HOA presentation about Vietnamese immigration

1. VIETNAMESE IMMIGRATION
Presented by:
Angelica - editor
Pedro - researcher
Steven - director
Vicky - artistic director

2. LIFE IN THE OLD WORLD

3. THE UNITED STATES IN 1964
ONLY 604 VIETNAMESE
PEOPLE IN THE UNITED
STAT E S .
THEY WERE MAINLY:
!
- STUDENTS
- LANGUAGE TEACHERS
- DIPLOMATS

4. THE VIETNAM WAR
(1956 - 1975)
AGENT ORANGE
- DESTROYED RAIN FORESTS
- DESTROYED CROPS
- HEAV I LY DAMAGED FOETUS
CHROMOSOMES
- CAUSED A VARIETY OF
DISEASES
!

5. THE VIETNAM WAR
(1956 - 1975)
AGENT ORANGE
- DESTROYED RAIN FORESTS
- DESTROYED CROPS
- HEAV I LY DAMAGED FOETUS
CHROMOSOMES
- CAUSED A VARIETY OF
DISEASES
!

6. THE VIETNAM WAR
(1956 - 1975)
AGENT ORANGE
- DESTROYED RAIN FORESTS
- DESTROYED CROPS
- HEAV I LY DAMAGED FOETUS
CHROMOSOMES
- CAUSED A VARIETY OF
DISEASES
!
AMERICAN BOMBS
- 8 MILLION DROPPED
1 9 6 5 - 1 9 7 3
- MANY DID NOT DETONATE
- STILL A THREAT

7. THE VIETNAM WAR
(1956 - 1975)
MASSACRES
- PINKVILLE (CODENAME)
WAS THE LARGEST
RECORDED MASSACRE OF
VIETNAMESE CITIZENS
!
- MANY MORE, SMALLER
SCALE MASSACRES
OCCURRED, BUT WERE NOT
RECORDED

8. “THE FALL OF SAIGON”
THE END OF THE WAR
A P R I L 3 0 , 1 9 7 5
- THE NORTH TAKES OVER
THE SOUTH
- INTENDED TO PERSECUTE
ANYONE IN SUPPORT OF
SOUTHERN VIETNAMESE
!

9. “THE FALL OF SAIGON”
“ON THOSE LAST DAYS OF APRIL,
[THERE WAS] A LOT OF GUNFIRE
AND BOMBING AROUND THE
CAPITAL. PEOPLE WERE RUNNING
ON CHAOTIC STREETS. WE GOT
SCARED… WE WENT TO AN
AMERICAN BUILDING WHERE A LOT
OF AMERICANS AND THEIR
VIETNAMESE ASSOCIATES WERE
READY TO BE PICKED UP BY
AMERICAN HELICOPTERS.”
!
- VIETNAMESE REFUGEE

10. THE FIRST WAVE (1975)
- MOST ONLY FLED IN FEAR
TO ESCAPE NORTHERN
TROOPS
- MOSTLY MILITARY
PERSONNEL AND THEIR
FAMILIES
- EDUCATED PROFESSIONALS
- 36% OF HOUSEHOLD
HEADS GRADUATED FROM
HIGH SCHOOL
- 16% AT LEAST WENT TO
COLLEGE
- MANY KNEW ENGLISH

11. SECOND WAVE
NEW COMMUNIST POLITICAL,
ECONOMICAL, AND AGRICULTURAL
POLICIES
- SEIZED AND
REDISTRIBUTED FARMLAND
- CLOSED ETHNIC-CHINESE
VIETNAMESE BUSINESSES
- FORCED RELOCATION FROM
URBAN TO RURAL AREAS
- “REEDUCATED” AND
TORTURED EVERYONE
INVOLVED WITH SOUTHERN
TROOPS

12. SECOND WAVE
OTHER PUSH FACTORS
- HIGH POVERTY RAT E S ;
NEED TO FIND BETTER
WORK
- PARENTS WANTED SONS
TO ESCAPE DRAFT
- DISCRIMINATION AND
PERSECUTION

13. SECOND WAVE
ETHNIC-CHINESE VIETNAMESE
- WERE CHINESE THAT WERE
VIETNAMESE CITIZENS
- 40% OF SECOND WAVE
- FACED HOSTILITY FROM
VIETNAMESE SOCIETY FOR
DECADES
- TARGET OF DISCRIMINATION
BY COMMUNISTS

14. SECOND WAVE
THOSE WITH EDUCATION
- SMALL NUMBERS
- DOCTORS
- L AWYERS
- PROFESSORS, ETC.
- KNEW ENGLISH
THOSE WITHOUT
- FISHERMEN
- FARMERS
- STOREKEEPERS
- FROM RURAL AREAS, VILLAGES,
AND SMALL COASTA L C I T I E S
- MOST DIDN’T KNOW ENGLISH
- HIGHLY IMPOVERISHED
- IMMIGRATED WITH FAMILIES

