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11/1/1994 - Guns are Out, Spiritual War is in. Vietnamese-Americans look for ways to foster democracy in Vietnam by Carole Beaulieu

CB WITHOUTWRITER SGONSNT INSTITUTEOFCURRENTWORLDAFFAIRS VieteSe Ameri ff0ster dem0ray Ve Peter Brd Martin West Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 USA Dear Peter A young woman bends police rallnE yelling obscenities English Vietnamese Her middle finger repeatedly sticks traitors those enter Vietnam Expo first industrial exhibition Vietnamese products American since SaiEon She hundred demonstrators standing entrance Some fatigues berets chant slogans placards Others aggressive taunts vulgar comments They killed yotlr brother killed father emotional young yells And trading those butchers Before I answer moves choking tears clenching fists It three protest brought according organizers about thousand Vietnamese Americans Fort Mason large complex San Francisco Bay Now Expo closing Vietnamese exhibitors board chartered buses protected pollcemen horseback motorcycles Killers butchers demonstrators Two hundred meters behind meter hundred protestors striped yellow Of former Republic SOuth Vietnam The Dattle engineer standing But anger still within So shout It Those troubling times Vietnamese emigres Normalization between Washington Hanoi cards Yesterday enemy oming trade partner maybe socialist vietnam pariah country And refugees struggle define their position Guns viable Option anymore ietnamese Californian lawyer requests anonymity But divided other options Some business freedom Others oppose focus human rights protests The young Twenty years after defeat still oranized united opposition chane Vletnn Carole Beaulieu ICWA fellow writing about countries former French Indochlna focus Vietnam Since InstituteofCurrentWorld Affairs theCrane Rogers Foundation hasprovidedlong fellowships enable outstanding young adults outside United States write about international areas issues Endowed bythelateCharlesR Crane theInstituteisalsosupportedbycontributionsfromlike mindedindividualsand foundations Not everyone agrees lawyer Do Diem young Year MBA Orange County malntalns Y0unE Eeneratlon different The average National Front LIDeratlon Vietnam Internatlonal orEanization which Diem S Our Eeneratlon DeglnnlnE involved We educated understand America Our methoas obectve somewhat dlfferent We communist dictatorsIp We modernize Vltnam brine Confucius We beleve computers education The Vletnamese AerIcan community certalnly years In Would dream telllnE friends going Vietnam family recalls Orange County businessman Everyone afraid getting Dy communlsts Orange County large south Los Angeles often descr virulently communist Vietnamese em1Eres Many refugees settled there after related military I In daring wldely puD1clzed attempts mllltarlly toppllnE Hanol government launched Journallsts suspected communlst threatened Some thelr murders remaln unsolved Everyone I Orange County tells there crazy frlnge wants Elve names phone numbers Those lawyer Van Pham Pho their following isappearlnE qulckly Whlle Vletnamese Amerlcans denounce vletnam belng dictatorshlp talks anymore overthrowlng reElme Guns useless Quang Pham ounSelor Vletnamese Communlty Orange county Overthrow force possible We change peacefully Llttle SalEon Is heart Vletnamese community In Orange county horhood looknE commercial centers llnlnE Bo Street thoroughfare Of Westmlnster Today tourist agencies openly advertlze trlps I Acc0rdnE Washington based SEARC SoutheaSt Asla Research Center million Vletnamese cameto America after SaiEon The US houses largest population persons Vietnamese descent outslde Vietnam The Callfornlan community largest US close people Tourist agencF Bola Street Travelllng Vietnam Is polltlcally correct Vietnam But other tensions remain The clinic local octor advocates trade relations Vietnam picketed Dy I000 people His clinic boycotte A Vietnamese language television station trucks burned after broadcasted second communist backEround Death threats The arrival hundreds former detainee recently brouEht hardenlnE community explains local businessman Those labor camps understand softenlnE stance Western world reEardinE Vietnam A DIVIDED COMMUNITY Phu Tuan C San Jose social worker admits Vetnamese