Rereading Empire, Rethinking History: Rehabilitation of the Vietcong in Lan Cao’s Monkey Bridge

Throughits reading of Lan Cao’s Monkey Bridge, credited as the first Vietnamese American novel, this article seeksto investigate the discourse of reconciliation or refugee settlement in the context of the changing US master narratives from Empire to Cold War 2.0. Itarguesthat Cao’s novel in its effort to register a South Vietnamese perspective reorients modern Vietnamese experiences in relation to the US sense of democracy and freedom and in the process challenges what Donald Pease calls the state fantasy of American exceptionalism in the US military intervention in Vietnam. What Cao’s novel achieves is to blur the boundary between nationalism and communism in its representation of the Vietnamese struggle for independence in its early stage and to humanize and rehabilitate the Vietcong soldier as a possibly assimilable “us” rather than as simply “them” in the realm of the other.

“Let’s Chat”: A qualitative study exploring intergenerational communication on social media group chats as a cancer prevention intervention opportunity among Vietnamese American families (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The adoption of mobile technology in the family context presents a novel cancer prevention opportunity. There have been few studies to our knowledge that have utilized private social media group chats as a way to promote health information. OBJECTIVE In this formative study, we investigate how family group chat platforms can be leveraged to encourage colorectal, HPV vaccination, and cervical cancer screening among intergenerational Vietnamese American families. METHODS Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with Vietnamese young adults to co-create a communication intervention for introducing cancer screening information as part of family social media group chats. RESULTS 13 of the 20 young adults (65%) reported having more than one group chat with immediate and extended family. Preventive health was not a typical topic of family conversations, while food, family announcements, personal updates, humorous videos or photos, and current events were. Young adults expressed openness to initiating conversation with family members about cancer prevention but also raised concerns that may influence family members’ receptivity to the messages. Themes that potentially could impact family members’ willingness to accept cancer prevention messages included (a) family status and hierarchy, (b) gender dynamics, (c) family relational closeness, and (d) source trust and credibility. These considerations may impact whether families will be open to receiving cancer screening information and acting on it. Participants also mentioned practical considerations for intervention and message design including the (a) Vietnamese cultural conversation etiquette of “hỏi thăm,” (b) respect for a doctor’s recommendation, (c) prevention vs. symptom orientation, (d) the FHA’s bilingual capacity, and (e) the busy lives of family members. In response to exemplar messages, participants mentioned that they would prefer to personalize template messages to accommodate conversational norms in their family group chats. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this study inform the development of a social media intervention for increasing preventive cancer screening in Vietnamese American families.

Factors Affecting Learners’ Satisfaction and Loyalty to the Vietnamese American Training Center, Can Tho City

The objective of the study is to determine factors affecting the satisfaction and loyalty of learners to the quality of training services at the Vietnamese American Training Center (VATC) in Can Tho City. The research data were collected from 200 learners studying at VATC Can Tho. Applying structural equation modeling (SEM), the study has demonstrated four factors affecting learner satisfaction, including textbooks and materials; managerial and administrative procedures; facilities, and training programs. Besides, the study has pointed out that satisfaction positively affects learners’ loyalty to VATC Can Tho. Some managerial implications to improve learners’ satisfaction and loyalty to VATC Can Tho were suggested such as Develop training programs, Upgrade learning materials, Improve administrative procedures, and Enhance the center's facilities. Keywords: satisfaction, loyalty, Vietnamese American Training Center.

The Influence of Ethnic Media Online on Vietnamese American Immigrant Voting Patterns

Several studies have found that Vietnamese Americans display Republican voting patterns in U.S. elections compared to Democratic voting patterns found in other Asian American ethnic groups. The literature in the field speculates that these voting patterns can be explained by cultural beliefs attained from the Vietnam War and disdain for communism and China. Other research has explored the prevalence of ethnic media usage in the Vietnamese American community. This study aims to explore the role of ethnic media usage on Vietnamese American immigrant voting patterns. To investigate this phenomenon, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with six Vietnamese American immigrants ranging from the ages of 30 to 54. The collected data was analyzed by coding for themes (thematic analysis). Analysis of the interview responses demonstrated that ethnic media usage has a significant impact on voting patterns and political beliefs. The findings of this research indicate that Vietnamese Americans sought out ethnic media that would specifically cater to their pre-existing beliefs, solidifying their political views, and ultimately leading them to vote a certain way. With this understanding, future election campaigns should focus their efforts online through ethnic media outlets to better interact with the Vietnamese community. Further research is needed to explore this phenomenon in other ethnic groups and to ascertain the importance of ethnic media to immigrant populations.

Visuality, Sonicity and Corporeality in Installation Art: A Conversation with Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba

This conversation paper examines the visual, sonic and corporeal entanglements that inform the work of the Vietnamese-American-Japanese artist Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba. It explores the corporeal and aural qualities that are central to an understanding and sensorial experience of the artist's installations and visual practice. In paying attention to breath, sound and motion in visual art production, Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba's works reveal how corporeality and sonicity can dismantle the ocular-centrism of visual art. The discussions between Jun and Prarthana map the varied traumatic histories of racial colonialism, war and forced migration that haunt Vietnam's present, and bring to the surface the artist's aesthetic and political concerns around art, performance and cultural memory.

Know Family, Know Self: Exploring the Influence of Family on Vietnamese American College Students’ Experiences

Much of the existing literature on Vietnamese Americans focuses on experiences of previous generations and does not capture the perspectives of the current generation of Vietnamese Americans, more specifically those who are college students. The present study examined the role of family influence on college experiences for Vietnamese American students. This study utilized qualitative methodology, analyzing data collected from semi-structured, in-person individual interviews conducted with six Vietnamese American college students (VACS) attending a large, predominantly white institution (PWI). Results from this study reveal not only how VACS construct meaning of their family influences and college experiences, but also how they come to understand their own Vietnamese American identity. Major findings from this study reveal that VACS exist between two worlds: the life of a second-generation immigrant Vietnamese American, and the life of an American college student. This article provides implications for higher education and student affairs practitioners to understand the unique experiences of this underrepresented and under-researched student population. Implications for further research are also discussed.