Recommended Reading
Where the orange blooms, Thomas
Taylor. Ben Cai Lam served as an interpreter with the US military, then
as an infantry officer in the South Vietnamese army, the ARVN, until the
Communist takeover. After five years in reeducation camps, he escaped and
existed "like a wild dog'' while seeking ways to flee the country
with his family. Repeatedly double-crossed by escape organizers, he eventually
made his way to Malaysia and freedom in an epic 1984 sea voyage. Cai eventually
came to "the destination of dreams'' and settled in Montana. A breathtaking
personal account of combat, family tragedy and extraordinary adventure.
In awkward but eloquent English, Cai's narrative is rich in cultural detail. Available
at Rochester Public Library.
Hearts of sorrow: Vietnamese-American
lives, James Freeman. Fourteen Vietnamese refugees--a
former ARVN officer, a Buddhist nun, fisherman, auto mechanic, etc.--speak
about their struggles to survive under the Hanoi and Saigon governments,
their flights from Communist oppression and their difficulties adjusting
to life in the U.S. They discuss such matters as anti-Vietnamese
bigotry and the deterioration of Vietnamese family values. Freeman
suggests that never in our history has such a large block of disadvantaged
immigrants succeeded in "turning around their lives to become
economically self-sufficient contributors to the community.'' The
statements of the participants are nonetheless heavy with longing
and regret, and bewilderment over American ways. Available at
Rochester Public Library.
Links:
Vietnamese
RISE: Rochester In Support
of Everyone: A brief overview of Vietnamese in Minnesota.
Vietnamese refugees:
a summary
World
Factbook. Information and statistics on population, history, economy,
ethnic groups, religions, government, military, communication, transportation,
and more in Vietnam.
Archived
radio and television clips on Vietnamese refugees.
Tieng Magazine,
a Vietnamese American magazine.
National Congress of Vietnamese
Americans
Adopt Vietnam:
Vietnamese culture, holidays, language, cooking, music, and more.
Vietnamese art, literature, coins,
stamps, and more
Portal to all things Vietnamese
on the web
Health
issues among Vietnamese refugees
Check out these other groups:
African American
Bosnian
Cambodian
Hispanic
Hmong
Somali
Sudanese
