Socialist Republic of Vietnam

By Huu Ngoc

Dr Nguyen Khac Vien (1913-1997), holder of a Francophone Grand Prix bestowed by the French Academy, was the elder son of Nguyen Khac Niem, a Confucian scholar of great moral rectitude. When, in 1937, he left Sai Gon to study in France, his father went with him as far as the pier. There, his father handed him a letter, which was not to be opened until the ship had reached the high seas. It turned out to be instructions for Vien not to marry a ba Dam (French Westerner) in order to preserve his national identity.

Bui Trong Lieu is 70 (20 years younger than Vien), and a doctor of mathematics who worked in Paris until his retirement. His father was also a scholar of the old school, but did not advise his son to avoid a mixed marriage. As a result, Lieu married a French woman. They live happily together with their children; the whole family is very much attached to the old country. Lieu, his national identity intact, has made generous contributions to the improvement of Viet Nam’s education sector, which he believes to play a key role in the development of his homeland.

I remember the warm welcome Lieu gave me when I was visiting Paris for the first time a quarter of a century ago. As I was speaking about forget-me-nots, a flower of which I had only a bookish notion, Lieu got up and went out into the garden. He brought me back one of the delicate blooms when he returned.

Through a friend, I have just received from Lieu his latest book, Au Sujet de l’Enseignement (About Education in Viet Nam). The book is remarkable for the author’s forthrightness, insight and love of Viet Nam.

One subject in the book is of particular interest to me: What Vietnamese living abroad should do to preserve their cultural identity (Lieu does not use "national identity", a term he thinks to be static and a bit chauvinistic).

According to Lieu, the first thing to do is to ensure a stable life and material security before thinking about preserving one’s cultural identity. To an immigrant, three attitudes are possible: integration, insertion or assimilation.

In his opinion, the ideal model for Vietnamese expats should be a community harmoniously, durably and completely integrated into the host country but not severed from its roots and Vietnamese stock. That means that Vietnamese living abroad should become citizens of the host country, rights and obligations included. In this way, the host country can rest assured of its social composition and can feel richer because of the immigrants’ contributions in terms of culture, thinking, knowledge and lifestyle.

Integration should not be mistaken for assimilation; an act that makes immigrants the same as natives. It is what the extreme right is looking for in its xenophobia and its advocacy of racial and cultural segregation. Certain immigrants believe incorrectly that integration will deprive them of their cultural identity, so they react by withdrawing into their own communities, living on the margins of the society that has accepted them. It is unfortunate that such people have not been able to discard their historical burdens (colonization and racial segregation) and thus isolate themselves.

A person with the insertion attitude will seek to obtain citizenship of the host country simply to enjoy local rights and secure his or her life. So doing, he only cares for his compatriots and turns his back on matters concerning natives of his or her new home. This is a temporary and selfish solution that leads nowhere.

If Viet Nam regards Vietnamese abroad as a window to the world or as an "interface," to use a computer term, it should hope for an integrated expat community whose nature is different from that of the home community. A Vietnamese community abroad that is identical to the homeland will not be profitable either to itself or Viet Nam. Also, it will do the host country little good, instead becoming a source of tension and racial hatred.

Certain people hold the erroneous view that Vietnamese people are naturally skilful and intelligent, and that they can do well anywhere. However, the reality is different. To prove that, Lieu analyzes social positions occupied by Vietnamese people in France, from waiters all the way to intellectuals of some renown. Generally speaking, they lack stature. They rank at the bottom of the upper rungs or, in other words, at the top of the lower rungs.

Is this about the preservation of national identity? The author wonders what national identity is. It can be interpreted as the preservation of blood ties and of strictly traditional customs and habits. The author hopes that Vietnamese abroad will nurture and promote their cultural identity as marked by history, language, culture, art and lifestyle. From this heritage, bad habits and peculiarities must be removed, and positive aspects and traits must be encouraged and promoted. This will serve the interests of both expats and the host society.

Viet Nam News, March 20, 2005