The Vietnamese Influence There are many ethnicities and nationalities that have developed a keen sense of cultural obligations that are inherited from the history of their own countries. From a time period of over a few thousand years ago, our foreign predecessors have developed characteristics that are hereby passed down for future generations to enjoy. Particularly speaking, Vietnam has affected a majority of the world in ways that are both positive and negative. Based on this knowledge, a person can infer that Vietnam has influenced the modern world greatly due to its prominent culture, religion, government, and scientific discoveries. In Vietnam, the term “culture” is understood in an extremely broad sense about human life and civilization. …show more content…
However, religion has had an overall effect on the culture and the concept of life in Vietnam. The attitude towards life, death, and the world beyond is needed if one were to practice a religion. Buddhism, which is the predominant religion in Vietnam, is a popular religion to be followed worldwide. Under the Chinese authority, the Buddhist religion was welcomed into Vietnam. During the year 1010, it ultimately became the state religion of Vietnam under the Ly Dynasty until 1214. Ever since the Tran Dynasty in 1225, Buddhism has remained a primary religion and a major cultural force (Te, par. 1-2). Buddhism did not originate from Vietnam, however. A figure known as Gautama Buddha (563-483 B.C.), which means the “Enlightened One,” had introduced the religion into our world. His beliefs were that the cause of suffering is to be blamed on the craving for materialistic ideals that needlessly incite a chain of negative emotions. To be free from suffering, one must quiet the need to crave. A life revolving around the basis that one should obsess with appearance does not enable one to live a life of virtue (Te, par. 3). With the right mindset, one should be able to live life effortlessly with a clear conscience. To do well, to have absolute integrity is the law of Karma, or cause and effect. Unlike the Christian belief that one is to ascend to heaven after death, the Buddhist faith insists that instead of perishing at death, …show more content…
Over the years communist factors have grown, and so has the corruption. The north and south counterparts of the country have not necessarily taken a liking to settling all of their problems by simply sitting down and talking, but instead have pushed towards efforts to fight until the end. Thích Nhất Hạnh’s time as a Vietnamese monk that has dealt with the government helps us understand that “In order to rally people, governments need enemies. They want us to be afraid, to hate, so we will rally behind them. And if they do not have a real enemy, they will invent one in order to mobilize us” (par. 9). The aftermath of the war led to a reunification of the country that eventually merged into a new Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The violence did not end, however. Tensions with the border escalated with Cambodia after the fall of Saigon. Ironically enough, China had attacked Vietnam as well. There had been a difficulty maintaining proper agriculture and business by the September of 1989 and postwar economic and social problems were out of hand. This sparked an effort to improve relations with the United States in order to encourage health and
In conclusion, I think that the United States became increasingly involved in the Vietnamese War because of the policies they had made as a promise to fight communism, and because they had sorely underestimated Vietcong’s ability to fight back using Guerrilla warfare. They refused to pull out of the war in fear of losing face before the world, but this pride factor scored them massive losses in the war. In the end, with both side sustaining heavy losses, the US were still seen as mutilators in the war, with advanced showing what their intervention had costed, and Vietnam was still fully taken over by Communism – they had achieved nothing and lost a lot.
The book, Cold War Mandarin Ngo Dinh Diem and the Origins of America’s War in Vietnam 1950-1963, by Seth Jacobs is a comprehensive retelling of the rise and fall of Ngo Dinh Diem’s government in South Vietnam. In that retelling Jacob focuses on the major events that took place in Vietnam as well as showed how America backed a leader that did nothing to booster his nation and led America into one of the worst wars in its history. The Diem regime was a corrupt and tyrannical government that used the United States’ fears of communism to push its own goals that ultimately led to its own demise. Jacob viewed the escalation of America’s involvement in Vietnam as the following, “The nine-year “experiment” that ended when Diem died was America’s crossover point from advice and support to active cobelligerency in a Vietnamese civil war” (8).
Vietnam War (1954-1975) is considered as one of those big wars of the modern world that has been acknowledged and studied by countries in the world. Especially, in regard to the United States, starting and ending war in Vietnam was an unforgettable experience that has left a priceless lesson in its foreign policy, and of course a lot of loss, physically, mentally, and property. “The Legacy of Vietnam” article of George Herring basically summarizes how the Vietnam War led to an end in failure of America and what consequences it left behind.
In his article, “To Be Patriotic is to Build Socialsim”: Communist Ideology in Vietnam's Civil War, Tuong Vo challenges a standard view of the civil war between North and South Vietnam – the war is power struggle between the two camps. Based on a newly availble documents and other primary sources, Vu argues that “[V]ietnamese communists never wavered in their ideology loyalty during the period when key decisions about the civil war were made (1953–1960).....a modernizing socialist idology rather than a mere for national unification was driving the Vietnamese civil war from the north” (Vu 2009, 34–35).
Vietnam struggled for its independence from France in the First Indochina War. It was divided into North Vietnam, which fell under the control of Communists, and South Vietnam, which attempted to establish a republican form of government. The Northern Vietnamese were determined to reunite Vietnam under Communist rule. However, the United States subscribing to the “Domino Theory” was determined to prevent this from occurring (Encarta). Essentially, this theory stated that if one country fell under Communist rule, then many others would follow in a chain reaction, or domino effect (Encarta). The United States was resolute upon containing communism and spreading capitalism and democracy, and therefore supported South Vietnam’s resistance to...
The term “culture” elicits strong feelings within the Vietnamese community. The adults and elders would tell young people culture is a way of being that involves talking, acting, and following traditions. For second-generation Vietnamese adolescents, culture becomes an everyday battleground. A battleground that takes no prisoners leaving the field desolated. As a result, adolescents are left psychologically, emotionally, and mentally torn to pieces. They must navigate two cultural systems that contradict on another. The dominating American culture stresses individualistic idealism whereas Vietnamese culture stresses collectivistic idealism.
