NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Vietnamese American

A Vietnamese American (Vietnamese: người Mỹ gốc Việt) is a resident of the United States who is of Vietnamese descent. They make up the bulk of overseas Vietnamese (Việt Kiều) and are the fourth-largest Asian American group. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Nickname: Capital of Silicon Valley Location of San Jose within Santa Clara County, California. ... Nickname: Space City Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Country United States State Texas Counties Harris County Fort Bend County Montgomery County Incorporated June 5, 1837 Government - Mayor Bill White Area - City 601. ... For other uses, see American English (disambiguation). ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion and a philosophy. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Vietnamese people (Vietnamese: ngÆ°á»i Viá»‡t or ngÆ°á»i Kinh) are an ethnic group originating from what is now northern Vietnam and southern China. ... Overseas Vietnamese (Vietnamese: Viá»‡t Kiá»u), refers to communities of Vietnamese living outside Vietnam in a diaspora. ... An Asian American is generally defined as a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... Overseas Vietnamese (Vietnamese: Viá»‡t Kiá»u, a Sino-Vietnamese word literally translating to Vietnamese sojourner ), refers to communities of Vietnamese living outside Vietnam in a diaspora. ... An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ...

Mass Vietnamese immigration to the United States started after 1975, after the end of the Vietnam War. Early immigrants were refugee boat people fleeing persecution by the victorious communists. Uprooted from their homeland and often thrust into poor urban neighborhoods, these newcomers have nevertheless managed to establish strong communities in a short amount of time. 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Peopleâ€™s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... This article is about asylum seekers travelling by boat. ...

Demographics

As a relatively recent immigrant group, most Vietnamese Americans are either first- or second-generation Americans. They have the lowest distribution of people with more than one race among the major Asian American groups. As many as one million people who are five years and older speak Vietnamese at home—making it the seventh-most spoken language in the United States. As refugees, Vietnamese Americans have some of the highest rates of naturalization. In 2000, 44% of foreign-born Vietnamese are American citizens, the highest rate among all Asian groups^[2]. An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... // Although the United States currently has no official language, it is largely monolingual with English being the de facto national language. ...

According to the // href="/encyclopedia/United-States-2000-Census" onmouseover="pv(event, 44)" onmouseout="unpv(44)" style="">2000 Census, there are 1,122,528 people who identify themselves as Vietnamese alone or 1,223,736 in combination with other ethnicities, ranking fourth among the Asian American groups. Of those, 447,032 (39.8%) live in California and 134,961 (12.0%) in Texas. The largest number of Vietnamese found outside of Vietnam is found in Orange County, California—totalling 135,548. Vietnamese American businesses are ubiquitous in Little Saigon, located in Westminster and Garden Grove, where they constitute 30.7 and 21.4 percent of the population, respectively. States such as Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Illinois, Minnesota, Washington, Florida, and Virginia have fast growing Vietnamese populations. The San Francisco Bay Area and the Houston metropolitan areas have sizable Vietnamese communities. Recently, the Vietnamese immigration pattern has shifted to other states like Oklahoma (Oklahoma City in particular) and Oregon. The United States Census of year 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Little Saigon is a name given to any of several overseas Vietnamese immigrant and descendant communities outside Vietnam, usually in the United States. ... Location of Westminster within Orange County, California. ... Country United States State California County Orange Mayor William Dalton Area - City 46. ... Official language(s) de jure: none de facto: English & French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city Baton Rouge [1] Area Ranked 31st - Total 51,885 sq mi (134,382 kmÂ²) - Width 130 miles (210 km) - Length 379 miles (610 km) - % water 16 - Latitude 29Â°N to 33Â°N - Longitude 89Â°W... Official language(s) English, Pennsylvania Dutch Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area Ranked 33rd - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 kmÂ²) - Width 280 miles (455 km) - Length 160 miles (255 km) - % water 2. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Area Ranked 25th - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 kmÂ²) - Width 210 miles (340 km) - Length 390 miles (629 km) - % water 4. ... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area Ranked 12th - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 400 miles (645 km) - % water 8. ... Official language(s) None Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area Ranked 18th - Total 71,342 sq mi (184,827 kmÂ²) - Width 240 miles (385 km) - Length 360 miles (580 km) - % water 6. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area Ranked 22nd - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] kmÂ²) - Width 361 miles (582 km) - Length 447 miles (721 km) - % water 17. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area Ranked 35th - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 kmÂ²) - Width 200 miles (320 km) - Length 430 miles (690 km) - % water 7. ... USGS satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Nickname: Space City Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Country United States State Texas Counties Harris County Fort Bend County Montgomery County Incorporated June 5, 1837 Government - Mayor Bill White Area - City 601. ... Official language(s) None Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Area Ranked 20th - Total 69,960 sq mi (181,196 kmÂ²) - Width 230 miles (370 km) - Length 298 miles (480 km) - % water 1. ... Downtown Oklahoma City The State Capitol of Oklahoma From The South Motto: Nickname: Capital of the New Century Founded 1889 Incorporated County Oklahoma County Cleveland County Canadian County Borough {{{borough}}} Parrish {{{parrish}}} Mayor Mick Cornett Area - Total - Water 1,608. ... Official language(s) None Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area Ranked 9th - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 kmÂ²) - Width 260 miles (420 km) - Length 360 miles (580 km) - % water 2. ...