American community divided CuonE blames dlvlson Vietnam history colonization emigres exper1ence democracy Thlrty ournalst De Tran staffer Q_e I LM__ flrst Amerlcan newspaper opened office Hanoi elleves complicated roots Tere Is Vetnamese community What Is three Eroups Unlted States different times whose experlenGe Vietnam America fferent A stzcessful flrst The flrst refuEees arrived after SaEon Today clearly successful Their children Eone schools often described americanlzed They accordnE Tran normallzaton width Vetnam Journallst Andrew Lain whose fatally escape Vletnam plane before People Army entered SalEon amlts sometlmes feels saylnE Is refuEee MY fater Eeneral recalls whlle sharlnE potluck supper In comfortable San Franclsco apartment surrounded frlends refuEees establlshe doctors enElneers marrled Vletnamese sweet hearts The worst experlence escape alrllne stewardess because I reache Elass champaEne passlnE around Lain Eone Vetnam vlslt Eo None friends ether thouEh Eotten involved In humanltarlan EnEllsh Is My personal A struEllnE secon The second Vietnamese refuEees people They money contacts ellte military Eovernment Thelr escape treacherous Many everytlnE robbed Dy prates I Vletnam recalls artlst Phl Loc small In Southern California numerous shopplnE malls When I arrlved I After Loc spent eiEht years In Jall before escaplnE Amerlca HIS thelr daughters jolned In Callfornla The famlly somewhat typlcal thousands Vletnamese refuEees settled In Westmlnster shopplnE malls heart OranEe County Los AnEeles The famlly money Is tlEht Those people In posltlon invest In V1etnam Co NEuyen deputy edltor D_Q__V Southern Californla largest Influentlal dally newspaper In Vietnamese They puttlnE thelr children through school paylnE And fatally problems Educatlon chlldren Is Take example Westmlnster La 0ulnta High SChool The sprawllnE whlte buIdln larEest Vletnamese popGlatlon Unlted Stares Over students Vletnamese descent about Mexlcans There flEhts between Vletnamese there between Mexicans Vletnamese The Mlds dlfferent levels acculturatlon explains prlnclpal Mltch Thomas Relations always YounE student Lain california years sneers Vletnamese whltewashed They 8peaMz La around whlte Oulnta High School teyevendress llkewhiteboys esays waltinEforafriendn courtyard Sometimes speak Vletnamese They Culture Loss culture Is lament I vletnamese Amerlcans My speak vietnamese complalns Jose electrlclan voice DreaMnE MY children write vietnamese complains publlsh QuanE NEuyen When US embarEo agalnst Vietnam lifted Tomas Invlted someone aDout fleld questions students Very recalls oplnlon about subject It amazlnE llttle aDout homeland aOout Thomas FlndlnE It difficult adjust demands younE astray Some teenaEers portrayed In movlnE reportaEe Dy AndreW Lain L Ie_ E I T Eet Euns hostaEes hoplnE Eet money plane Eo flEht communlsts reEaln their parent honor A third wounded The after today often worst Many former detainee spent fifteen years In Hanoi calls reeducation The detainee concentration camps I laDor Few those early S manaEed lnteErate market LanEuaEe problem FraEile health Is another No listens anymore NEuyen Hau President Polltca Detainee Mutual Association proflt orEanizat headquartered In Westminster Amer wants buslness Not stories Formed association helps former detainee start Amerlca Most revolves around fndinE recent arrivals EatherinE donations furniture T Association donatlons Vietnamese communlty sympathetic amerlean poiltlclans In May It recelved Te Former Detainee spent close Westminster MY Interview Hau hardly begun people Jon An later ormer detainee crowded around competing attention I gettlnE details crushed labor terrible Ironies It years Jal anEer NEuyen Vu KhuonE three piece manioc It French IEnored I released A Parls tralned Ph D In economy KhuonE played youth Franqols Lotard French Minister Deence In Vetnam Khuong worked French Vietnamese orEanizatlons years before SaiEon When I freed French consulate refused former student Tbu Duc Army school officers I tried times To avall In realpo Settled In Paris other western capitals wooing Hanoi share Eovernment contracts Former prIsoners sought after guests French consulate Today KhuonE draws welfare remnisces years After while realized jailers starvlnE beEan share Eot family became Nuyen Vu