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

Vietnamese arrivals in the United States occurred much later than that of other Asian communities in the timeline of Asian immigration history. Its causes can be tied to the notion that “we are here because you were there.”¹ This idea foregrounds how US militarism in Southeast Asia led to the large-scale exodus of Vietnamese refugees from the 1970s and onward. This module provides an overview of the experiences of Vietnamese refugees, from the first group of evacuees in 1975 to subsequent major groups of refugees from 1978 through the 1990s.

We will read firsthand accounts of Vietnamese refugees who left at different time periods and by a variety of means, including as land refugees and boat refugees. This also includes refugees who were ethnically Chinese and discriminated against by the government in Vietnam. We will learn from refugee camp experiences, drawing on examples in the United States, as well as other “first asylum” nations in Southeast Asia, where refugees typically first landed.

Additionally, the module will provide some context for the resettlement process, including the US dispersal policy that attempted to spread Vietnamese refugees across America—the United States Refugee Act of 1980, and the Orderly Departure Program. Among those who should not be overlooked are Amerasians, children born to Vietnamese mothers and American fathers, who faced discrimination under the Vietnamese government post-reunification of North and South Vietnam. The module will provide insight into Amerasian experiences, and encourage learners to think about the embodied experiences of war.