Specific Learning Outcome:

Demonstrate self-awareness, sensitivity to others, and skillfulness in relating to ethnically and culturally diverse individuals and families and with this knowledge, effectively communicate information to influence change.

Understanding the Vietnamese American

Community

Lana MacKenzieAlliant International University

February 17, 2011

POP Quiz• Name the city in the U.S that has the most

Vietnamese American settlement.• Name the county in the U.S that has the

most Vietnamese American settlement.• What profession is the considered the

most prestigious in the Vietnamese community?

• Name one famous Vietnamese figure in the entertainment or political arena.

• What are the stereotypes that are associated with being Vietnamese Americans?

Introduction• Vietnamese is the seventh most spoken language

in the U.S.

• According to the 2000 census, Vietnamese ranked fourth in population among the Asian American groups; 39.8% live in California and 12% in Texas.

• Orange County has the largest number of Vietnamese people outside of Vietnam (157,012); The city of San Jose has the largest number of Vietnamese people (84,635).

• The Vietnamese American community is one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the U.S. with an estimated population of over 1.1 million people in 2000.

Introduction• According to the 2000 Census, over 90%

Vietnamese aged 5 and over spoke a language other than English at home.

• The emphasis on family obligation, respect for elders, and belief in the value of education are central to the educational success of Vietnamese Americans students.

Immigration Waves  • Fall of Saigon in 1975: End of Vietnam War. First

wave of immigration; composed of individuals from upper or middle class, well–educated, Catholic, and English speaking; 125,000 left Vietnam.

• “Boat People:” Second wave of immigration from 1978 to mid-1980s; composed of individuals who are from the lower class and are less educated. About two million people fled Vietnam in small, unsafe, and crowded boats. It is estimated that half perished while in transit. Those who survived the escape ended up in asylum camps in Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines. These individuals waited for months or years in these camps to be allowed to enter countries that agreed to accept them.

Immigration Waves• Orderly Departure Program of 1979: Former

military officers and soldiers in prison or re-educaiton camps were allowed to fly to the U.S. with their families; 200,000 immigrated by the mid 1990s.

• Humanitarian Operation Program of 1989: Allowed more than 70,000 current and former political prisoners to immigrate to the U.S.

• Amerasian Homecoming Act of 1988: Permitted the children of Vietnamese civilians and American soldiers to immigrate with their families to the U.S.

Immigrant Groups• First Generation: These individuals came to the

U.S during their adolescence or adulthood. They were educated primarily in Vietnam and have frequently retained much of their Vietnamese culture.

• 1.5 Generation: These individuals came to the U.S between the age of 5 and 12, having been exposed to Vietnamese culture in Vietnam but receiving much or most of their education in the U.S. They typically have a divided cultural identity.

• Second Generation: Composed of persons who were born in the U.S or came before the age of 5 and retained little or no memory of Vietnam.

Family Structures • The traditional family structure is composed of

multiple generations living in the same household.

• The typical Vietnamese family: the father, the authority figure, makes all the important decisions; the mother is expected to take care of her husband, her parents-in-law and her children; and the children are expected to obey and respect their parents without exception.

• Many Vietnamese American families maintained much of the traditional structure while adapting to changes.

Family Structure• Many Vietnamese American families became

distrustful of outsiders during the refugee process and distrust in government due to mistreatment by the Communist government. Turmoil of the civil war also led to a fear of inquiries, especially from government agencies.

Medical Traditions• Vietnamese medical traditions and belief systems date

back more than 1,000 years (with the exception of Western medicine).

• Western medical personnel have historically been less accessible and more expensive than traditional medical practitioners. This led to the more frequent use of traditional medical practitioners.

• Western medical tradition has been typically limited to the cities, the upper class, and individuals in the Vietnamese armed forces.

• Households in Vietnam historically have used a variety of home remedies for common illnesses.

• Another medical tradition has dealt with harmful spirits.

Medical Traditions• Some Vietnamese Americans continued to use or believe in

traditional Vietnamese medical remedies. For example, coining (rubbing the back vigorously with a coin) is used to release excessive “wind” from the body of a person with a cold, flu, aches, pains, etc. to restore the body back to health and balance.

• Some of the traditional Vietnamese medical practices have been misinterpreted by law enforcement and school personnel as evidence of child abuse.

• Because Vietnamese families are accustomed to selecting health-care providers from a variety of medical traditions, they often use medications or practices from different medical traditions at the same time. This consequently have many implications for Vietnamese Americans individuals with disabilities.

Economics• The income and social class levels of Vietnamese

Americans are very diverse.

• For example, in Little Saigon of Orange County, there are significant socioeconomic disparities between the established and successful Vietnamese Americans who arrived in the first wave and the later arrivals of low-income refugees.

• The younger generations of the Vietnamese American population are well educated and are often employed in the professional sector.

• Recent immigrants who do not speak English well tend to work in menial labor jobs like assembly, restaurant/shop workers, nail and hair salons, and fishing industry.

Attitudes Toward Education• The Vietnamese traditional values are based on

Confucianism, which places high values in education and learning.

• Many Vietnamese parents pressure their children to excel in school and to enter professional fields such as science, medicine, or engineering. Their experience with war and other chaotic events led them to believe education is the only ticket to a better life.

