Vietnam is an emerging economy in Southeast Asia with thousands years of history. The early Vietnamese people developed and shared their custom with many civilizations such as Champa, an Indian influenced state, and China, a powerful neighbor in the north. Vietnam had been ruled by the Chinese government for about a thousand years, colonized by the French for almost a century, and controlled by the American for 30 years. Because of the long aggressions of other countries, many foreign cultural values were added to the Vietnamese culture (Nguyen & Truong, 2016). For instance, when the French ruled Vietnam, French language, textbooks and French ideologies were taught at school and French style recreation was popular. Western scholars who examined …show more content…
Individuals have strong connections with their families, their societies, as well as the nature and they are responsible for these entities. Because individuals are bounded by the social context, the social groups expect individuals to conform to the group’s norms and to contribute to the wealth fare of the groups and the society. Children are taught that fulfilling their responsibility is more important than pursuing their own desires. They are told to forsake their ego and sacrifice for the good. They are often questioned about their contribution to their family and their society when they grow up (Hunt, 2005). Vietnamese culture also values harmony (Selin, 2014). People should create and foster the harmony with others and the nature. The Vietnamese maintain the harmony with others by communicating in a modest way, showing collaboration, and avoiding conflicts (Hunt, 2005). Because “persons with a strong selfish and competitive orientation are less likely to act ecologically” (Ahmad & Panni, 2014, p. 112), the cultural values such as sacrifice and harmony of the Vietnamese may make them more likely to adopt environmentally friendly …show more content…
The early Vietnamese believed in the existence of supernatural forces such as the land-god and the forest-spirit (Cuc, 1999). Due to the development of the science and the exposure to Western cultures, the modern Vietnamese are less likely to believe in these mysterious forms, but they still try to keep the harmony with the nature (Cuc, 1999). This is because most Vietnamese work in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector and thus in the Vietnamese consciousness, the nature and people are inseparably linked. Humans’ activities directly influence the nature and the changes of the nature directly affect humans’ life. If humans seek harmony with the nature and protect it, humans’ life will be prosperous. Otherwise, humans’ life will be difficult. The perception of harmony-with-nature has a deep root in Vietnamese culture and this perception is different from that of people in the Western world. Western culture perceives that humans and nature are separate entities and man should control nature (“mastery-over-nature”) (De Mooij, 2011, p.
Vietnam has a very rich and cultural diverse background dating all the way back to 1066 when William the Conqueror invaded and paved the way for English colonization. The French had been colonizing since the 19th century. The French role in Vietnams history is critical; they started out by bringing these simple peasants to the latest technology of farming and hunting (Yancey 37). The French helped these people out greatly in the beginning, but like all stories of occupation go they just got worse. They started forcing rules and laws on the people of Vietnam. Thus started the First Vietnam War, also known as the Indochina War between France and Vietnam. "The French possessed military superiority, but the Vietnamese had already the hearts and minds of the country. (38). Even from the beginning the Vietnamese had the odds to there favor. The French looked at the wars in numbers and how many lost on each side. They gathered from all the battles that they were winning because the Vietnamese casualties far outweighed the French; nonetheless they were wrong. To a certain point the French were fighting a game that they could not win at any cost. The French had the military superiority but the Vietnamese had the manpower and the Guerilla tactics. The Indochina War ended with French loosing terrible at Dienbienphu, where a whole French garrison was wiped out.
Hieu thao: The Powerful Word in Vietnamese Culture In Vietnamese culture, hieu thao, translated as filial piety in English, is the root of all virtue. According to Dr. Hashimoto's definition in The Cambridge Handbook of Age and Ageing, filial piety in the traditional family systems in Asia is generally understood as the "fulfillment of family obligations" that children must do towards their parents (Historical Roots). Actually, this theory has been spiritual rope binding children and their parents since they were born, and even continues after their parents pass away.
What are the most important aspects of Hmong culture? What do the Hmong consider their most important duties and obligations? How did they affect the Hmong’s transition to the United States?
What is Iu-Mein? Not many people have heard of the ethnicity Iu-Mein. It is a dialect from Laos. One of the traditions that Iu-Mein's have are ceremonies. Ceremonies are done with the sacrificing of a pig or chicken. Certain people may call it weird, and animal rights folks would call it animal cruelty, but in our culture, it is for healing and to pay our respects to our ancestors.
