Abstract
The Vietnamese are unusual and even unique people. Despite the fact that this nationality was influenced by three world religions - Confucianism, Hinduism and Buddhism, and each religion had a significant impact on the historic course and development of the Vietnamese society. Culture of the Vietnamese people is unique and distinctive, and the process of its development has been lasting for the third millennium. The Vietnamese have many interesting and unusual traditions that they are likely to follow in order to keep their identity among the representatives of another culture. Language and cultural barriers are two main reasons why Vietnamese Americans may feel discomfort in the American environment. They think that Americans do not understand their beliefs and morals, so because of this misunderstanding Vietnamese Americans cannot use appropriately all the services that the American society provides for them.
Keywords: Vietnamese, Confucianism, Hinduism and Buddhism, religious, spiritual, beliefs.
Critical analysis of Vietnamese Americans
Introduction
Immigration of Vietnamese in the United States started quite late. Until 1975, the majority of the Vietnamese population included children and wives of American servicemen in Vietnam, but their number was very small. According to the immigration services and Naturalization Service data, only 650 Vietnamese migrated to the United States in the period from 1950 to 1974. The end of the Vietnam War gave the rise to a powerful surge of immigration, so about 125 thousand people left Vietnam during the spring of 1975. The groups of early migrants included highly educated Vietnamese, but they were taken by the US government through their military bases. Later on, the flow of immigrants from Vietnam was also very high, and it was promoted by a number of bills to facilitate the migration process and receive the refugee status. The second wave of migration of Vietnamese refugees was held from 1978 to mid-1980. They were mainly people of a lower social status. This group of Vietnamese left the country in small, overcrowded and unsafe boats, so that they were often called boat people. In 1980, the number of Vietnamese refugees was limited, at the same time, leaving Vietnam has also become more complicated and tightly controlled process (Zong, 2016).
Vital Statistics of the Vietnamese Americans Cultural Group
Statistical data reflect the socio-cultural state and way of life of the Vietnamese Americans. The majority of Vietnamese migrants in the United States are the refugees in the first and second generations. From 1981 to 2000, the United States took 531, 310 political refugees from Vietnam. About 1 million people in the country, among the population of 5 years and older, speak Vietnamese at home, making it the seventh language spread in the United States. From the Vietnamese who were born outside the United States, 46.5% had immigrated to 1990, 38.8% immigrated between 1990 and 2000, and 14.6% immigrated only after 2000. According to the 2000 census, 1,123,000 people identified themselves as a Vietnamese. 447 000 people out of them lived in California, and 135,000 people inhabited Texas. The rapid growth of the Vietnamese population was observed in other states. In 2006, the population of Vietnamese in the United States included 1,599,394 Vietnamese. The distribution of religions among the Vietnamese population in the US is markedly different. For example, if the population of Vietnamese Christians, mostly Catholics, constitutes only 6%, the number of the American Vietnamese is that around 23% (Zong, 2016).
Language, Traditions, Morals and Major Beliefs of Vietnamese Americans
After the Vietnamese war, the Vietnamese immigrants suffered much when they faced the challenging adaptation to completely new culture and way of life. In the United States, the Vietnamese people became, first of all, the victims of limited knowledge of English. The immigrants faced the language barrier because of the total difference of English and Vietnamese. They differ in structure, tonal variations, and possess own peculiarities on each language level. Actually, the knowledge of language can be easily acquired, but the main contradictions may appear in the differences between the mentalities, traditions, morals and religious beliefs. It is necessary to note that religion plays an important role in determining the basic principles of human behavior and way of life. Religion presupposes the essence of morality and human beliefs. It forms the way of human thinking and world view. The majority of Vietnamese Americans consists of Buddhists and Catholics. Some groups of Vietnamese Americans practice Taoism, Mahayana Buddhism, Confucianism and animism. There exist also such Vietnamese that practice ancestor veneration as a result of the influence of Chinese folk religion. As every community, Vietnamese Americans include some Protestants and those who are irreligious.
Vietnam has always been under the influence of three religious movements - Confucianism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Therefore, the Vietnamese mentality is inclined to religious syncretism. The local churches of Vietnamese Americans represent the local spirits of patrons, as well as Buddha, Bodhisattva, Confucius, and other religious and historical personalities. A special feature of local religious consciousness is the cult of the ancestors and the belief that the spirits of their ancestors live in the same world with the living beings and are able to influence events. Most Vietnamese believe that the ancestors take a direct part in all the affairs of their descendants, first of all, protect them and warn of impending danger (LaBorde, 2010). A moral duty of every Vietnamese, no matter what part of the world he/she inhabits, is to keep the memory of their ancestors and honor them in every possible way. Vietnamese Americans keep following the celebration of the national Vietnamese holidays. The biggest religious holiday is considered Vietnamese New Year, Nguyen Dan. Also, the locals celebrate the festival of the Marble Mountains and the festival of folk songs. The Day of Wandering Souls is also an important holiday for all Vietnamese. All these holidays are celebrated according to the lunar calendar (LaBorde, 2010).