Khuon bearable KhuonE despises American culture longs France admits United Staes country generous enough offer asylum Asked about number poltlcal prisoners Vietnamese jails former detainee cannot aEree ArEuments flare Up Vietnamese Finally NEuyen Hau concludes about former detainee released waiting America Acordng about people opposed communist regime still Jail Most reGent prisoners Former detainee nothlnE about current reElme Vietnam It stupid busness there Hau There protect investments During first labor Hau trees build His teeth fragile health leftover years spent labor We gruel recalls Only following Our famllles allowed visit Then In America Hau mainly worked voluntarily Assocat while worked factory family The Hau small flnEer manner mandarins those whose education shielded manual labor FoAmer Colonel DuonE Dinh Thu complains about support U S Eovernent Elves former allle admits llvlnE comfortably His eIEht children America Four doctors enEineers They eStabllshed professionals thanks I start aEaln To0 proud busboy coffee For former detainee wounds still fresh When demonstration aEalnst Hanoi larEe numbers When I concentration children forbidden enternE university recalls former detainee Nhon NEuyen My Job teacher A former dstrlct chief MekonE Delta province Nhon spent twelve years Today wears jeans hearinE sparkle thought 8ettinE those denied chilren education Nhon Behind IXon where etExpo Nhon Loan saved students loved cared Someone Eave little Earden could children She produce black markettounecessitieS Whenherhusbandwasreleasedn987 America Orderly Departure ProEram ODP US Vietnam neEotlated aEreement replaclnE daring escapes orderly departures Today Loan wears straw yellow ribbon colors defeated South She looks Eentle Eardener ravine communlst activist SomethInE about Smells cookies bedtime stories ErandchIldren BUt standlnE overlooking VietExpo holdlnE South Vletnam nding Communists Every communists I Eo protest between chants No Human Rights No business VC liars VC killers VC VletConE TRADING WITH THE VC KILLERS VC LIARS Not everyone share detalnee point Some Southern Californian EynecoloEst Co Pham beleve It Is reconcile We talklnE twenty years It Is Vetnam develop We educated chanEe Vietnam In years Pham controversial fEure OranEe County A successful businessman President Vetnamese Chamber Commerce OranEe County stunned community announclnE supported renewe commercal Vietnam Under leadershlp SAe_S_DIK Chamber Commerce monthly revlew beEan publsh buslness opportunltes Vletnam briefs US Vletnam trade relations In April accompanied other doctors mlsson Hanoi He October level communist offlclals Vlce Presldent Vietnam Mine NEuyen Th BInh Reaction OranEe County swlft Opponents picketed clnlcs At point close people assembled front office Vietnamese orEanlzatlons called boycott ofhls Medical Center eleEant Aslan lookinE milllon dollar clinic recently inauEurated Bolsa Street heart Lttle SalEon It Pham first brush politIcal correctness Last after entertained Vletnam deleEate Bola Medical Center United Natlons ambassador Le BanE Vietnamese Assoclaton Californian Pbyslclans which Pham President immediately called meetlnE toppled Still Pham undaunted As younE Pham share suerlnE Born In Hanoi athoic family Was reuEee Communist North early Raised SaiE freshly married I DananE serve doctor There I preclous Is On October morning Pham Vletnam cleaiy upbeat While members Chamber Commerce tried datat replaced failed I support think Pham briskly answerin calls shuffling papers while We Two health businessmen Tennessee nterested dOnnE busness Vietnam Fham morninE A machines Pham elbow small vldea screen constantly flashes varlous scenes alloWnE check staff monitor security The buslnessman doctor boycott affected business The protestors people welfare nothinE better They sadden scare On mornlnE colored carpeted ltlnE clinic pretty quiet thouEh A technician local laboratory under contract Pham cllnc busness really But Pham malntalns receives calls people support arald speaklnE The Sllent majority Pham And Hanol ltants resent about No would cared Eone quietly business Vietnam democracymlltant Do Dem But claimed represent I could accept To Diem Pham Is ambltlous Ereedy businessman philanthropist It dlsEusts dolnE Vietnamese people Diem All cares