Has leaving Vietnam as refugees impacted what it means to be Vietnamese American?

This module introduces what has been known as the Vietnam War in the United States and the American War in Vietnam, covering the period from 1954 to 1975. This period has also been referred to as the Second Indochina War. While mainstream histories and chronologies often center the American perspective and highlight well-known events such as the Mỹ Lai Massacre or the Tết Offensive (both occurring in 1968), this module considers the perspectives of the South Vietnamese who fled their homeland after the war, and whose stories are often distorted or erased in Vietnam and the United States.

We will engage with the “ordinary” experiences of people who lived through extraordinary times. This “bottom-up” approach to learning about a major world event will foster critical thinking and analytical skills. We will also examine how official archives are partial and incomplete, often reflecting the priorities of those in positions of power and privilege. This will prepare us for exploring how people who are left out of official history can construct their own community archives.