What Is Vietnamese American Culture

Growing up in a family that have many relatives immigrating to the U.S in different ways, I always want to know more about people’s journey to the United States. Therefore, I decided to interview my Professor, Dr. Lan Hong about her journey coming to the U.S after Vietnam war.

The streets of Ho Chi Minh City are beautiful around the summer time, but my favorite city was Huế, the city of cheap eats. My siblings and I have never been to Vietnam before, so it was an experience for all of us. As we were sitting down in a restaurant, looking at the menu, an old lady came up to us to take our order. My mother used to order for my brothers, so she ordered for them. When the lady looked at me, waiting for me to give her my order, all I could do was point at the picture on the menu and give her a smile. The look on her face was clear displeased. “She was born in America. She doesn’t know Vietnamese,” my father quickly told her, apologizing for my lack of knowledge. I felt embarrassed, lowering my head whenever she came near us. It was not my fault that I did not know my native language, but it was not my fault entirely for being able to learn it all these

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

For this paper I will examine Vietnamese culture according to the five essential questions all cultures must answer (according to Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck). I will then take those answers and compare then to out culture here in America. I realize that some might argue that using North American culture as a starting point is an attempt to simplify this writing, but I believe that any initial examination of something new is most effectively done in comparison to what one already knows.

When I was a toddler, my family visited Vietnam for the first time together. It was the also the first time my mom returned since she got married and immigrated to the United States. We arrived around the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival that summer. The humid streets swelled with clusters of vendors selling handmade paper lanterns, small candles, vibrant-colored toys, and a variety of cakes.

What is it like to be born in one country and then grow up in another where people speak a different language and follow different traditions? And is it easy to grow up in another country where members of the native country pressure one to be "one of their own"? If anyone wishes to find insightful and interesting answers to these questions, one should go no further than read Lac Su's I Love Yours Are for White People. In this book, Lac tells the story of his child- and adolescent-hood, growing up in "urban" Los Angeles as a Vietnamese living with a "traditional" Vietnamese family. As Lac demonstrates in the book, he once was between two worlds, sometimes unable to figure out who he was, and sometimes rejecting one or the other altogether. After going through difficult and painful experiences, Lac learns to embrace his ethnic identity. He realizes that he is a Vietnamese-American who belongs to both cultures. He learns to appreciate his Vietnamese background but also acknowledges that he is partly American because some Vietnamese habits are so uncommon for him.

It has been 40 years since these group of people has step foot in America, and today it is one of the fastest growing and successful minorities group. One of the keys to their success is their value in education. Though, the first generation of Vietnamese American

Before the first wave of migration, the United States took part in the Vietnam War which started the first wave of immigration. For over centuries, Vietnam was under Chinese and French controls. After World War II, the French withdrew from Vietnam and American troops entered with a request from the South Vietnamese government; who asked for American support and interest against the North communist. At the time, the Northern region of Vietnam was a communist party. In addition, the United States agreed and declared that they had to fight against communist power. As a result, many violent Anti-Vietnam War protests went throughout the United States because many people opposed to the United

In 1975, the ‘Fall of the Saigon’ marked the end of the Vietnam War, which prompted the first of two main waves of Vietnamese emigration towards the US. The first wave included Vietnamese who had helped the US in the war and “feared reprisals by the Communist party.” (Povell)

The vietnam war was a time of grief for many who left their homeland and traveled thousands of miles on rocky ships to foreign lands with foreign languages. Homes were abandoned, paperwork was feverishly gathered, and there was hope for a better life out of vietnam. Scattered within refugee camps across the world, the “boat people” desperately waited for their new life, hoping for the best. However depending on when they resettled and what their reason for leaving Vietnam was, these immigrants and refugees had different experiences starting a new life socially and economically.

Ever since the end of the Vietnam War; Vietnamese immigrants have become the sixth largest immigrant group coming into the United States. Due to factors such as persecution, and government upheaval during the mid-1970’s to the late 1990’s. With three major waves of refugees or immigrants comprise the majority of those coming into the country. With a small, steady flow between each major wave. Even though the first group did have advantages that other immigrant group would not have, they would still struggle to be accepted within the United States. The second group would face an even more difficult time assimilating into the United States. They would consist of refugees that had very little resources compared to the first wave. They did not have access to the same levels of education, or were capable of speaking English like the first wave of immigrants. The third wave would still face difficulties, but had more resources when they arrived in the United States. Many of the immigrants of the third wave consisted of family members of people already here in the United States. They had access to a support system, unlike those that were part of the second wave. Even though they have become part of society, they still face adversity like many other immigrant groups.

The Vietnam War began in the year 1954, after the ascension to power of Ho Chi Minh, who was a communist leader in North Vietnam. The leader was spreading communism, and because the United States wanted to stop the spread, it sent military troops to aid South Vietnamese to stop this vice. The war saw about 3million people die with the inclusion of 58,000 American soldiers. About 150,000 people were wounded during the war. In 1975, South Vietnamese government surrendered the war after the communist forces forced them to surrender. Vietnam unified communism and became a Socialist Republic. Although decades have passed since the occurrence of the Vietnam war, the American culture, which was partly born as a result of this war, is celebrated

A traditional Vietnamese family can be distinguished from a modern one in three main ways.

The United States and Vietnam have almost opposite cultural systems under Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. There are four main categories which is a power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity or feminine, and individualism or collectivism. Vietnamese has a high power distance when the US have much lower power distance. For instance, they respect others by their ages because of their culture. Usually an elder man is the most powerful person in a family and a decision maker. Parents didn’t used to allow to speak up anything from their children and also some physical violence were accepted as discipline, but it’s been changing. Uncertainly avoidance is weak in a family situation, on the other hand, the US has weak uncertainly avoidance

Chinese families are highly misunderstood and stereotyped in the United States. It is important to understand a different culture before one makes the assumptions produced by these stereotypes. In order to find a better understanding about Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans, one must do research on that countries heritage, traditions, and other customs before submerging one-self into a Chinese families home. I chose to experience and observe a Chinese family who was kind enough to let me be a guest in their home to share dinner.