about pocket And OK honest about Some Pham shrewd politician makinE He tried Ealn influence wlthln Vetnamese Amerlcan communty failed recalls Co NEuyen deputy editoro influential OranEe County Vi etnamese dally E Q Now IS EambllnE become influential Vietnam Pham counters isonly pursulnH dream youth people better health better standard lvlnE Two years I tried unite talkinE about Vietnamese Amercan community They Eve chance speak They What I suppose I Hanoi support dream I recelved Pham descrlptlon Of first visit Hanoi sometimes sounds commercial There Streets People slmple clean clothes The leaders polte brEht smart orEanzed I future Offlclally Pham llttle suppprt The Vletnamese Associationo Physicians Southern California mantalns opposition medlcal assistance Vletnam could sustaln credibility Hanoi Eovernment The Southern Calfornla Chapter Vietnamese Pr ofessional Society rejects nrease trade opens doors democracy History other nations shown forelEn investors cases sided exlstnE Eovernment matter association spokesperson Others phllosophlca about Fham busness He means Le Dinh Dieu former press secretary SoUth Vietnam President ThIeu heads VetnameSe Amerlcan Arts Letters Assoclaton Calornla He Pro communist He capitalist But awkward Others clever Participants orEanlzers San Francisco VietExpo SUpport Pham vlsIon Those people busInessmen polltlclans NEuyen T HaO reerrlnE vietnamese exhibitors All chance money chance Just protestors there DlreCtor Vletnam San Francisco Foundation proflt orEanlzatlon Hao hopes develop between Vietnam San Franclsco Many Vietnamese firms Expo state owned enterprlses prlvate qulckly realized prices their goods especially compared Chinese products Our prices lttle admits Son Export Manager Vlser Vietnam maker But I downtown I shirt Just sellnE Otis What missing trademark Seven months after President Bill Clnton ended America embargo trade Vietnam Vietnamese exhibitors hoped signed contracts Most American market build network contacts Without Most Favored Natlon Status Vetnam goods import duties price American market exhibitors confident would break US market sooner later Tan Tlen HoChlMlnh Clty garment maker alrea sweaters Canada hopes United States untll America Eves Vietnam quota The Tan Tied kiosk atVle94 Vletnam larEest manufacturer Blts exportlnE toCanadaforouyears Thamya aprivateanuacturerowooen kltchen utenslls exportlnE wdely Europe Japan break Into North Amerlcan market Outside exhbltlon demonstrators difference between poltlcans businessmen DoinE busness Vetnam tradinE tombs those sacrflced their freedom NEuyen Son US after escapinE small people Sot protest Many V etnamese Amerlcans saEree Co Pham upbeat vision emlEre community He develop Vletnam recalls OuanE NEuyen edltor Paclflc Rlm Economlc Times California flrst Vletname economic newspaper He wronE Except people communty small businesses We cannot VietnameSe economy NKuFen Son AccordlnE 0uanE Vletnamese Amerlcans Eone Vietnam invest succeeded Close failed admlttlnE fIEure coffee sclentflc survey bellevnE accurate descrlpton sltuaton Some friends invested s0metlmes everythnE There authorizations payments under table We rules market For there successes OuanE knows Vletnamese emlEres successfully launched maker buslness Others opened rental companies shops BetWeen there respect Vietnamese Amerlcans QuanE Not The people fallures They munity cannot delver promises WHAT ROLE FOR THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY So there Vletnamese overseas In future Vietnam Some people There POOr people Vletnam L younE usher St Columban Cathollc Church arEest Vietnamese parish Llttle Samson We cannot We people IS Sunday afternoon St Co umban Is V etnamese faithful wearlnE their They overflow porch nEinE their mothers teenagers hdlnE smoke their cEarette ushers pressed black pants white Shir crowded Most people follow happenlnE Vletnam Cathollc lawyer Van Pham Pho Them IIvnE Sunday porchoSt Columban The crowd Vietnamese afternoon Even crowded St Columban Aslan Garden Llttle SalEon elegant shopplnE center The bulldlnE large glass wlndows upturned tiled whlte statues three Happlness Wealth Longevity The parklnE crowded dressed women drlvlnE expenslve fight parklnE spaces Little Elrls ruffled dresses velvet So people entering Mall I beEln wonder