Allen (2008), Young (2002), and Joes (2001) expressed great distrust in regards to America’s motives for entering the war. They argued that from the beginning Vietnam was not a threat nor did it seek to pursue ties with Communist superpowers; Vietnam only sought independence and was willing to cooperate with the United States in order to resolve this misunderstanding. A lack of education in Vietnamese history and the general exaggerated sentiments of paranoia in regards to the spread of Communism led to a miscalculated decision that reverberated repercussions for decades. As a result, these authors accused the United States of having attempted to prevent the nationalist forces in Bien Phu, of engineering the divide between a “Communist” North and an “Anticommunist” South in Vietnam, and of invading to prevent the Nationa...
During the Lyndon Baines Johnson presidential administration, both those policy makers who supported America’s involvement in Vietnam and those who opposed the war were part of the “containment generation.” They had reached political maturity during World War II and the early years of the Cold War and had experienced the intense anticommunism of the McCarthy era of the early 1950s. These leaders understood and applied the lessons of American nationalism, which had the primary message that the U.S. was the dominating nation that had to embrace its responsibility to aid and improve nations in America’s image. Therefore, when they saw that there was a threat of the spread of communism to areas of Southeast Asia, a majority of the politicians were in favor of the war, which was the most costly U.S. foreign policy intervention during the Cold War. President Johnson and others considered Vietnam a crucial Cold war battleground where an American loss would trigger dire domestic and international repercussions. This view led him to decide to enter the Vietnam War, which was a condemnable action considering that there were intensifying domestic issues that he neglected because he was engrossed in the Vietnam situation. Anti-War protesters, a few politicians, and even the South Vietnamese all pointed out that this war was immoral and was resulting in destruction. Ultimately, Johnson’s decision resulted in a huge price paid on America’s part for its determination to prevent the spread of communism through this war and in the deaths of more 50,000 in an overseas war that was extremely difficult to win and that deepened divisions at home.
The Vietnam War began in the year 1954, after the ascension to power of Ho Chi Minh, who was a communist leader in North Vietnam. The leader was spreading communism, and because the United States wanted to stop the spread, it sent military troops to aid South Vietnamese to stop this vice. The war saw about 3million people die with the inclusion of 58,000 American soldiers. About 150,000 people were wounded during the war. In 1975, South Vietnamese government surrendered the war after the communist forces forced them to surrender. Vietnam unified communism and became a Socialist Republic. Although decades have passed since the occurrence of the Vietnam war, the American culture, which was partly born as a result of this war, is celebrated today.
Vietnam’s involvement in the Vietnam War impacted Vietnam in various significant ways. The Vietnam War was a very crucial war in Vietnamese history and changed Vietnamese society. The war was enduring and lasted for twenty-one years. It began in 1954 and ended in 1975. The war commenced due to disagreement of communism in Vietnam. The war was between North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and The United States. North Vietnam supported and encouraged communism in Vietnam. On the other hand, South Vietnam and The Untied States opposed communism and tried to prevent communism from spreading throughout the country. This eventually led to the chaotic Vietnam War. The war gained national attention and created pandemonium worldwide. The war impacted Vietnam in major ways and also impacted vital factors such as health, life in Vietnam, and economy. The leaders of North and South Vietnam also impacted all the involvement that took place in the war. The Vietnam War changed Vietnam greatly. The war left Vietnam in shambles and the war was also a calamity.
Cultural shame and social stigma are the primary reasons hindering Vietnamese American parents from recognizing mental illness in their children and utilizing mental health services and support. There is no significant difference in comparing the first generation with the second generation of Vietnamese American in terms of their views or perspectives on mental health. Despite the difference experiences and opportunity the second generation receiving including possible higher education and SES (social economic status). This study will solicit Asian-American answers to this questions: “What we can do as individuals, communities, or churches and to model the decision to put our children’s mental health and happiness above the cultural shame?” and ultimately, their children’s happiness will prevail over cultural shame.
North and South Vietnam were at war, the North side promoting communism (with the help from the Soviet Union) and the South side was not. Wanting to contain communism, America got involved (as well the United Nations) and help South Vietnam fight back. This war took a toll on everyone involved economically and politically. For millions have died, and millions of dollars were used to aid this war. At some point people started to realize that the war in Vietnam was pointless. Even Americans were starting to see America involvement as a waste of valuable resources and lives. By 1975, U.S. pulled out of Vietnam, and with no support from America, South Vietnam was defeated by the North. This allowed Vietnam to reunify and become a communist
In order to give a just analysis, to give an examination of the Vietnam Counter-Culture, one would have to look to the preliminary causes, the debates and diplomacy of the youth themselves, and the reflection where this has influenced today’s youth. I am proud to say that as an American I am proud of the simple origins of the peace and love philosophy. Coupled with the causes of freedom, comes a cause for peace and love. Simply put, why can’t we be friends? Why can’t we love our neighbors in the world? Why not peace and love?
When Vietnamese revolutionary Ho Chi Minh and his political organization, the Vietminh, seized control of their independence from France United States Politicians saw it as another communist take over. When really Ho was more a nationalist than a communist. All Minh wanted was for the United States to recognize its independence from France and to send aid to help it reach its nationalistic goals. "Before the Cold War Ho and the Vietmin...
In the spring and summer of 1954, French and Vietminh forces were battling fiercely over who would be in control of Vietnam. Things were beginning to look very bleak for the French forces trying to quell the uprisings of the Vietminh in their colonial possession of Indochina. An uprising by Vietnamese soldiers occurred on February 10, 1930, in the French colonial army's Yen Bai garrison, a small t...