With the sudden end of the Vietnam War in April 1975, throngs of Vietnamese fled their country. Within months, more than 130,000 arrived in the US, determined to begin their lives anew. Offering a study of this vital segment of the American population, this title features full-color photographs, fact boxes, information on genealogy, and more.

Presents an introduction to Vietnam, its people, culture, and religion; features a history of Vietnamese immigration; and discusses some of the challenges faced by Vietnamese Americans in the areas of employment, education, political participation, and cultural preservation.

Discusses the history and political conditions of Vietnam and examines the situation of Vietnamese refugees, their immigration, social adjustments, employment, and contributions to American culture.

rieu explores the ethnic identity formation of second-generation Chinese-Vietnamese. Many Chinese-Vietnamese Americans grew up questioning which ethnicity they belonged to. By disentangling the experiences of Chinese-Vietnamese Americans from the Vietnamese Americans, Trieu reveals the distinctions that exist because of socioeconomic indicators and the adaptation process. An examination of the factors affecting ethnic identity formation reveals the importance of context in the social construction of racial and ethnic identity. Findings show that while these second-generation members are in the preliminary stages of assimilation, cultural and structural contexts still influence their paths. Trieu argues that delving within ethnic categories yields internal differences in modes of adaptation and provides a significant nuance to the studies on the second-generation.

In recent years the popular media have described Vietnamese Americans as the quintessential American immigrant success story, attributing their accomplishments to the values they learn in the traditional, stable, hierarchical confines of their family. Questioning the accuracy of such family portrayals, Nazli Kibria draws on in-depth interviews and participant observation with Vietnamese immigrants in Philadelphia to show how they construct their family lives in response to the social and economic challenges posed by migration and resettlement. To a surprising extent, the "traditional" family unit rarely exists, and its hierarchical organization has been greatly altered.

For anyone who has ever felt like they don't belong, Sigh, Gone shares an irreverent, funny, and moving tale of displacement and assimilation woven together with poignant themes from beloved works of classic literature. In 1975, during the fall of Saigon, Phuc Tran immigrates to America along with his family. By sheer chance they land in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a small town where the Trans struggle to assimilate into their new life. In this coming-of-age memoir told through the themes of great books such as The Metamorphosis, The Scarlet Letter, The Iliad, and more, Tran navigates the push and pull of finding and accepting himself despite the challenges of immigration, feelings of isolation, and teenage rebellion, all while attempting to meet the rigid expectations set by his immigrant parents. Appealing to fans of coming-of-age memoirs such as Fresh Off the Boat, Running with Scissors, or tales of assimilation like Viet Thanh Nguyen's The Displaced and The Refugees, Sigh, Gone explores one man’s bewildering experiences of abuse, racism, and tragedy and reveals redemption and connection in books and punk rock. Against the hairspray-and-synthesizer backdrop of the ‘80s, he finds solace and kinship in the wisdom of classic literature, and in the subculture of punk rock, he finds affirmation and echoes of his disaffection. In his journey for self-discovery Tran ultimately finds refuge and inspiration in the art that shapes—and ultimately saves—him.

Provides information on the history of Vietnam and on the customs, language, religion, and experiences of Vietnamese Americans.