Vietnamese Americans are much more likely than Vietnamese still residing in Vietnam to be Christians. While Christians (mainly Roman Catholics) make up about eight percent of Vietnam's total population, they compose as much as 30 percent of the total Vietnamese American population^[3]. Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...

As with native-born descendants of other minority immigrant groups, the younger generations of American- raised and educated Vietnamese Americans are increasingly speaking English rather than the mother tongue of Vietnamese.^{[citation needed]} Additionally, the younger generations have become much more acculturated to the Western culture than their traditional Vietnamese culture.^{[citation needed]} The Confucianist paternal hierarchy found in some Asian cultures has gradually broken down as Vietnamese American females increasingly attend college and/or take on careers as entrepreneurs, wage earners, or salaried professionals.^{[citation needed]} Confucianism (儒家 Pinyin: rújiā The School of the Scholars), sometimes translated as the School of Literati, is an East Asian ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of Confucius. ...

According to the 2005 American Community Survey, the Vietnamese American population had grown to 1,418,334 and remains the second largest Southeast Asian American subgroup following the Filipino American community^[1]. The American Community Survey (ACS) is a project of the U.S. Census Bureau that replaces the long form in the decennial census. ... An Asian American is generally defined as a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... In 1998, Benjamin J. Cayetano became the first Filipino American (and second Asian American after Governor George R. Ariyoshi) to be elected state Governor of the United States. ...

History

The history of Vietnamese Americans is a fairly recent one. Prior to 1975, most Vietnamese residing in the United States were wives and children of American servicemen in Vietnam or academia, and their number was insignificant. According to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization services, only 650 Vietnamese arrived from 1950 to 1974. The Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975—which ended the Vietnam War—prompted the first large-scale wave of immigration from Vietnam. Many people who had close ties with the Americans or with the then Republic of Vietnam government feared promised communist reprisals. So, 125,000 of them left Vietnam during the spring of 1975. This group was generally highly-skilled and educated. They were airlifted by the U.S. government to bases in the Philippines and Guam, and were subsequently transferred to various refugee centers in the United States. 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Combatants North Vietnam National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam South Vietnam Commanders Van Tien Dung Tran Van Tra Duong Van Minh Strength 100,000+ 30,000+ The Fall of Saigon (in Vietnamese: Sá»± kiá»‡n 30 thÃ¡ng 4, or April 30 Incident), was the capture of the... April 30 is the 120th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (121st in leap years), with 245 days remaining. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Peopleâ€™s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

South Vietnamese refugees initially faced resentment by Americans following the turmoil and upheaval of the Vietnam War. A poll taken in 1975 showed only 36 percent of Americans were in favor of Vietnamese immigration. President Gerald Ford and other officials strongly supported Vietnamese immigration to the U.S. and passed the Indochina Migration and Refugee Act in 1975, which allowed Vietnamese refugees to enter the United States under a special status. In order to prevent the refugees from forming ethnic enclaves and to minimize their impact on local communities, they were scattered all over the country. Within a few years, however, many resettled in California and Texas. Image File history File links Vietnamescape. ... Image File history File links Vietnamescape. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... USAF CH-53 helicopters on the deck of Midway during Operation Frequent Wind, April 1975 Operation Frequent Wind was the emergency evacuation of Americans by helicopter from Saigon, South Vietnam in April 1975 during the last days of the Vietnam War. ... Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ...

The year 1978 began a second wave of Vietnamese refugees that lasted until the mid-1980s. As South Vietnamese people—especially former military officers and government employees were sent to Communist "reeducation camps"—about two million people fled Vietnam in small, unsafe, and crowded boats. These "boat people" were generally lower on the socioeconomic ladder than the people in the first wave. Vietnamese escaping by boat usually ended up in asylum camps in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, or the Philippines—where they might be allowed to enter countries that agreed to accept them. Reeducation camp (tráº¡i há»c táºp cáº£i táº¡o) is the official name given to the prison camps operated by the government of Vietnam following the end of the Vietnam War. ... This article is about asylum seekers travelling by boat. ...

