The Studio

I was a little annoyed that the more polished version of my essay was not the one that was printed in this past weekend's LDC program. For those that are interested, here's the refined version of the essay. I'm not a horrible writer, I swear...

The essay prompt was: What can Vietnamese Americans and Canadians do for the country of their roots. Following is my response

Viet Nam, the country of our roots, is a country rich in culture, traditions, and history. Viet Nam’s history is a great account of strength of character, triumph, and resiliency, but it has not always been without conflict and turmoil. The darkest hour passed when hundreds of thousands left the country to find a life they felt they could no longer have in their homeland. Despite all this, the Vietnamese people are resilient; those who left their homes have established new lives abroad and many have found success and embraced leadership opportunities. Those who remained have helped rebuild the country in a short time, and Viet Nam now finds itself on the brink of change. What kind of change will be in store for Viet Nam will largely depend on the Vietnamese population aboard. Vietnamese Americans/Canadians must help write the next chapter of Vietnamese history. It is odd to think that the Vietnamese population abroad would have much influence over what happens in Viet Nam in the coming years, but in fact the opposite is quite true. Vietnamese Americans/Canadians, and in fact the entire Vietnamese population residing abroad, can and must take an active role in developing and protecting Viet Nam. There are opportunities in all sectors, public and private, to help shape the development of Viet Nam, and improve the lives of those who still reside there.

Though the Viet Nam war ended more than thirty years ago, many who fled the country are still nursing wounds so deep that the idea that Viet Nam can change and make progress at times seems impossible. For this reason, it is the responsibility of upcoming generations of Vietnamese Americans/Canadians to help heal these wounds and build bridges between the Vietnamese diaspora and the Vietnamese population still living in Viet Nam. Vietnamese Americans/Canadians cannot afford to ignore Viet Nam or to completely severe ties with the country from which we came. While Vietnamese Americans/Canadians may find that they have fundamental disagreements with events that transpire in Viet Nam, only through open relationships with Viet Nam, and indeed the government that is in power, can Vietnamese Americans/Canadians affect change within the country. Vietnamese Americans/Canadians have the power to lend a voice to the poor, the needy, and the neglected people living in Viet Nam. Bridges are built when we focus on that which we have in common instead of that on which we disagree. There are many aid organizations that seek to provide aid to the neediest parts of the Vietnamese population living in Viet Nam. These organizations help provide medical assistance, education, and basic nourishments to the disabled, the poor, and young. These segments of the population are innocent victims of a country stricken by many years of war, and they need help – on that we can all agree. Non-profit organizations working in Viet Nam are in constant need of assistance and support, and who better to fill these gaps than Vietnamese Americans/Canadian who understand the culture, the language, and the communities both within Viet Nam and abroad. Through the work of non-profit organizations and with the support of the Vietnamese government, we can begin to form working relationships where the end goal is to help the needy. A mutual desire to help Vietnamese people can form the foundation for the bridges that we must build.

In addition to working with non-profits to help improve the lives of Vietnamese people, we must leverage our federal governments as allies in shaping the future political landscape of Viet Nam. As influential nations such as the United States and Canada start to develop more open relationships with Viet Nam, the Vietnamese communities in these countries must play an active role in shaping the foreign relations policy of these countries as it relates to Viet Nam. This means that Vietnamese American/Canadian citizens must help inform the US/Canadian governments about issues occurring in Vietnam, such as human trafficking, human rights violations, and bans on free speech. Additionally, Vietnamese Americans/Canadians should insist that their respective countries demand for improvements in these areas in return for stronger trade relations and the support of a strong ally. We have seen throughout history that it is through communication, negotiations, and open relationships that countries have been successful at swaying the actions of another. Vietnamese communities abroad ought to encourage their governments to engage in discussion with the Vietnamese government, especially if the Vietnamese government is reaching out for help. At the end of the day, such an approach goes a long ways in bettering the lives of the people of Viet Nam and affecting overall positive change within the country.

Nevertheless, being active participants in shaping foreign policy is not enough, because governments are not the only entities looking to open ties with Viet Nam. As corporations look to Viet Nam for new opportunities to expand their manufacturing and as a new market to sell in, Vietnamese Americans/Canadians must help make sure that these relationships are symbiotic in nature. Corporations, and sometimes event governments, can at times be myopic about the long term effects of environmentally unsound land use and over development. As employees and leaders at the companies that are investing in and building in Viet Nam, Vietnamese Americans/Canadians have the ability to ensure that these companies are acting as good corporate citizens to Viet Nam. Vietnamese Americans/Canadians are also consumers of companies that are investing and manufacturing in Viet Nam. We must be informed consumers of products that are manufactured in Viet Nam. Before purchasing a product manufactured in Viet Nam, we must consider the working conditions under which the product was manufactured. Vietnamese Americans/Canadians cannot forget that it is a Vietnamese brethren who toiled away to produce the goods that companies are marking up and selling to consumers for a healthy profit. There are many companies who are willing to exploit Viet Nam and Vietnamese workers for the sake of a profit, but as consumers and as employees, Vietnamese Americans/Canadians have the power to ensure that manufactures are providing suitable working environments and are engaging in honest business practices because Vietnamese Americans/Canadians hold the purse strings.

We’ve seen that Vietnamese Americans/Canadians have the ability to aid the neediest people in Viet Nam by partnering with service organizations that are focused on Viet Nam. We have the ability to shape US/Canada foreign policy as it relates to Viet Nam and therefore having the effect of persuading the Vietnamese government to improve human rights in Viet Nam. Vietnamese Americans/Canadians have the ability to shape the economic landscape of Viet Nam by ensuring that foreign business practices in Viet Nam are for the ultimate benefit of the Vietnamese citizen without doing long-term harm to Vietnamese land and environments. But all this to what end? All this shall be done in order to preserve the Vietnamese culture and to promote better lives for all the Vietnamese people. The point of playing a role in shaping the political and economic landscape in Viet Nam is to ensure that the development and progress in Viet Nam is not made at the expense of the core beliefs upon which the Vietnamese culture is built. Instead, development and progress in Viet Nam must be made in such a way that the Vietnamese culture can flourish. The values that are fundamental to the Vietnamese culture such as family values, a focus on education, and strength of character are the same values that have allowed Vietnamese Americans/Canadians to be resilient and are the reasons why we’ve been able to successfully establish ourselves in foreign countries. By preserving the Vietnamese culture, Vietnamese Americans/Canadians can ensure that they and future generations of Vietnamese Americans/Canadians will have the opportunities to continue to learn about the Vietnamese heritage. Only through understanding their Vietnamese heritage can Vietnamese Americans/Canadians truly discover themselves, their strengths, their motivations, and their dreams. If Vietnamese Americans/Canadians allow foreign influences to undermine the Vietnamese culture, then we’re really lost our homeland.

Viet Nam’s history and Viet Nam’s future is deeply intertwined with the fate of each and every Vietnamese American/Canadian. Vietnamese Americans/Canadians can no more turn their backs on Vietnam than we can turn their backs on ourselves. By helping to affect positive change in Viet Nam, Vietnamese Americans/Canadians are rekindling hope in the Vietnamese communities abroad that their journeys and struggles have not been in vain. Through active involvement, Vietnamese Americans/Canadians are also setting examples for future generations that while the Vietnamese population is scattered throughout the globe, all are connected through their tie to Viet Nam, a land of deep history and heritage and one that, if allowed, can offer much hope and promise for the future. For these reasons, Vietnamese Americans/Canadians must not distance themselves from Viet Nam, but instead leverage all the connections and resources we have to help shape Viet Nam’s future.