speclal event taklnE place But there honer Today usual Sunday Inside complex families mlnEle EawklnE display shops greetlnE frlends exchanging buylnE sweets Coffee shops packed young drlnklnE cbfee The pitched tones southern Vietnamese accent fills Wlth securty guards I Vletnamese bUlldln People explains bookstore employee place Sunday The Al Garden Mall BolSa Street Westminster Outside Aslan Garden volunteers collect slEnatures rotest human riEhts violations Vletnam thelr booth attracts people another booth selllnE phone cards I nothlnE Vietnam NEuyen Thl Qy I communists They property Before Quy owned manufacture SaIEon villa Ca Thane Street Jewelry Today alone Santa Ana husband Nlnh We clutchlnE small purse Ehtly Quy eight children grand chiIdren North America This November Qu first American election Republican I Pete reerrlnE Republican overnor Peter Wilson Why Kathleen Brown appealnE solidarity stronE women Quy Brown Is Democratic candidate stands Pete Nixon ouEht communists Quy Republican supporter In On Do Pham oflce there Nguyen Thi Guy color photoEraph showlnE former United States presidents Gerald Ford Ronald ReaEan GeorEe Bush RIchard Nlxon The photoEraph dedlcared doctor Pham thanknE outstandnE commitment Repub Party prlnclples The walls Former Detainee office proudly display dploma earned presldent We money influence poltlcs maybe lawyer Van Pham President Vietnamese Cathollc Communlty OranEe County committed Republlcan For first Democratic Committees OranEe COunty names Phoenix Club Vietnamese American Democratic LeaEue AccordlnE Southeast Asia Resource Center WashinEton D C their supporters reorulted amonE younE Eeneratlon perceives Democrats concerned people color PRESSURE GOVERNMENTS TO PUT PRESSURE ON VIETNAM Many Vietnamese Amerlcan militants I their strateEy pressure American conEressmen pressure Vietnam Improve human rIEhts records toward democracy That resister Vietnamese voters explains soolal worker Van Pham Vietnam wants mprove Vietnam human rIEhts record Our people Imp ortanoe We trying educate Vietnamese Amerlcans tended American poltics They recently beEan field candidates local elections And lucky their victory their ethnic constituency My father Sot small Vietnamese explains Carol Lain daughter Tony Lam California Vetnamese councllor We learned stand colleEe students EettinE involved In Westmlnster It estimated about third Lam votes potential Vetnamese voters A campain Tony Lain Bolsa Street V A Bim_u A statistical polltical perspeotlve Southeast Asia Resouroe Center WBshito D C A DIVIDED COMMUNITY STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND DEMOCRACY Almost twenty years after Vetnamese American community remains divided I always amazed unable Eenerate Eood leadership journalist economic publisher OuanE Even rallylnE ssues freedom rellEion respect human rEhts EettlnE people toEether touEh hardly belleve succeeded brlnElnE today Reverend Bastllle former chaplain served Vietnam amonE orEanizers California first Vietnamese Interfaith Council Today about hundred leaders various Vietnamese American organizations Eathered Liberty Christian Refo Church warehouse looklng bulldlnE located In Industrlal San Jose Representatlves rellElons Buddhist monks Cao Dal leader Catholic prlests Protestant pastors Hoa Hao bellevers Each relatlng violence their followers suffered under communism Most Eoes early Some recent Even Vietnamese 1Enore brutal repression Hoa Hao delegate Most particlpants Few under Young people Vietnamese politics In America NEuyen Anh TunE former captaln turned software enEneer They Eet involved organizations factlonallsm blckerlnE Today meeting first Never before representatives faiths Eathered strateEy defend religious freedoms Vietnam You should first meetinE Council recalls Bastille I Eive course democracy We minutes voted I introduce Roberts order Those people arEue NothnE They compromise The meetinE hours A group photo Interfaith Conference delelate Demonstrating religious freedom human rights VletExpo San Francisco Are Vetnamese erlcan orEanlzatlo really undemocratlc Doctor Nguyen TronE Viet United States spokesperson Vetnam Alliance worldwide organization democratic movements admits groups struggling The concept democracy South Vietnam repressive regime We learn accept different