Congress passed the Refugee Act of 1980, reducing restrictions on entry, while the Vietnamese government established the Orderly Departure Program (ODP) under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in response to world outcry—allowing people to leave Vietnam legally for family reunions and for humanitarian reasons. Additional American laws were passed allowing children of American servicemen and former political prisoners and their families to enter the United States. Another peak of Vietnamese immigrants to the US was in 1992, when many individuals in Vietnam's reeducation camps were released or sponsored by their families to come to the United States. Between 1981 and 2000, the United States accepted 531,310 Vietnamese political refugees and asylees. The Refugee Act is a 1980 United States federal law that reformed United States immigration law and admitted refugees on systematic basis for humanitarian reasons. ... The Orderly Departure Program was a program to permit immigration of Vietnamese refugees to the United States of America, instituted in 1979 under the auspices of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. ... Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (established December 14, 1950) protects and supports refugees at the request of a government or the United Nations and assists in their return or resettlement. ... Reeducation camp (tráº¡i há»c táºp cáº£i táº¡o) is the official name given to the prison camps operated by the government of Vietnam following the end of the Vietnam War. ...

Politics

As refugees from a Communist country, many Vietnamese Americans are strongly opposed to communism. Vietnamese Americans regularly stage protests against the Vietnamese government, its human rights policy and those whom they perceive to be sympathetic to it. For example, in 1999, protests against a video store owner in Westminster, California, who displayed the Vietnamese communist flag and a picture of Ho Chi Minh peaked when 15,000 people held a vigil in front of the store in one night, causing severe disruptions in traffic. Membership in the Democratic Party was once considered anathema among Vietnamese Americans because it was seen as less supportive of the Vietnam War, at least toward the war's end, in comparison to Nixon-era Republicans. However, their support for the Republican Party has somewhat eroded in recent years, as the Democratic Party has become seen in a more favorable light by the second generation as well as by newer, poorer refugees. However, the Republican Party still have overwhelming support; in Orange County, Vietnamese Americans registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats at 55% and 22%, respectively^[4]. Image File history File links California State Assemblyman Van Tran, a Republican from Orange County, who is the first Vietnamese-American in United States history to serve in a state legislature. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. ... Van Thai Tran (born 1964) is a U.S. politician, currently serving as a Republican member of the California State Assembly, representing portions of Orange County. ... Californias Capitol, where the State Legislature meets California State Assembly chamber California state Senate chamber The California Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of California. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Location of Westminster within Orange County, California. ... Flag ratio: 2:3 The flag of Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is also known as Red flag with Yellow star. This flag was adopted as the National flag of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) on November 30, 1955. ... For the city named after him, see Ho Chi Minh City. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ...

Recently, Vietnamese Americans have exercised considerable political power in Orange County, Silicon Valley, and other areas. Many have won public offices at the local and statewide levels in California and Texas. One Vietnamese American serves on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, one is serving as mayor of Rosemead, California and several serve or have served in the city councils of Westminster, Garden Grove, San Jose,^[5] and places as varied as Clarkston, Georgia. In 2004, Van Tran and Hubert Vo were elected to the state legislatures of California and Texas, respectively. Viet Dinh was the Assistant Attorney General of the United States from 2001 to 2003 who was the chief architect of the USA PATRIOT Act. From February 2007, Mina Nguyen has been appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Business Affairs and Public Liaison at the Treasury Department ^[6]. In March 2007, John Tran was sworn as mayor of Rosemead, a city in California and became the first Vietnamese American to be elected as major of any city in the United States. In 2006, as many as 15 Vietnamese Americans were running for elective office in California alone,^[7] a sign of the growing maturity of the community. For federal elective office, at least two candidates have run for a seat in the United States House of Representatives as their party's official candidate.^[8] In 2006, Hong Tran made what may be the most ambitious campaign yet for a Vietnamese American, running for election to the United States Senate from the state of Washington (she came in a distant second in the Democratic Party primary).^[9] Some Vietnamese Americans have recently lobbied many city and state governments to make the former South Vietnamese flag instead of the current flag of Vietnam the symbol of Vietnamese in the United States, a move which raised objections from the Vietnamese government. Their efforts resulted in the California and Ohio state governments enacting legislations to adopt that flag in August 2006. From February 2003 to January 2006, in the USA, 9 States, 3 Counties and 76 Cities have adopted Resolutions recognizing the yellow flag as the Vietnamese Heritage and Freedom Flag ^[10]. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1596 KB) en: Vietnam War Memorial in Westminster, California, where there is a heavy presence of Vietnamese Americans vi: TÆ°á»£ng Ä‘Ã i Chiáº¿n tranh Viá»‡t Nam á»Ÿ Westminster, California, nÆ¡i cÃ³ nhiá»u ngÆ°á»i Má»¹ gá»‘c... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1596 KB) en: Vietnam War Memorial in Westminster, California, where there is a heavy presence of Vietnamese Americans vi: TÆ°á»£ng Ä‘Ã i Chiáº¿n tranh Viá»‡t Nam á»Ÿ Westminster, California, nÆ¡i cÃ³ nhiá»u ngÆ°á»i Má»¹ gá»‘c... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A view of downtown San Jose, the self-proclaimed Capital of Silicon Valley. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ... In some counties, the legislature is the board of supervisors. ... City of Rosemead Seal Location of Rosemead, California Rosemead is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. ... Clarkston is a city located in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. ... Van Thai Tran (born 1964) is a U.S. politician, currently serving as a Republican member of the California State Assembly, representing portions of Orange County. ... Hubert Vo was born in South Vietnam and his family immigrated to the United States to leave the communist government of Vietnam. ... External links Viet D. Dinh Professor of Law; Co-Director, Asian Law & Policy Studies Program at Georgetown Law School Biography of Viet D Dinh by the Institute for Corean-American Studies Testimony of Viet Dinh Professor of Law Georgetown University Law Center before the House Subcommittee on the Constitution America... Many of the divisions and offices of the United States Department of Justice are headed by an Assistant Attorney General. ... The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-56), known as the USA PATRIOT Act or simply the Patriot Act, is an American act which President Bush signed into law on October 26, 2001. ... Seal of the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the Senate. ... Hong Tran (born 1966) is an attorney from Seattle, Washington. ... Seal of the U.S. Senate Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal Senate composition following 2006 elections The United States Senate is... Official language(s) None Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area Ranked 18th - Total 71,342 sq mi (184,827 kmÂ²) - Width 240 miles (385 km) - Length 360 miles (580 km) - % water 6. ... the flag which was designed by Emperor Bao Dai. ...

