Blog 1 - Vietnamese in a Conflicting Diasporic Situation

By Eric Yu

In the first chapter of Transnationalizing Viet Nam, Professor Valverde (2012) pays close attention to the histories of Vietnamese_­­ who fled their home country for the United States and how these histories can clash with one another. She particularly focuses on the word diaspora, which she describes during the first day of class as consisting of multiple types, such as for refugees, those seeking economic profit, and others who have their own reasons for entering a new country (September 24, 2015). However, Valverde further notes that the Vietnamese people are not one homogenous group, but instead came in waves that had their own ties to their homeland (September 24, 2015). This resulted in certain Vietnamese groups mocking other groups due to differences in class and educational status, resulting in certain groups calling others “fresh off the boat,” as the latter were newer to the United States than those who previously arrived (Valverde, 2012, p. 9). Additionally, diasporic relations back to Vietnam help produced conflicts within a larger Vietnamese American community due to the still-present idea of anti-communism that is still “seldom acknowledged publicly” (Valverde, 2012, p. 14). In such cases, Valverde’s realization that maintaining multiple perspectives is important to her discussion of the dynamics behind diasporas.

Original Citation: “PHO 1/C/23OCT97/FD/JLT Pho, phlowers, and phixings. PHOTO BY JERRY TELFER/STYLING BY ETHEL BRENNAN”

From: Pham, M. (1997, November 5). A BOWL OF PHO / Vietnam’s treasured beef noodle soup that brings people families together. SF Gate, Retrieved from http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/A-BOWL-OF-PHO-Vietnam-s-treasured-beef-noodle-2798054.php

Question: How could multicultural aspects and traits create a more dynamic perspective of how a particular ethnic group is perceived?

Works Cited

Pham, M. (1997, November 5). A BOWL OF PHO / Vietnam’s treasured beef noodle soup that brings people families together. SF Gate, Retrieved from http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/A-BOWL-OF-PHO-Vietnam-s-treasured-beef-noodle-2798054.php

Valverde, K. C. (2012). Transnationalizing Viet Nam. In K.C. Valverde (Ed.), Transnationalizing Viet Nam: Community, Culture, and Politics in the Diaspora (p. 1-28) Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.

Valverde, K. C. (2015, September 24). Lecture on Diasporas. Personal Collection of K. C. Valverde, University of Davis, Davis CA.