The Vietnamese are very superstitious people and try to follow numerous signs and traditions. For example, a woman met the first in the street in the morning is considered a bad sign. In general, it should be noted that a woman occupies a subordinate position in the Vietnamese family. Despite the fact that the American culture has a great influence on the traditions of the Vietnamese population, and the status of women is changing, still a strong influence of old traditions leaves to be quite strong. So, the Vietnamese woman, before sitting down at the table, must first take care of her husband, and only then she may begin to take her meal. The Vietnamese, as already mentioned, firmly believe in various signs. So, at the entrance of the houses they place the mirror. According to legend, the mirror saves their homes from the evil spirits. On the table, Vietnamese should always put extra cutlery, even if a meal is taken by one person. The sign to praise the newborn child is considered to be a bad manner. The Vietnamese are always smiling, but that does not mean that they are in good mood. They are used to smile even when they are upset. Vietnamese speak very quietly, so, loud and emotional conversations of the Americans are misunderstood by the local Vietnamese (LaBorde, 2010).
No matter, how far the Vietnamese live from the motherland, their heart and soul remain with their families and friends and where they were born. Family relationships of Vietnamese are characterized by mutual affection between all members of the family: parents and children, siblings and grandparents. Children in such families grow in harmony and idyllic relations between parents, they live in love and peace, and thus such an attitude in the family develops in children respect for the elders, they feel the family warmth, learn to be independent and develop their cultural values.
Major Health Disparity Issues and Risks of Vietnamese Americans
It is necessary to mention that Vietnamese Americans face difficulties in adapting to the systems of the American society because of the language and cultural barriers. When dealing with some illnesses, Vietnamese feel certain discomfort, as they are sure that the American doctors do not understand Vietnamese values and beliefs, and their attitude to the diseases (Hastings, 2015). The Vietnamese believe that the American doctors cannot care properly about them, so that Is why, they choose non-traditional herbal ways of treatment. Because of these reason, Vietnamese Americans are affected by different health disparities (Chu, 2011). In most cases, Vietnamese Americans suffer from cancer and cardiovascular disease that are the two major death causes.
Speaking about Vietnamese American women, they die mostly of cancer as they are diagnosed on the later stages of cancer progressing, if comparing to women of other ethnic groups. Hepatitis B is considered to be one of the most dangerous illnesses for Asian Americans. Almost half of the Vietnamese Americans die of chronic Hepatitis B. Vietnamese Americans are at the highest risk dying of liver cancer among other ethnicities of Asian Americans. Mental health problems are also an alarming issue for Vietnamese Americans. For instance, women at the age of 65 and over duffer from mental disorders and tend to commit suicide (Chu, 2011). Many Vietnamese Americans suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that is presupposed by the immigration to another country and the process of adaptation to quite different society. Asian women possess high suffering from Osteoporosis. This is because of low level of calcium intake among them in comparing to the women of Western population. Many Vietnamese Americans face lactose intolerance, and cannot properly digest the nutrients. Vietnamese Americans tend to suffer from Tuberculosis more than other ethnic groups (Hastings, 2015).
Conclusion
In conclusion it should be noted that Vietnamese Americans try to keep their identity following national traditions and religious moralities. Still, they find it quite difficult to become a full part of the American society, and face great deal of difficulties. They suffer from various health disorders, but cannot take the appropriate treatment because of language and cultural barriers.
It is necessary to notice that Vietnamese feel some discomfort and stress because of the immigration when they need to leave their homes and move to another country, trying to adapt to completely different mentality, and follow absolutely different way of life. Still, they try to keep their identity through following their national traditions and sticking to their religious beliefs.
References
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http://www.resourcenter.net/images/snrs/files/sojnr_articles2/Vol11Num01Art01.html
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4411112/
LaBorde, P. (2010). Vietnamese Cultural Profile. Web. 27 Jul. 2016. Retrieved from:
https://ethnomed.org/culture/vietnamese/vietnamese-cultural-profile
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http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/vietnamese-immigrants-united-states#