15. THIRD WAVE (80’S AND 90’S)
- T RYING TO ESCAPE WAR
BETWEEN VIETNAM AND
CHINA
- MOSTLY CHILDREN AND
TEENAGE BOYS
- PRISONERS OF WAR

16. THE VOYAGE

17. ESCAPING THE COMMUNISTS
- AIRLIFTED BY THE
AMERICANS
- FLED ON MILITARY CARGO
S H I P S
- LESS THAN TEN HOURS’
NOTICE
- MOST DIDN’T KNOW
WHERE TO GO; FOLLOWED
CROWD

18. ESCAPING THE COMMUNISTS
“WHAT WAS THE ONE EVENT DURING THE TRIP
[EVACUATION] YOU WILL NEVER FORGET?”
- INTERVIEWER
!
“IT WAS WHEN ALL OF THESE
PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO GET ON
THE PLANE AT THE AIRPORT.
I S AW PEOPLE JAMMING THE DOOR
AND WOMEN AND CHILDREN COULD
NOT GET ON. THE SHELLING CAME
CLOSER AND THEN THE PLANE
TOOK OFF WITH PEOPLE STILL
HANGING AT THE DOOR.”
!
- VIETNAMESE WOMAN EN ROUTE FROM
PHILIPPINES TO US

19. ESCAPING THE COMMUNISTS
“OPERATION NEW LIFE”
- REFUGEES TRANSFERRED TO
U S B A S E S
- GUAM
- THAILAND
- WAKE ISLAND
- HAWAII
- PHILIPPINES
- AWAITED PROCESSING
- SENT TO FOUR REFUGEE CENTERS
I N U S :
- CAMP PENDLETON ( C A )
- FORT CHAFFEE ( A K )
-EGLIN AIR FORCE ( F L )
- FORT INDIANTOWN GAP ( PA )

20. THE “BOAT PEOPLE”
- EXTREMELY UNSAFE,
CROWDED FISHING BOAT S
- MAIN MODE OF
IMMIGRATION
FROM SECOND WAVE ON
- LARGE STORMS
- S TARVATION
- DEHYDRATION
- 2 / 3 ATTACKED BY PIRAT E S ;
EACH BOAT AVG. 2 TIMES

21. THE “BOAT PEOPLE”
"WE ENCOUNTERED PIRATES ON
OUR JOURNEY. THEY LOWERED
A DINGHY FROM THEIR SHIP TO
COME TO OUR BOAT, AND THEY
RAPED THE WOMEN AND
YOUNG GIRLS. THEY INTENDED
TO SINK OUR BOAT.
WE HAD TO GIVE THEM ALL OF
OUR MONEY AND JEWELRY.
AFTER THE PIRATES LEFT,
[WE] SAILED FOR A WHILE,
THEN SAW A MALAYSIAN OIL
TANKER.

22. THE “BOAT PEOPLE”
"IF WE HADN'T SEEN IT,
WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE
DROWNED, BECAUSE THAT NIGHT
THE WIND AND THE CURRENT
WERE VERY STRONG, AND OUR
BOAT WAS SMALL,
LIKE A SMALL FISHING BOAT.
THERE WERE 126 PEOPLE ON
BOARD, LYING NEXT TO ONE
ANOTHER. MANY CHILDREN
BECAME SEASICK. THEY VOMITED.
THEIR EYES WERE ALL WHITE.
[WE] THOUGHT THEY WERE DEAD."
!
- LE THI SEN

23. THE “BOAT PEOPLE”
- FLEEING TO ASYLUM CAMPS
I N :
- MALAYSIA
- THAILAND
- SINGAPORE
- INDONESIA
- PHILIPPINES
- HONG KONG
- WAITED FOR ACCEPTANCE FROM
FOREIGN NATIONS
- OFTEN WAITED YEARS
- 40-60,000 PICKED UP BY
AMERICAN NAV Y S H I P S ;
TRANSPORTED TO GUAM AND
P H I L I P P I N E S

24. WHY THEY CAME

25. WHY THEY CAME
- UNITED STATES
SUPPORTED SOUTH
VIETNAM
- ONLY COUNTRY TO ACCEPT
VIETNAMESE IMMIGRANTS
AT THE TIME
- SAFETY
- FREEDOM
- MORE OPPORTUNITIES
- GREATER ECONOMIC AND
SOCIAL STABILITY

26. WHY THEY CAME
- PEOPLE THOUGHT THEY
COULD RETURN TO
VIETNAM
- 1977 SURVEY:
41% OF HOUSEHOLD
HEADS PLANNED TO
MOVE BACK TO VIETNAM

