In the Vietnamese culture, husbands are expected to hold dominant positions in the family. There is no doubt conflicts will arise when patriarchal beliefs changes. Norms and values between husbands and wives are shifting as assimilation takes place in America. As a result, domestic abuse arises--especially due to changes in socioeconomic structure and culture. For Vietnamese Americans, women’s economic contributions do not reduce their husbands’ dominant positions or violence

Trauma and its enduring legacy--a well-known but rarely admitted secret among many Vietnamese elders and immigrants. The fall of Saigon in 1975 has left many Vietnamese grappling with the horrors of the war, communist “reeducation”, escapes by boats, and refugee camps. Decades after the end of war, at least half a million refugees have arrived to the United States in search of a better future for themselves and their families. As a result of fleeing from the communists and th

Typhoon Doksuri is one of many severe tropical cyclones that have taken plight in recent months, in both the Atlantic and Pacific regions. Hurricanes Irma, Harvey, and Maria have attracted global social media coverage and attention, with much of the content focusing on urban planning, politics, and the perennial question of climate change. However, where is the news outlet when it comes to Southeast Asia’s tropical disasters? Typhoon Doksuri came into central Vietnam on Septe

Have you ever noticed when walking by Vietnamese coffee shops, restaurants or cafes, there is a distinct smell of cigarette smoke in the air both indoor and outdoor? Though in California, we are not allowed to smoke in public spaces and are only allowed to smoke at least 25 feet away from the building many Vietnamese businesses still tolerate smoking due to their clientele, mostly non-English speaking, older Vietnamese men. According to a study done with the Centers for Disea

Research studies on health disparities have been conducted on Vietnamese elders since their resettlement in the US the last 40 years. Earlier studies were primarily focused on mental health conditions. However, recent research began to emerge and shows the general Vietnamese population in the United States is more susceptible to chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, strokes, hypertension, and diabetes as compared to other Asian American groups. A surprising fact is

As a researcher of the cultural life of Vietnamese living overseas, one of the major lenses through which I analyze their world is semiotics: the study of symbols and meaning. Because of the many overseas Vietnamese who left their homeland in the late 20th century, I often think about what being Vietnamese means to people who feel disconnected from the geographic symbol of Vietnam. When someone says, "Tôi là người Việt Nam" (I am a Vietnamese person), what other concepts of s

On December 30, 2016 China announced it vows to ban all commerce in ivory by the end of 2017. China’s illegal poaching and wildlife trade ranks the highest in the world, according to Daan P. van Uhm', author of The Illegal Wildlife Trade (Springer 2016). Vietnam’s own poaching and wildlife black market, however, is not far behind. The World Wildlife Fund, one of the world’s largest conservation organizations, reported Vietnam as the worst country in its last Wildlife Crime Sc

In Vietnam, the bamboo tree is a significant symbol of our culture and daily life. The solid, straight and high bamboo trees represent resil

Second generation Vietnamese Americans may not be familiar with a song called Lý Cây Đa, but if we ask our parents about it, not only will t

Ocean Vuong’s poetry collection, Night Sky With Exit Wounds (Copper Canyon Press 2016), is the most beautifully written book I have read in a long time. It’s a masterpiece. As someone who writes, edits, and publishes poetry—for whom it is Body and Blood—I don’t say that lightly. Poetry such as Vuong’s is so generous in craft and heart it makes me grateful and inspired, which is why I’m almost apologetic for what I have to say next. For a poetry collection so exquisitely reali

How is a poem transformed through translation? What is lost, and what remains true to the original? Vietnamese is a strongly idiomatic language, which makes it notoriously difficult to translate. There are expressions so unique to the Vietnamese experience that they cannot be fully translated into another language. How would one, for example, translate the expression khỉ ho cò gáy? (We’ll get back to this in a bit.) The poems of Hồ Xuân Hương are perfect for examining this qu

One of my great regrets in life is I never learned to write in Vietnamese. I’ve always thought that speaking it was enough—as in, it made me Vietnamese enough. But I wholeheartedly believe that every person of Vietnamese origin should know the language. Vietnamese carries the history, the struggles, and triumphs of our people; it keeps our culture and heritage alive. It sets our stories apart from the stories of other people in this world. It is the language of our soul, a

“You’re not using the correct accent mark!” The young tutor scolded me as I tried to complete my class worksheet. I remember fighting back tears as I tried to figure out which accent mark was correct to differentiate between bà (grandma) and ba (three). Needless to say, I didn’t last very long in Vietnamese Language School. In fact, I only remember attending three classes before I was officially a Viet School dropout. Now as an adult, I often wish my parents made me attend Vi

This edited article is republished from India Currents an independent media company devoted to the exploration of the heritage and culture of India as it exists in the United States. Through its print and digital platforms, it covers a wide range of subjects—arts, film, literature, travel, food, healthy living, business—that are of interest to Indian-Americans and Indophiles. Nghia opened his phone and flashed the picture of his bride to me. She was still in Vietnam waiting

During my recent visit to Vietnam, I had a chance to see a public park near my hotel in action at 5 am. Ballroom dancing is still a big part of life in Vietnam. #vietnam #lifeinvietnam #exercise #exerciseinthepark #saigon #publicpark #ballroomdancing #dancing #Life