Economics

Vietnamese Americans income and social class levels is quite diverse. Many Vietnamese Americans are upper–middle class professionals who fled from the increasing power of the Communist Party after the Vietnam War, while others work primarily in blue-collar jobs. In San Jose, California, for example, this diversity in income levels can be seen in the different Vietnamese American neighborhoods scattered across Santa Clara County. In the Downtown San Jose area, many Vietnamese are working-class and are employed in many blue-collar positions such as restaurant cooks, repairmen, and movers, while the Evergreen and Berryessa sections of the city are middle- to upper–middle class neighborhoods with large Vietnamese American populations—many of whom work in Silicon Valley's computer, networking, and aerospace industries. In Little Saigon of Orange County, there are significant socioeconomic disparities between the established and successful Vietnamese Americans who arrived in the first wave and the later arrivals of low-income refugees. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1276 KB)Upload a new version of this file Edit this file using an external applicationSee the setup instructions for more information. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1276 KB)Upload a new version of this file Edit this file using an external applicationSee the setup instructions for more information. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Peopleâ€™s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... A blue-collar worker is a working class employee who performs manual or technical labor, such as in a factory or in technical maintenance trades, in contrast to a white-collar worker, who does non-manual work generally at a desk. ... Nickname: Capital of Silicon Valley Location of San Jose within Santa Clara County, California. ... Santa Clara County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Berryessa District in San Jose, California is located in the northeast portion of the city, between Coyote Creek and the Diablo Range foothills. ... A view of downtown San Jose, the self-proclaimed Capital of Silicon Valley. ... // Little Saigon is a name given to any of several overseas Vietnamese immigrant and descendant communities outside Vietnam, usually in the United States. ... Orange County is the name of several counties in the United States of America: Orange County, California: probably named for the city of Orange, California, which in turn may have been named after the orange groves that used to exist there. ...

Vietnamese Americans have come to America primary as refugees, with little or no money. While still lagging behind East Asian ethnic groups, (who generally have been in the US longer, and did not come as war or political refugees but for economic reasons), census shows that Vietnamese Americans are an upwardly mobile group. Although clear challenges remain for the community, their economic status improved dramatically between 1989 and 1999. In 1989, 34 percent of Vietnamese Americans lived under the poverty line, but this number was reduced to 16 percent in 1999, compared with just over 12 percent of the U.S. population overall. East Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...

