to the 2010 United States Census, California has the largest Vietnamese population of 581,946 in the United States. Before 1975 there were very few Vietnamese living in the United States. After the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon in 1975, many Vietnamese refugees fled Vietnam resulting in three major waves of immigration. The first and second waves of immigration played a major role in Vietnamese refugees resettling in California. The last wave in the 1990s centered on family reunification. Since the 1970s, Vietnamese people escaping communist rule immigrated to the United States. Later they relocated to California hoping to start a life with many new opportunities. Attracted to California because of its clean environment, in turn they also influenced California’s agriculture.

The first question I asked her as, “What was the most difficult challenge she faced being an immigrant in America?” She replied it was difficult because she was alone at first and didn’t really get along with the family she was employed for. It was a struggle because she had to learn a new language and was taught by the family themselves. When she was in Los Angeles she took an actual class to teach her more formal English.

Almost everyone who lives in America today is a descendant of an immigrant to the U.S. If an immigrant arrived between the years of 1892 and 1924, they went through the long and tedious task of being accepted through the large brick building at the notorious place of Ellis Island. There were many troubles involved with being accepted to and into America, but it was all worth it to them. Some of these problems were long and cramped boat rides, unbelievable wait time to get to the desk of the people who register the immigrants, getting started in the country was somewhat difficult if you arrived without much money.

No one can control what family they are born into nor what struggles are destined for them in the future. By the age of nine, my parents could no longer help me with my homework, rather they could only offer a few words of encouragement. The language barrier and cultural clash we experienced as a family put me at a disadvantage compared to other children my age.

The first point Elaine Tyler May makes in Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era is that the ideals of the American home can almost all be linked with the political ideals that arose during the time of the Cold War. May brings up the idea of “containment” which is essentially that national security and nationalism depended on the stability of the American home and the restraint of “deviant social forces.” She explores the problems involved with gender equality in the work place and in society, how many sexual habits that became common during the Great Depression were now seen as perverted and even were linked to communism, and how the increasing popularity of birth control allowed for better, longer marriages and a more stable

A couple of themes related to my mom’s story are her experiences with fleeing from Vietnam to Hong Kong as a refugee, immigrating to the United States, and obtaining citizenship. For starters, my mom was born in 1962. She was born in Vietnam, and fled the country with her family in the 1970s. Her family was comprised of eight members with four sisters, one brother, a father and a mother, and herself. During the interview, I found out that my mom was born in Haiphong,