Week 9_Vanesa Guillen_ASA114

According to the reading called Social Transformations from Virtual Communities by Kieu-Linh Caroline Valverde states how information communication technology (ICT) has increased the connection or "network society" between the diaspora and the overseas Viet Nam from the beginning of the 1960s to the '90s (Valverde, p.66). It further states the history of the Vietnamese community and their trouble with technology to communicate with their families overseas. After the Civil War, those who settled in America became more interested in the tech industries in Silicon Valley and began to employ higher positions (Valverde, p.68). The major communication community comes from the VNForum who are typically included the "overseas Vietnamese intellectuals and professionals as well as international scholars and Vietnamese government affiliates" (Valverde, p.66). Even though there was great development the Vietnamese government was trying to stop access to certain websites and information from the community and most of the information was "Vietnamese anti-communist, humanitarian organizations, religious institutions, and ethnic minorities" (Valverde, p.68). Fortunately, ICT became a great development for the tech industry in Viet Nam. With the new VNForum development, it also pushed for social justice projects such as the "substandard working conditions, including sexual harassment and corporal punishment in a Vietnamese Nike shoe factory" (Valverde, p.81). As a result, it did begin to improve conditions and pay (Valverde, p.83). In conclusion, the technological developments such as the VNForum, brought opportunities for the diaspora and the Viet Nam a space to discuss not just about experiences but about social justice ussies or political situations going on around the world.

Are there still political controversies about the VNForum?

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