Many Vietnamese Americans have established businesses in Little Saigons and Chinatowns throughout North America. Indeed, some Vietnamese immigrants, have been highly instrumental in intiating the development and redevelopment of once declining older Chinatowns, as they tend to find themselves attracted to such areas. Like many other immigrant groups, the majority of Vietnamese Americans are small business owners. Throughout the United States, many Vietnamese—especially first or second-generation immigrants—open supermarkets, restaurants (serving either ethnic Vietnamese cuisine, Vietnamized Chinese cuisine, or both; hence, phở and chả giò has since become popular Vietnamese food in the United States), bánh mì restaurants, beauty salons and barber shops, and auto repair businesses. // Little Saigon is a name given to any of several overseas Vietnamese immigrant and descendant communities outside Vietnam, usually in the United States. ... Alternative meanings: Chinatown (disambiguation) The second_largest Chinatown in North America is in San Francisco, California, where signs, storefronts, proprietors, and even lamp posts bring the culture of China to the United States. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... A small business may be defined as a business with a small number of employees. ... Modern Vietnamese cuisine is heavily influenced by the French colonists. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Typical beef phá»Ÿ A chicken-based phá»Ÿ (phá»Ÿ gÃ ) with basil leaves, hoisin sauce, and Sriracha hot sauce, before mixing. ... A partitioned Taiwanese spring roll (æ½¤é¤…) whose wheat-based wrapper is unfried. ... BÃ¡nh mÃ¬ BÃ¡nh mÃ¬ (pronounced in English and in Vietnamese), sometimes also referred to as a Vietnamese hoagie, is a Vietnamese submarine sandwich, made with a French-inspired baguette. ... A cosmetologist, sometimes called beautician or beauty specialist, is someone who specializes in giving beauty treatments, usually to women. ...

The younger generations of the Vietnamese-American population are well educated and often find themselves providing professional services. As the older generation tend to find difficulty in interacting with the non-Vietnamese professional class, there are many Vietnamese-Americans that provide specialized professional services to fellow Vietnamese immigrants. Of these, a small number are owned by Vietnamese Americans of Chinese ethnicity. In the Gulf Coast region—such as Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama—some Vietnamese Americans are involved with the fish and shrimp industries. In California's Silicon Valley, many work in the valley's computer and networking businesses and industries, although many were laid off in the aftermath of the closure of many high-technology companies. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1238 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Táº¿t Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1238 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Táº¿t Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... // Little Saigon is a name given to any of several overseas Vietnamese immigrant and descendant communities outside Vietnam, usually in the United States. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Gulf of Mexico is a major body of water bordered and nearly landlocked by North America. ... Official language(s) de jure: none de facto: English & French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city Baton Rouge [1] Area Ranked 31st - Total 51,885 sq mi (134,382 kmÂ²) - Width 130 miles (210 km) - Length 379 miles (610 km) - % water 16 - Latitude 29Â°N to 33Â°N - Longitude 89Â°W... Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area Ranked 30th - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 kmÂ²) - Width 190 miles (306 km) - Length 330 miles (531 km) - % water 3. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded; covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... Superfamilies Alpheoidea Atyoidea Bresilioidea Campylonotoidea Crangonoidea Galatheacaridoidea Nematocarcinoidea Oplophoroidea Palaemonoidea Pandaloidea Pasiphaeoidea Procaridoidea Processoidea Psalidopodoidea Stylodactyloidea True shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. ... A view of downtown San Jose, the self-proclaimed Capital of Silicon Valley. ...

Many Vietnamese parents pressure their children to excel in school and to enter professional fields such as science, medicine, or engineering because the parents feel insecurity stemming from their chaotic past and view education as the only ticket to a better life. Another factor contributing to the fact that some Vietnamese do well in sciences, is that Vietnam is a Confucianist society, which values education and learning. Many have worked their way up from menial labor to have their second-generation children attend universities and become successful. Confucianism (儒家 Pinyin: rújiā The School of the Scholars), sometimes translated as the School of Literati, is an East Asian ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of Confucius. ...

Recent immigrants who do not speak English well tend to work in menial labor jobs like assembly, restaurant/shop workers, nail and hair salons. A high percentage (about 37 percent nationwide and 80 percent in California according to Nguoi Viet Daily newspaper) of nail salons are owned and operated by Vietnamese Americans. The work involved in nail salons takes skilled manual labor, but requires only limited English speaking ability. Some Vietnamese Americans see working in nail salons as a fast way to build wealth one manicure at a time. This concept and economic niche has proven so successful that visiting overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs from Britain have also adopted the Vietnamese American model and opened several nail salons in the United Kingdom as well, where few previously existed.

In the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Vietnamese Americans have accounted for between 45-85% of the shrimping business in the region. The dumping of imported shrimp (ironically from Vietnam), however, have affected their source of livelihood.[6] Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective. ... In economics, dumping can refer to any kind of predatory pricing, and is by most definitions a form of price discrimination. ...

