Introduction
Southeast Asian Americans are the former citizens of Southeast Asian countries and their descendants who now live in U.S. More specifically, though, “Southeast Asian Americans” often designates the immigrants and refugees from nations of the mainland Southeast Asia, specifically Laos, Vietnam, Hmong, and Cambodia. The Southeast Asian Americans are actually an ethnically diverse group that is comprised of Laotians, Cambodian, Hmong, Vietnamese, Thai, among other ethnic tribes. Unlike the other Asian immigrants, majority of these immigrants entered U.S as refugees. The 3 acts that have essentially facilitated immigration and resettlement of these refugees include Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1975, Refugee Act of 1980, and Amerasian Homecoming Act of 1987.
Southeast Asian migration to United States was informed by both domestic and global policies. Therefore, this essay explores these policies by addressing the interplay between Southeast Asia Hot Wars and global cold war. The essay also comparatively discusses Cambodian, Vietnamese, Hmong, and Laotian immigrants. Finally, the essay criticizes the United States domestic and global policies of this time and how the public policies in U.S led to the racialization of the Southeast Asian refugees.
First and foremost, the communism and socialism policies informed the migration of Southeast Asian in United States. Many Southeast Asian communities migrated to United States as a result of these policies. After WWII, political rivalry and tensions which surfaced in Europe between the western world and Soviet Union together with its satellites precipitated cold war. This war was characterized by the struggle between capitalist states and communist states. Thus, Southeast Asia actually became a key competition area. After communist-inspired revolutions series broke out in 1948 in Southeast Asia, followed closely by the 1949 Chinese communists triumph and the 1950 Korean War outbreak, U.S. regarded communism as a world threat hence it considered Southeast Asia as fundamental line of resistance so as to stem it aside (Chandler 49).
Therefore, Vietnam became center of Cold War in the entire Southeast Asia. In 1954, Vietnam defeated French and it was split into nationalist south and communist north. Ho Chi Minh's Vietcong army from 1959 waged a guerrilla war that was prolonged with South Vietnam and U.S that was its powerful ally (Chandler 49). When communists at last assumed power in the year 1975, the South Vietnamese government escapees and military were the first of numerous hundred thousands of the Southeast Asian refugees to America.
Cambodia was actually drawn into Vietnam War in early 1970s when Vietcong forces and North Vietnamese started moving deeper into the Cambodian territory. Fighting between the Hanoi-backed Khmer Rouge and government troops continued until communist takeover in the year 1975 (Sucheng 16). Cambodians along with the Laotians and Hmong refugees migrated to U.S. in 2 waves where the first was sin 1975 and the second which was the larger in early 1980s. Between the year 1982 and 1988, some Cambodians arrived in U.S raising their total population to 10,000.
United States in 1960s fought secret war in Laos so as to sever North Vietnamese supply line called Ho Chi Minh Trail. By the year 1970, two thirds of Laos had essentially been massively bombed and this caused flight of 600,000 immigrants, 20% of total Laos population ( Sucheng 3). Indigenous lowland Lao immigration followed that of Cambodians. Hmongs suffered under the rule of communist Pathet Lao since they were backbone of CIA-trained guerilla strength in Laos. As a result, they migrated to U.S as refugees in early 1980s in the Southeast Asian resettlement second wave.
The domestic policies that informed Southeast Asian migration to U.S. include resettlement and immigration policies (Sucheng 96). The resettlement that the U.S. government adopted required refugees to scatter across the nation so as to make certain their financial self-sufficiency as well as prevent the overwhelming concentration in any single community. However, the dramatic changes in the nation’s immigration policy took place after United States forces withdrew from the Southeast Asia.
Nonetheless, both domestic and global policies in United States during this period have contributed to Southeast Asian refugees’ racialization. The global policies are the ones to blame for the current sufferings of these immigrants since by U.S. involving them in war, it made them become evacuees who are racialized by the Americans even today. On the other hand, the domestic policies did not put proper mechanisms to protect the refugees from racialization. For instance, despite the assistance by the government, many Southeast Asian Americans continue to confront challenges that are associated with racialization. Many Southeast Asian communities still live below poverty line since even if the policies are in place, they face racialization.
Works cited
Chandler, David P. Voices from S-21: Terror and History in Pol Pot's Secret Prison. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999.