• Many Vietnamese parents believed that their children’s academic achievements reflected honor on their family and academic failure reflected shame.

The Vietnamese American Experience• Many Vietnamese American students begin

school with severe disadvantages and have different academic and psychological needs than other students of Asian descents who have lived in the U.S. for multiple generations.

• The stereotyping of a “model minority” does not apply to Vietnamese American students because of their recent immigration and refugee status, limited English proficiency, poverty, and limited access to educational resources. The assumption that all Asian American students are academically successful can lead to psychological, social, and emotional problems for these students.

The Vietnamese American Experience• Vietnamese American students who arrive in the

U.S. as adolescents are more likely to experience problems in school due to language-learning problems and an inability to fit in socially.

• Vietnamese immigrant parents who have limited English language skills encounter significant barriers in their interactions with their children’s schools. The parents rely on their children to translate and this role reversal created less opportunities for the children to participate in extracurricular activities at school and other activities associated with teen life.

The Vietnamese American Experience• Vietnamese American students who maintain

close connections to their own communities are often driven to succeed.

• Vietnamese American students who are alienated from the Vietnamese culture are at risk for underachievement in school. They are also at risk for delinquency.

• Recent studies have indicated that juvenile delinquency among Vietnamese Americans may have increased in the 21st century. This is associated with the weaken of ethnic community ties of Vietnamese American children.

Vietnamese and Disabilities: A Historical Perspective• The unusual behavior of some individuals with

disabilities has been interpreted as requiring spiritual intervention. Consequently, they seek out spiritual healing from spiritual leaders (ie: Taoist priests, Buddhist monk).

• In the past, public school systems provided little or no specialized assistance to children with disabilities, although some work programs were established for adults.

• In 1991 special education training for interested teachers began and was offered only for three weeks. About 37,000 children were served in special education, although more than one million children needed services.

Vietnamese and Disabilities: A Historical Perspective• Children who were served by special education

were referred to as “visible children” as parents of these children often feel shame about a child who had disabilities.

Vietnamese Americans and Special Education• Barriers to serving the Vietnamese American

population with disabilities are sometimes due to the Vietnamese’s strong emphasis on academic achievement and limited knowledge of special education categories and services.

• Because some Vietnamese parents are unfamiliar with certain disabilities and their causes, these parents often interpreted poor academic performance as laziness or a lack of cooperation.

• Poor academic performances of many children with disabilities has been perceived as shameful to the family as well as the child.

Vietnamese Americans and Special Education• Parents have been hesitant to seek assistance or

accept services for their children with disabilities because of the stigma associated with disabilities.

• Many Southeast Asian students, including Vietnamese students, with limited English proficiency are misdiagnosed as “learning disabled” and are placed in special education. As a collective group of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, these students were 1.20 times more likely to receive special education and related services for hearing impairments and were 1.24 times more likely to receive special education and related services for autism than all other racial/ethnic groups combined, according to the U.S Department of Education (2004).

Role of School Psychologists• Due to distrust and fear of inquiry issues

presented earlier, it is useful to go through the mediation of a trusted person of authority to gain cooperation of Vietnamese Americans (ie: Vietnamese teacher who works at the same school).

• The adaptation and acculturation to the culture of the U.S and English fluency varied widely within the Vietnamese American community. Thus, the implications may be different when working with Vietnamese American children with disabilities and their families. For example, students who adapt aspects of American culture while preserving aspects of their native language and culture tend to be more successful. Look out for students who are alienated from their own culture and provide the necessary interventions.

Role of School Psychologists• Vietnamese Americans may hesitate to share

information about their child’s disabilities with outsiders because of their concern about public perceptions of their family. Be sensitive and respectful and understand that they may “lose face” in this situation. Approach the issue cautiously if you suspect the child has a disability. Building trust is extremely important.

• Vietnamese American children are taught at home not to talk back to an older person and to avoid eye contact. However, in American schools, children are expected to speak up in class and to make eye contact with everyone. This cultural differences can create misunderstanding when assessing a Vietnamese child.

Role of School Psychologists• Be aware of the struggles of second generation

Vietnamese American students:

1. Generational conflict with parents who are too strict and overprotective

2. Parental criticism: comparing child to another child of relatives or friends

3. High expectations about obedience and school success

4. Many students have limited knowledge of the Vietnamese traditional culture, however parents expect them to know and live by these values.

5. Intergeneration conflicts can lead to psychological, emotional, and social problems (ie: rebel against parents, join gang, etc.)

Resources• Alliance for Excellent Education. 2007. Asian Pacific Islander American

Students and U.S. High School. https://www.all4ed.org/files/AsianPacific_FactSheet.pdf

• Do, P. (2002). Between Two Cultures: Struggles of Vietnamese American Adolescents. University of Maryland, College Park. http://www.hmongstudies.com/VanDo2002.pdf

• Huer, M., Saenz, T., Doan, J. (2001). Understanding the Vietnamese American community: implications for training educational personnel providing services to children with disabilities. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 23(1), 28-38.

• National Education Association. 2005. A Report on the Status of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Education: Beyond the “Model Minority” Stereotype. Washington, DC. http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/mf_aapireport.pdf