A Study of Vietnamese Diaspora Intellectuals

A STUDY OF VIETNAMESE DIASPORA INTELLECTUALS FROM VICTIMIZATION TO TRANSNATIONALISM: A STUDY OF VIETNAMESE DIASPORA INTELLECTUALS IN NORTH AMERICA BY NHUNG (ANNA) VU, B.A. (Hons.), M.A. A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY AND THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES OF MCMASTER UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY © Copyright by Nhung (Anna) Vu, June 2015 All Rights Reserved Doctor of Philosophy (2015) McMaster University (Sociology) Hamilton, Ontario, Canada TITLE: From Victimization to Transnationalism: A Study of Vietnamese Diaspora Intellectuals in North America AUTHOR: Nhung (Anna) Vu B.A. (Hons.), M.A. SUPERVISOR: Dr. Neil McLaughlin NUMBER OF PAGES: xii, 317 ii Abstract The objective of this thesis is to examine the issue of identity construction among Vietnamese intellectuals in North America. How is the way in which they construct their identity connected to their position(s) on the Vietnam War, anti-communist community discourse, and memory/commemoration, especially with respect to the contentious debate about which flag represents Vietnam today? Vietnamese Diaspora Intellectuals (VDI) are an understudied group, and I hope my research will help to fill this gap, at least in part, and also serve as a catalyst for further investigation. In my attempt to address this neglected area of study, I am bringing together two bodies of literature: diaspora studies and literature on identity formation among intellectuals. The intersection between these two areas of scholarship has received relatively little attention in the past, and it deserves further consideration, because intellectuals are so often in a position to serve as carriers and disseminators of new ideas, as well as facilitators in conflict resolution. Using a qualitative approach to my data collection, I conducted life history narrative interviews with 32 respondents in Canada and the U.S, as well as some participant observation research of community events. The majority of my interviewees were academics, but some were also journalists/writers, as well as community activists/representatives. A key element of diaspora research, as Cohen and Watts have argued, involves an examination of the “victim narrative”. My project considers the victim narrative in the context of the Vietnamese experience and evaluates the usefulness of such a narrative in terms of community politics and identity formation. My interviewees were often iii skeptical about the utility of such a narrative, and in some cases, viewed it as a thinly veiled mechanism of control, which serves the interests of community leaders, but may in fact, hinder the progress of the Vietnamese diaspora population. They contemplated some possibilities for transcending such a narrative, which could involve the creation of “free spaces”, permitting the expression of other points of view. As we will see, my interviewees reflected on the irony inherent in this situation. Many Vietnamese risked their lives in pursuit of the democratic ideal of freedom, but some of my participants discovered that the attempt to impose an overarching narrative – the rejection of communism – in fact led to the very antithesis of that ideal. In this connection, my research complicates Cohen’s work on diaspora, which assumes that all diasporic communities speak with one voice with regard to defining moments in their history. Cohen argues that members of such groups, by definition, shared a common past, an agreed-upon way of commemorating that past, and a common destiny. I argue that Cohen has oversimplified the situation. My research demonstrates that there is no such thing as unanimity. Vietnamese diaspora intellectuals do not simply navigate academic “interaction ritual chains” as Randall Collins has asserted, they must navigate several - often competing interaction rituals - which extend to their roles as members of their ethnic community as well. How do my interviewees deal with the inevitable conflicts and tensions engendered by such competing interaction rituals? Finally, what are the possibilities of moving forward, of generating a new narrative, which will transcend the rigid and restrictive anticommunist discourse dominant in community politics thus far? And what role can Vietnamese diaspora intellectuals play in iv this regard? My research indicates that they are uniquely qualified to facilitate the process of rapprochement, because the life of intellectuals demands a high degree of reflexivity and thus better enables them to evaluate the merits of conflicting viewpoints. My hope is to inspire future research – not only in the Vietnamese community, but on and for other diasporic groups as well. My work extends Neil Gross’ theory of the “intellectual self-concept” (ISC) (which focuses on American academics) by introducing the notion of the diaspora intellectual self-concept (DISC). Such concept allows us to include analysis of intellectuals with significant transnational connections who are dealing with racial and ethnic tensions in their new homeland while establishing themselves as professionals and citizens in a new cultural and political context. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There’s an old English adage that I learned when I came over to North America: “behind every successful man there’s a woman”. I wish to extend this saying with my own variation: “behind every successful Ph.D candidate, there is an exhausted supervisory committee”. Thus, first and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Neil McLaughlin, who once told me that a good supervisor offers “unrelenting criticism and unlimited support” – and it has been my privilege to have received both from him. I am thankful for his constant prodding. He pushed me to go beyond the limits of what I thought I could do, but at the same time he always had my back, and he made sure that I had fun and laughed along the way. His dedication and commitment to his craft, especially to mentorship and to doing public sociology, has been inspiring - and I can only hope to follow in his footsteps. I have learned so much from Professor Vic Satzewich. His expertise in historical methodology and diaspora studies has been invaluable in guiding the direction of this thesis and beyond. From Professor Satzewich, I learned the importance of empathizing with one’s interviewees. He also taught me that a good researcher is a good listener. He has been enormously attentive to my concerns throughout this project and I am thankful for his many kindnesses to me. I thank Professor Melanie Heath for her attention to detail, her diligence, and her incisive comments on my thesis. I have learned a great deal from Professor Heath vi regarding the importance of methodological rigor and thoroughness in research inquiry. I thank her for helping me to become a better methodologist as a result. Many thanks go to Corinne Jehle, Graduate Program Administrative Assistant, who has been unfailingly patient and efficient in making sure that this endeavor runs smoothly. I thank also Olga Cannon, Administrative Assistant in the Department of Sociology, who has given so freely of her time and knowledge. My gratitude goes to all the Graduate Program Directors for their support during my time at McMaster University: Professors Dorothy Pawluch, John Fox, and Tina Fetner. I would also like to thank all of the professors whom I have met and learned from over the years, as well as my colleagues. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to share this experience with so many great individuals. From my alma mater, I express my warm thanks to Professor Katja Neves and Dr. Penny Pasdermajian of Concordia University for their continued friendship and support. Last but not least, thank you to my family - my husband Joseph and my son Joey - for their enduring love and support. They have been my rock and have kept me going when the going gets tough. It is because of them that this journey has been made possible. Nhung (Anna) Vu Montreal, Quebec June 8, 2015 vii This thesis is dedicated to my American parents, Dr. Bertram and Mrs. Clarine Spetzler, who have taught me many valuable life lessons and have inspired me beyond words. I am deeply and forever indebted to them for making me feel loved and for giving me that sense of belonging again. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ABSTRACT................................................................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................... vi DEDICATION............................................................................................................. viii LIST OF TABLES....................................................................................................... xii LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... xiii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS...................................................................................... xiv CHAPTER 1––INTRODUCTION .............................................................................. 1 A Community’s Coming of Age ........................................................................... 1 Elderly Care Facility ........................................................................................ 1 First Vietnamese-born General ........................................................................ 4 A Refugee’s Story ................................................................................................

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