ideas people totally agree We maklnE progress If country become democracy learn about Even former detainee Khuong admit South Vietnam quite democracy prior We political parties democracy The pressure change strong especially cominE Eeneratlon young educated Vietnamese Americans TurFed infIEhtlnE dreams revenge In Vietnamese American Politics travel Vietnam In search their roots We romanticize homeland Vnh San Jose software engineer After while freedom Then square Some Involve American Polltlas Others Vietnamese American roups hoping change within On Open Forum private electronic discussion group Vietnamese Amerlcans question about democracy Vietnamese organization triggers lively debate I member Yale Vletnamese Americans Student Association answered participants Open Forum themselves Sometimes I think orEanlzation democratic It takes decision rarely anything Most other participa admit older generation trouble acceptin dferent points Ou CommUnity needs Jollst enwhose untywspar often teatened communl S mllltants angry newsparcoverage Wemustlentorestotherple restra NE_i ZI office Westminster Coverage communlst roUps moderate NEuyen Anh Tung argues emlEres respect democracy their orEanIzatlons before demand In Vietnam On September Tune himself elected representatives Vietnamese Community Northern California The September election leadership orEanlzatlon The community strong accordlnE TunE voted elect their representat Still Vietnamese Amerlcans election exercise futllty fundamentally alter autocratic which Vietnamese organizations But disagree We Washington normalize Hanoi social worker Cuong member Cal0rnla Interfaith Council organlzers San Jose Interfaith Conference Human REhts nvietnam We learn volce heard In Amerlcan authorltles Our Now Is different learn about human rights We lobby We learn actlvlsm learn reach media contact senators Tolearn about It Councll Invited conEressman Tom Lantos chairman ConEress Human RiEhts committee The talks information careful cultural Eap between representatives younE conEresslonal similar experience At San Jose conference almost VletnameseAmerlcan ltants I expresslon splrltual keeps coming FIGHTING A SPIRITUAL WAR Oin Worry communlsm lawyer Van Pham We communism We worry about reconstructlon restore moral values A member terfalth Council Pham teach Law Hue before In America insurance worked manufactures hlmsel trouEh school YounE people today respct their elders complalns Van Pham They respect dlsc1pllne sacrl1ce Many Vletnamese Amerlcans mllltants I OranEe County sound Justlkesomeovietnam scommunisthard llners Theyworry about fatally values about traditional conduct about druEs prostltuton youth undlsclpline They dlsparaEe urban youth reedom thelr embrace consumerism their rebellion aEalnst authorlty The those rebelllon seems escape Doctor Co Pham himself supports stronE Eovernment Vietnam needs party state while A clean stronE Eovernment I imaEne democracy In France US takinE Vletnam Pham admits Vietnam perfect record human riEhts But It Chlna The communlsts people There problems majority people economlc proEress political chanEe Pham lawyer human rEhts militant supports return conucanism rellglous values Democracy West liberal crime there Is Individualism admlttlnE lnterest dlsclpllned models Japan Korea Pham Vietnam democracy means anythlnE He fears chaos anarchy They democracy responsibilities there rules Vietnamese Amerlcans understand democracy could applied Vietnam Health manaEer Do Diem Of militan I sound preacher I communlst MBA I dictatorshlp If actual government replaced another dictatorship I We modernlze Vietnam brinF confuclanlsm My EOal chanEe Vletnamese soclety world modernize Thls about capitalism aEalnst communism about modernznE feudal BOGiety A member Free Vietnam Aliance large nternatlonai umbrella ErouP democratic EroupS whose central objective foster development society breedlnE Eround democracy Do beleves forces chanEe Vetnam America AmonE Vletnamese emIEres scenarios future Vietnam wldely center Goncept splritual Carole Beaulleu San Francisco November InSan ancisco aneweneration omilitantswith the1aKothe NEXT FIEhtlng sprltual A story cultural values Vietnamese lanEuaEe newspapers harassed censorship communlst militants couraEeous radio station hopes electronlc Received Hanover