Vietnamese Americans: History, Education, and Societal Context

While Asian Americans are often depicted as one high-achieving group, there are in fact a wide diversity of Asian American populations that each have their own history and acculturation experiences in the United States. Vietnamese Americans are a particularly unique group; having come with other Southeast Asian refugee groups after the Vietnam War, they are a relatively recent addition to U.S. society with very different circumstances of arrival in comparison with groups from other regions of Asia. This article takes a historical lens to understand the unique factors surrounding Vietnamese American entry to the United States—including policy, societal reception, co-ethnic community, and other barriers and opportunities—that shaped acculturation experiences for this group, influencing their subsequent educational and occupational outcomes.