Societal perception and portrayal

As with other ethnic minority groups in United States, Vietnamese Americans have come into conflict with the larger U.S. population, particularly in how they are perceived and portrayed. There have been degrees of hostility directed toward Vietnamese Americans. For example, in the U.S. Gulf Coast, the white fishermen complained of unfair competition from their Vietnamese American counterparts resulting in hostility. In 1980s, the Ku Klux Klan attempted to intimidate Vietnamese American shrimpers. [7] Vietnamese American fishermen are banded together to form the first Vietnamese Fishermen Association of America to represent their interests. States that border the Gulf of Mexico are shown in red The Gulf Coast region of the United States comprises the coasts of states which border the Gulf of Mexico. ... Members of the second Ku Klux Klan at a rally during the 1920s. ...

Some low-income African Americans have have made visible their discontent of the fact that Vietnamese refugees receive more government assistance than they ever have.

Gang activities have become a concern among the Vietnamese American population and law enforcement. For example, in 1992 in Sacramento, a major robbery and shoot-out occurred at an electronic retailer between Vietnamese American gangs and the local police— the media sensationalized this incident. Another example is when Vietnamese American gangs commit violent home invasion robberies toward wealthy Vietnamese American families. Some cafes in Little Saigon of Orange County have been rumored to be fronts for gang activity. Nickname: River City Location of Sacramento in California County Sacramento Government - Mayor Heather Fargo Area - City 99. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

While gangs have become part of the reality and societal perception of Vietnamese Americans, a contrary perception of young Vietnamese Americans as high achievers has also become common. This has resulted in a valedictorian or delinquency myth. Some studies [8], show that there is a real world basis to the "valedictorian-delinquent" perception of Vietnamese American youth. Based on field work in a Vietnamese American community, social scientists argue that Vietnamese American communities often have dense, well-organized sets of social ties that provide encouragement to and social control of children. At the same time, these communities are often located in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods at the margins of American society. Vietnamese children who maintain close connections to their own communities are often driven to succeed, while those who are outsiders to their own society often assimilate into some of the most alienated youth cultures of American society and fall into delinquency. [9]

Ethnic subgroups

While the census data only count those who report themselves to be ethnically Vietnamese, the way some other ethnic groups from Vietnam view themselves may affect census reporting. The Vietnamese people (Vietnamese: ngÆ°á»i Viá»‡t or ngÆ°á»i Kinh) are an ethnic group originating from what is now northern Vietnam and southern China. ...

Vietnam-born Chinese (Hoa)

A fraction of Vietnamese Americans consists of ethnic overseas Chinese who immigrated to Vietnam centuries ago. Ethnic Chinese made up a large fraction of the commercial elite who left after the fall of Saigon^{[citation needed]}, and also after the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979, which led to discrimination against ethnic Chinese and contributed to a large fraction of them to become boat people. As a result, some Vietnamese Americans also speak fluent Cantonese (although with Vietnamese influence, "Vietnamese" Cantonese differs slightly from Cantonese spoken by immigrants hailing from Guangdong, China and in Hong Kong) and serves somewhat as a bridge between the Vietnamese American and Chinese American communities, which in turn helps create the Asian American identity. Chinese Vietnamese Americans generally code-switch between Cantonese and Vietnamese when conversing with fellow ethnic Chinese immigrants from Vietnam. Teochew Chinese, a comparatively obscure Chinese dialect somewhat unheard of in the United States before its arrival in the 1980s, is also commonly spoken by another group of Vietnamese-born ethnic Chinese immigrants, but is not used in general discourse. Some Vietnamese Americans may also speak Mandarin as a third or fourth language, in all aspects of business and interaction. Languages various Religions Predominantly Taoism, Mahayana Buddhism, traditional Chinese religions, and atheism. ... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: ThÃ nh ChÃ Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam, located near the delta of the Mekong River. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Cantonese is a major dialect group or language of the Chinese language, a member of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. ... Guangdong, often spelt as Kwangtung, is a province on the south coast of the Peoples Republic of China. ... A Chinese American is an American who is of ethnic Chinese descent. ... An Asian American is a person of Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United States. ... Code-switching is a term in linguistics referring to alternation between one or more languages, dialects, or language registers in the course of discourse between people who have more than one language in common. ... The Teochew, Teochiu, or Tiuchiu dialect (Guangdong romanization: Dio7 Ziu1; Missionary romanization: TiÃ´-chiu-oÄ“, Chinese:æ½®å·žè¯, Hanyu Pinyin: ChÃ¡ozhÅuhuÃ ), is a Chinese language and dialect of Minnan spoken in the Chaoshan region of eastern Guangdong. ... Mandarin (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally speech of officials), or Beifanghua (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally Northern Dialect(s)), is a category of related Chinese dialects spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. ...