27. WORK AND SETTING

28. VIETNAMESE IMMIGRANT POPULATION IN US (1980 - 2012

29. SETTLING IN THE STATES
- MOSTLY SETTLED IN
WARMER STATES
- 40% IN CALIFORNIA
- 7.2% IN TEXAS
!
MAIN CITIES (IN ORDER OF POPULATION
- LOS ANGELES, CA
- LONG BEACH, CA
- SANTA ANA, CA
- SAN JOSE, CA
- SUNNYVALE, CA
- SANTA CLARA, CA
- HOUSTON, TX

30. TOP DESTINATION STATES FOR VIETNAMESE IMMIGRANTS (2008-2012)

31. TOP METROPOLITAN AREA DESTINATIONS FOR VIETNAMESE IMMIGRANTS (2008-2012)

32. HOUSING
- COMPETED WITH
AMERICANS FOR LOW
INCOME HOUSING
- LIVED IN PROCESSING
CAMPS
- LARGER FAMILIES: ABOUT 5
- SUBURBS, URBAN AREAS

33. HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT
- DESPITE EDUCATION OF
SOME, HAD TO GET
WHATEVER JOBS AVAILABLE
- JANITORS, LIMOUSINE
D R I V E R S , E T C .
- CONTRIBUTED A LOT TO
FISHING INDUSTRY IN SOUTH
- OVER TIME, VIETNAMESE
IMMIGRANTS (SECOND
GENERATION) TOOK THE
LEAD IN EDUCATION
- INCREASE IN AVERAGE
INCOME
- LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
5 - 6 %

34. HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT
- WIDER VARIETY OF JOBS
- MANAGEMENT
- ART, SCIENCE
- SERVICE
- SALES, OFFICE,
GOVERNMENT
- NATURAL RESOURCES,
CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE
- FOOD: FISHING,
SHRIMPING, FARMING
- PRODUCTION,
TRANSPORTATION, MATERIAL
MOVING
- ~10% SELF-EMPLOYED IN 1990

35. EMPLOYED IMMIGRANT WORKERS IN CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE (AGES 16+) BY OCCUPATION AND
ORIGIN, 2012

36. VIETNAMESE PEOPLE IN
SAN JOSE
- MANY ENTREPRENEURS
- 40% OF RETAIL BUSINESSES
IN DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE
- MANY VIETNAMESE CUISINE
RESTAURANTS
- HAIR SALONS
- GRAND CENTURY MALL
- LEE SANDWICHES

37. PREJUDICES

38. JUDGED BY AMERICANS
- DISLIKED BY AMERICAN
CITIZENS BECAUSE OF
COMPETITION AND MEDIA
- MEDIA ONLY FOCUSED ON
AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT
I N WAR; DIDN’T SHOW
VIETNAMESE PERSPECTIVE
- 1975 POLL: ONLY 36% OF
AMERICANS IN FAVOR OF
VIETNAMESE IMMIGRATION.

39. DISCRIMINATION AND
STEREOTYPES
- DISCRIMINATION IN
WORKPLACES, COURT S ,
AND BY POLICE
- TARGETS OF KU KLUX KLAN
- DENIED ACCESS TO
EDUCATION AND VOTING
- CALLED “CHINK”
- "GO BACK TO CHINA”
- BELIEVED TO ALL BE
OVERACHIEVERS IN
SCHOOL
- BELIEVED TO ALL BE
REFUGEES

40. DISCRIMINATION AND
STEREOTYPES
T. T.NHU COMMENTED IN SAN JOSE
MERCURY NEWS 1988:
!
“MANY REFUGEES FIND THAT
THEY FACE ANOTHER
TYRANNY IN THIS COUNTRY
IN THE FORM OF INSISTENCE
ON POLITICAL CONFORMITY…
IT IS REMINISCENT OF
NIGHTMARISH TIMES
ALREADY EXPERIENCED IN
THIS COUNTRY DURING THE
MCCARTHY ERA.”

41. LAWS

42. INDOCHINA MIGRATION
AND REFUGEE ACT OF
1975
PASSED BY FORD ADMINISTRATION TO
SUPPORT ARRIVAL OF VIETNAMESE
IMMIGRANTS

43. REFUGEE ACT OF
1980
PASSED BY CONGRESS TO HELP
VIETNAMESE IMMIGRANTS
!
- REDUCED RESTRICTIONS ON ENTRY
INTO US
- DEFINED REFUGEE
- CREATED OFFICE OF REFUGEE
RESETTLEMENT
- SET NUMBER OF ANNUAL REFUGEE
ADMISSIONS TO 50,000 (EXCEPT FOR
EMERGENCIES)
- REFUGEE COULD ADJUST STAT U S
AFTER ONE YEAR TO BECOME
PERMANENT CITIZEN
- AFTER FOUR YEARS, COULD BECOME
US CITIZEN

44. OTHER LAWS
- GRANTED ENTRY INTO US
TO CHILDREN OF AMERICAN
SERVICEMEN AND FORMER
POLITICAL PRISONERS

45. Thank you for listening

46. BIBLIOGRAPHY