In every culture health play an essential part of life but means to achieve that healthy being may vary from one country to another depending on their belief system. It is important that professional healthcare providers obtain a proficiency in different cultures and respect these customs as they may influence patient’s behaviors towards receiving care. Birthing is a very important stage in the life of a Vietnamese woman . the Vietnamese culture is very diverse as many of their cultural practices have been influenced by the country’s’ strategic located between china and India. The Vietnamese people religiously observe their traditions and beliefs especially in pregnancy and during and after delivery.
Karnow, S., & Gropp, G. (1992). In Orange County's Little Saigon, Vietnamese try to bridge two worlds. Smithsonian, 23(5), 28.
Hanh, T. N. (2008). The World We Have : A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology. Berkeley: Parallax Press.
Unlike many other European countries that sought out the territory in Southeast Asia merely for increasing their power through trade, the French first began interactions with the region as early as the 17th century. Alexandre De Rhodes began an expedition to the Southeast Asia region with the desire to expand the Jesuit missionaries throughout the region to further their belief. For many years until the 18th century, the Jesuits expanded and created many missionaries throughout the region. The 18th century had brought an astronomical expansion in the trading markets throughout Europe and Asia as all the European superpowers began colonizing all of Southeast Asia to further their trading “empires.” The French would also begin to participate, not at the same level as countries such as the Netherlands or Great Britain, but more in moderation. At that time the French believed to confine their participation in Southeast Asia to religious advancement and moderate trading. It wasn’t until the 19th century until things would begin to take a turn and the French would become a major participant in Vietnam’s history.
The United States and its people take great pride in knowing that the U.S. is the greatest nation in the world. That is why it’s our duty to father the rest of the world when conflicts arise. American culture and ideals are also thought to take precedents over all other cultures and ideals. In the book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall down, written by Anne Fadiman, there are many great examples of how American culture is imposed on the people residing with in its enclosed boundaries. The U.S. going to war in Vietnam is also a great example of how the U.S. tried to impose American values on the “less fortunate.” Through understanding America’s so called “duty” in Vietnam one can interpret the intervention of American idealism in the life of a Hmong family.
Most historians view the nature of the Vietnam War as rooted in the history of the French colonies in Vietnam and the growing ethnic, political, and economical division between Catholic and Buddhist Vietnamese. (Brigham, Robert, Hoffman, Kenneth)
Just like the durian, my Vietnamese culture repulsed me as a young child. I always felt that there was something shameful in being Vietnamese. Consequently, I did not allow myself to accept the beauty of my culture. I instead looked up to Americans. I wanted to be American. My feelings, however, changed when I entered high school. There, I met Vietnamese students who had extraordinary pride in their heritage. Observing them at a distance, I re-evaluated my opinions. I opened my life to Vietnamese culture and happily discovered myself embracing it. `
Nature can keep its blissful purity untroubled in the moment, not convicted by what all society has brought into this world. Furthermore, many find nature as their safe place, the one place they can go too, and no one can interfere with their happiness. John Muir and William Wordsworth noticed the peaceful nature brought to their soul when traveling on their journey. Do not let your hands be weak, for you shall be rewarded.” – 2 Chronicles 15:7 John Muir and William Wordsworth both faced challenges to get to where they were going.
Indochina, modernly known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is located on the border of the eastern Indochinese peninsula and it occupies, according to the online encyclopedia (encyclopedia.com), about 331,000 kilometers squared, where in 1987, 25% of that land was under cultivation. Vietnam is bordered by the South China Sea, the Gulf of Thailand, and Gulf of Tonkin; and it is alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia. Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital since the nation’s reunification, is located in the northeast; and Vietnam’s largest city, Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is located in the southeast of Vietnam. However, before becoming independent from Imperial China in 938 AD, Vietnam’s capital was “Đại La”, where it was located in present-day Hanoi. Additionally, the northern part of Vietnam is mainly composed of highlands and the Red River Delta; and the southern part of Vietnam is divided into coastal lowlands, large forests, and mountains of the “Annamite Range”. Vietnam’s official language is Vietnamese, and their largest ethnic group in Vietnam is the Kinh people, which takes about 86% of the nation’s population.
The next communication gap concerns with the individualism- collectivism dimension, which is the degree an individual is integrated into groups in a society (Hofstede, 2001). Individualistic cultures like the U.S put a strong emphasis on individual autonomy and independence, whereas collectivist cultures like Vietnam believe in belonging, obligation
... History of Vietnam - Vietnamese Culture - Vietnamese National - Vietnamese People." Vietnam Information Guide Asia Travel Asian Tiger Travel to Vietnam. Web. 11 Nov. 2011