However, due to the possession of Vietnamese-style names - such as Tran (a very common surname among Vietnamese-born Chinese immigrants as Nguyen is to the ethnic Vietnamese), Ly, Pham, Phung, Luu and so on - and the Vietnamese language, ethnic Chinese Vietnamese are often referred to as "Vietnamese" and can be mistaken for ethnic Vietnamese by Chinese from Hong Kong and Taiwan. Interestingly, while ethnic Chinese Vietnamese Americans are seen and also see themselves as overseas Chinese (or huayi) they generally do not classify themselves as Chinese American, nor are they seen as such. Paradoxically, however, some Chinese Vietnamese may consider themselves more Chinese than Vietnamese which may affect census reporting. The latter is particularly evidenced as some Vietnamese-born Chinese migrants in the United States have reaffirmed their Chinese identity by taking the initiative to changing the Vietnamese spellings of their surnames back to Chinese equivalents. Tran is the name of a computer programmer who was a member of the American demoscene group, Renaissance. ... Nguyen (Vietnamese: quoc ngu ; chu nom é˜®) (pronounced /win/, see below for a full explanation) is the most common Vietnamese family name. ...

The population distribution of transplanted Vietnamese Chinese in the United States varies. For instance, many Vietnamese Chinese immigrants tend to reside in communities closer to the ethnic Vietnamese (such as in "Little Saigon" in Orange County, California or San Jose), while others have chosen to intermingle and concentrate with other Chinese diasporas (namely with emigres from Mainland China and Hong Kong) as in San Francisco, Monterey Park, California or New York City, due to comparatively great prospects of opportunities with the latter. This is mostly dependant on the duration of reisdence and level of assimilation and interaction of particular Vietnamese-born Chinese with the ethnic Vietnamese in the old country. This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Mayor Betty Tom Chu Area - City 19. ... New York, NY redirects here. ...

The Vietnamese-Chinese immigrants at times are involved in Chinese gang activity. Often Chinese gangs use the Vietnamese-Chinese population as enforcers. Though working for the Chinese gangs they often identify themselves as Vietnamese, as it would be easier for them to extort the Vietnamese population. With their knowledge in Cantonese and other languages coming from the Chinese backgrounds, they often are highly useful in interactions between the Vietnamese and Chinese. In the early years often most Vietnamese American gang activity were carried out by the Vietnamese-Chinese subgroup as they are often more prone to being scouted by the already existing Chinese gangs of America. Even today the Chinese from Vietnam have a strong presence in the underground.^{[citation needed]}

Eurasians and Amerasians

Some Vietnamese Americans are racially Eurasians—persons of European and Asian descent. These Eurasians are descendants of ethnic Vietnamese and French settlers and soldiers during the French colonial period (1883-1945) or during the Franco-Vietnamese War (First Indochina War) (1946-1954). Juliana Imai is a Brazilian model of Japanese and Portuguese descent Eurasian, in English vernacular, is a term that refers to those of mixed European and Asian ancestry, regardless of continent of origin. ... Combatants France French Indochina Viá»‡t Minh Strength 500,000 at least 63,000, but estimates 100,000-950,000 Casualties 94,581 dead 78,127 wounded 40,000 captured 300,000+ dead 500,000+ wounded 100,000 captured The First Indochina War (also known as the French Indochina War...

Amerasians are descendants of an ethnic Vietnamese parent and an American parent, most frequently of White, Black or Hispanic background. The first substantial generation of Amerasian Vietnamese Americans were born to American personnel (primarily military men) during the Vietnam War (1961-1975). Many such children were disclaimed by their American parent and, in Vietnam, these fatherless children of foreign men were called con lai, meaning "mixed child", or the pejorative bụi đời, meaning "the dust of life."[10] Many of these initial generation of Amerasians, as well as their mothers, experienced significant social and institutional discrimination both in Vietnam--where they were subject to denial of basic civil rights like an education, the discrimination worsening following the American withdrawal in 1973--as well as by the United States government, which officially discouraged American military personnel from marrying Vietnamese nationals, and frequently refused claims to US citizenship lodged by Amerasians born in Vietnam whose mothers were not married to their American fathers.^[11]^[12]^[13] Such discrimination was typically even greater for children of Black or Hispanic servicemen than for children of White fathers.^[14] Amerasian is a term coined by author Pearl S. Buck, and adopted by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, for a person fathered abroad by U.S. servicemen to women of Asian nationalities. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Peopleâ€™s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

Subsequent generations of Amerasians (particularly children born in the United States), as well those Vietnamese-born Amerasians whose American paternity was documented by their parents' marriage prior to birth or by subsequent legitimization, have generally faced a much different, arguably more favorable, outlook.^[15]

The American Homecoming Act, passed in 1988, helped over 25,000 Amerasians remaining in southeast Asia to emigrate to the United States. Nonetheless, although granted permanent resident status, many have yet been unable to obtain citizenship; and many have expressed feeling a lack of belonging or acceptance in the U.S., because of differences in culture, language, and citizenship status.^[16] The Amerasian Naturalization Act of 2005 would have granted automatic citizenship to many of these Amerasians, but the bill died in committee without being passed. The American Homecoming Act, or Amerasian Homecoming Act, was an Act of Congress that allowed children in Vietnam born of American fathers to emigrate to the United States. ...

