A Cultural Memory

During the Vietnam War (1955-1975), many Vietnamese individuals fled the country in order to escape the fighting. This resulted in the growth of Vietnamese American communities across the United States. At the time, the US military was supporting southern Vietnam, so upon hearing about northern Vietnam’s military resilience, many American citizens began expressing antiwar sentiment and often stereotyped Vietnamese immigrants as communists. Many Vietnamese Americans were referred to as “gooks”—a racial slur that was initially used against Filipino “natives” during the Philippine-American War before becoming a general anti-Asian epithet during the Korean War (1950-1953).¹ Prejudices against Asian Americans can be traced back to violence against Chinese Americans who immigrated to the US in the 1800s, primarily as workers on the Transcontinental Railroad, and hate against Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during World War II. 

Despite the countless contributions of Vietnamese American mothers, soldiers, caretakers, and workers during the Vietnam War, the US government did little to acknowledge their efforts. Ongoing societal prejudices against Vietnamese Americans at the time seemingly normalized the negligence of the community as a whole, but rather than dwelling on resentment and frustration, members of our community chose to focus on supporting those around them by building a community out of honor and reverence. Maintaining a strong community during times ensures that traditions are kept alive and that nobody becomes isolated. This way, traditions effectively garner respect and recognition which allows them to stay standing against the tests of time and become more accessible to other groups. Even now, we continue to express our love for the sacrifices our ancestors made and the challenges they faced while trying to create a better life for future generations by sharing our traditions and giving back.