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The Fall of Saigon in 1975 marked the beginning of a rapid period of growth for the Vietnamese diaspora. Over the subsequent decades, Vietnamese refugees spread across five continents, influencing and being influenced by the countries in which they arrived. Chau Giang Bui examines Vietnamese immigration to the United States and Germany, two major industrialized nations. Herein, she undertakes three main objectives: to provide an account of the formation, development and important characteristics of the Vietnamese community in the United States and Germany; to study and analyze their socioeconomic and -cultural adaptation process since 1975; and to compare and contrast the Vietnamese community in both countries. Through original survey research and analysis of various literature sources, Chau Giang Bui provides new insights into the Vietnamese-American and Vietnamese-German experiences.
List of contents
ContentsList of figures viList of tables viiList of images viiChapter 1: Introduction 11. General background of the thesis 12. Current research situation 43. Methodology 84. Goals and structure of the thesis 9Chapter 2: Vietnamese immigration to the United States and Germany 12Section 1: Vietnamese immigration to the United States 121. Historical background 122. Different Vietnamese immigration waves 152.1. The first large wave and subsequent small waves from 1975 to 1977 172.1.1. The first large wave of refugees in 1975 172.1.2. Smaller waves of refugees in 1976 and 192.2. The second large wave from 1978 to the mid-1980s 192.3. Subsequent waves of Vietnamese refugees 222.3.1. The third large wave: the Orderly Departure Program 222.3.2. The Comprehensive Plan of Action 252.4. The present state of Vietnamese immigration to the United States 263. Arriving in America: from refugees to immigrants 283.1. 'Refugees/ and 'immigrants/: what are the distinctions? 283.2. Characteristics of Vietnamese refugees 303.3. From life in refugee camps to resettlement 313.3.1. Life in the camps: preparation for resettlement 313.3.2. Sponsorship and resettlement 33Section 2: Vietnamese immigration to Germany 361. The students 362. The boat people 372.1. Historical background 372.2. Sponsorship and resettlement 383. The contract workers 423.1. Historical background 423.2. The situation of the contract workers before the Wende 443.2.1. The living conditions of the contract workers in the 443.2.2. Working in the GDR 453.2.3. Vietnamese contract workers as part of GDR daily life 463.3. Experiences of the contract workers during the Wende 483.4. The situation of the contract workers after the Wende 503.4.1. Residency status of the contract workers 503.4.2. How the contract workers survived in Germany 523.4.3. The Bleiberecht - a turning point 533.4.4. A general remark on Vietnamese contract workers/ lives after German reunification 554. The present state of Vietnamese immigration to Germany 56Section 3: Differences in the historical development of Vietnamese immigration to the United States and Germany 59Chapter 3: Changing lives and identities of the Vietnamese community in the United States 61Section 1: Language acquisition: the first step toward integration into American society 61Section 2: Changing lives of the Vietnamese in America 691. Financial challenges, solutions and achievements 701.1. Occupational downward mobility and the change of gender roles 701.2. Financial support from the Vietnamese community and patchworking 741.3. Reactions of the Americans and their attitudes toward the Vietnamese 771.4. Economic achievements of the Vietnamese community 791.5. Behavioral shifts in relations between men and women 812. Traditional value of education and academic success: the way to reach upward mobility 842.1. Educational achievements despite initial challenges 842.2. The reasons for academic success 89Section 3: Changing identities and the acculturation of the Vietnamese in America 921. Acculturation: concept and strategies 932. Different generations, diverse forms of acculturation 962.1. Cultural clash and acculturative challenges 972.2. Challenges and generational conflicts faced by families 1012.3. Being 'Americanized/: the negative way of becoming an American? 1042.4. Acculturation, maladaptation and delinquency 1082.4.1. Tendency toward assimilation among Vietnamese youth 1082.4.2. Maladaptation and delinquency 1122.5. Other social aspects during the acculturation process 1202.5.1. Circle of friends of Vietnamese adolescents 1212.5.2. Endogamy or intermarriage? 1232.5.3. Cultural maintenance in the community 1262.6. Troubles in the adjustment of older Vietnamese in the United States 1303. Vietnamese Amerasians and their difficult periods of adjustment 1324. Ethnic identity among the Vietnamese in the United States 1364.1. Identity: definition and stages of development 1