Ethnic Khmer

Some ethnic Khmer refugees who were born in Vietnam can also be included in the category of Vietnamese Americans. Khmer can refer to, the: Khmer people, the ethnic group to which the great majority of Cambodians belong to Khmer language Khmer script Khmer Empire, which ruled much of Indochina from the 9th to the 13th centuries. ...

Writing and publishing

Both Vietnamese writers in Vietnam and Vietnamese-American writers have a unique set of challenges they encounter when trying to step out of the shadows of writing and publishing. In Vietnam, few literary writers are endorsed by the state and respected by their literary peers; for artists of all types, particularly literature, Vietnam has a climate of repression and harassment. Writers must find ways to get around these barriers and sometimes when they do, they are severely reprimanded or - more infrequently - jailed for their writing. In the United States, a new generation, often referred to as the "1.5 generation" (those born in Vietnam, but who came to the United States at an early age), of Vietnamese-American writers are figuring out how to portray themselves outside of the experiences of the Vietnam War and "fall of Saigon". Many Vietnamese-American writers are for the first time, stepping away from the topic of war and displacement, to the far more urgent subject of identity, or what it means to have a divided cultural identity. This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary. ...

The Vietnamese-American writing and publishing scene has been steadily growing since the mid/late-1990s and shows no signs of slowing down. In 1997, Lan Cao’s Monkey Bridge - considered the first novel written by a Vietnamese-American about the immigrant experience - was published by Viking Press and received rave views for lyrical writing from major newspapers, such as the NY Times, the LA Times, the Chicago Tribune and others. In the semi-autobiographical novel, a young girl and her mother leave Vietnam after the war, bound for America, and once settled in, have to deal with issues that typify the immigrant experience. Many similarly themed novels and memoirs have followed as the 1.5 generation has come of age and begun to articulate their identity as both Vietnamese and American, a (sometimes successful) fusion of Eastern traditions in a Western society, and the confusion that resulted from growing up Vietnamese in American culture. Lan Cao (1963 - ) is the author of the 1997 novel, Cao was born in Vietnam and experienced the Vietnam War as a civilian. ...

In the United States, Vietnamese-American writers have the freedom to explore both negative and positive aspects of their cultural and societal experiences. Only recently, though, has the 1.5 generation, who has the advantage of being raised with the English language, really starting to develop a literary scene and any type of movement. The first generation Vietnamese-Americans had the disadvantages of not knowing English and needing to find work to support themselves and/or their families. Not only do Vietnamese-Americans have the freedom to explore these issues, but people in American society are increasingly interested in those issues as well, as evidenced by the success of Monique Truong’s novel Book of Salt.

Other recent notables books include Quang X. Pham's acclaimed father-son memoir "A Sense of Duty," Andrew Lam's PEN Award-winning "Perfume Dreams", Andrew Pham's Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize winner "Catfish and Mandala", and Aimee Phan's debut collection of short stories "We Should Never Meet." Quang X. Pham Quang X. Pham a Vietnamese-American was born in 1965, in Saigon, South Vietnam. ... Andrew Lam Andrew Lam (born 1964) is a Vietnamese American writer. ... Aimee Phan is an American author. ...

If the literary scene in the United States has been a bit fragmented, there seems to be signs of it unifying and strengthening as more novels, short stories, and poetry are published every year. And Vietnamese-Americans are being recognized, apart from ethnicity, for solid literary writing that depicts the outsider experience, allowing people of all ages, ethnicities, and other cultural divides, to connect with one another and with the written word.

References

The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). ... Madison P. Nguyen in an American politician from California, currently serving on the San Jose, California City Council, representing District 7. ... Tuan Nguyen was born in Saigon, South Vietnam in 1963. ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area Ranked 28th - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 kmÂ²) - Width 150 miles (240 km) - Length 560[1] miles (901 km) - % water 9. ... Tan D. Nguyen (1973- ) is a Republican politician and candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Californias 47th congressional district. ...

Contents

Demographics

History

Politics

Economics

Societal perception and portrayal

Ethnic subgroups

Vietnam-born Chinese (Hoa)

Eurasians and Amerasians

Ethnic Khmer

Writing and publishing

References

See also

External links

Contents

Demographics GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

History

Politics

Economics

Societal perception and portrayal

Ethnic subgroups

Vietnam-born Chinese (Hoa)

Eurasians and Amerasians

Ethnic Khmer

Writing and publishing

References

See also

External links

Demographics