Introduction The struggle of Vietnamese youth has to be recognized as the clash of two cultures in which the two generations have conflicting ideologies and set of values which has emerged from the gap leading to adolescent Vietnamese youth feeling alienated from their families and parents. This has been recognized as the generation gap in the Vietnamese Asian Community. The presence of Vietnamese community on the American soil traces back to over twenty-five years, the real influx began after 1975 when many Vietnamese refugees entered America. Zhou has accurately noted that second generation Vietnamese community has formed one of the largest population of refugees children in the history of American historical statistics. They are also one of the most American born and raised communities influenced from infancy by the American culture which results in impressive influence in their childhood and adolescent life. (Zhou,1998). This consequently leads to the evolution of the generation as an ethnic group which has to face the conflicts of cultural differences and the value system. The real challenge is to grow up as the parents desire, with Vietnamese roots along with their assimilation with the American cultural exposure. There has been increasing rebellion witnessed in the adolescent Vietnamese community which has also traces of juvenile delinquency associated with their social involvement leading to low performance in school and gang involvement. These issues have culminated in increasing alienation of the youth from their families and their Vietnamese roots. The pressures of the Vietnamese value system and the American cultures are significantly overwhelming for them to navigate steadily in the establishment of their own identity and foundation on the American soil.
History of Vietnamese American Community The Vietnamese community has been accepted on the American soil as refugees since last 25 years, and has accepted America as their home. The process began in 1975 as a result of the fall of the South Vietnamese government. They took shelter in America as political refugees who were tormented by the political turmoil which led to their evacuation from their native land. The crisis situation did not provide ample time to prepare for relocation they were just plunged into this new situation. The insecurity and fear of instability in Vietnam led to their relocation as the only method of survival. The support from US government helped them to leave by ship and air in safely organized groups (Thai, 1999). The American government took all measures to support them as well as carefully disperse them across the regions of US, to avoid concentration in one area and encourage easy assimilation within the new exposure of the American culture. The aim was to disperse the Vietnamese Americans in most of the large metropolitan areas which in the history of US have not experienced major ethnic immigration. This new trends of migration was addressed from the point of reunion in relation to the family, to address the issues related to communal factor and also to tackle the emerging employment related issues. (Zhou, 1998, p.48). According to the US census 2000, the Vietnamese community in United States is the 4th largest Asian community, which has taken to many low paying and menial jobs in some of the worst communities in United States. The strong development of Vietnamese middle class has promised some emerging success, which indicates lesser trouble within the community.
Traditional Vietnamese family values In the context of traditional value system, the criticism targeted towards parents by second generation Vietnamese Americans has been paramount. The youth seemed perplexed by conflicting exposure in which they lacked their own strong foundation in traditional values and ethnic cultural expectations. The strict and authoritative role of the parents made situation worse. There was ongoing emotional turmoil and stress which emerged as the core problem which created a gulf of misunderstanding and increased the generation gap.
The expectation of most Vietnamese parents is to see their children adhere to the Vietnamese cultural values without even taking the effort to instill these values in them from their early years. In the book The Vietnamese Americans the writer Hien Duc Do very strongly mentions Children do not instinctually learn these cultural customs and practices simply because they are born into the family (Do, 1999, pg. 127). Do strongly state the case that it requires active involvement on the part of the parent to teach and expose their children to the cultural values of their roots. Without firm foundation of the traditional values right from childhood, in the youth the children can be pushed over the edge by the pressures from the family and conflicts of the new environment and cultural exposure.
These emerging youth feel the need for systematic exposure to the cultural values and history, in order to appreciate their cultural bonds, which parents do not realize and implement.
The Second Generation Zhou has rightfully mentioned that the Vietnamese-American second generation has been recognized as the single most largest group of refugee children who are experiencing growing up in the American culture and environment which is drastically different from their parents generation. (Zhou,1998, p.1). The emerging middle class has led to growing number of youth attending high school and colleges which exposes them intimately to the American culture and these results in increasing rate of conflicts between traditional Vietnamese cultural values of their parents. The influence of the American society is overpowering and has led to alienation from their parents and barrier to acceptance of their ancestral roots.
It is interesting to observe that more than 96 of the children who arrived within the territory of United States were under the age of twelve years as recorded by the US census of 2000.
The indications of rebellion of the youth in the low class neighborhood resulted in conflicts which escalated in the growing up years of the children. Similar issues are affecting the present generation Vietnamese youth who are rebellious and are school dropouts, they have been targeted as low achievers, involved in criminal activities and disturbed and distressed. These negative factors are counter acted by growing number of rising middle class Vietnamese who are reformed and successful leading to better livelihood and lifestyle.
There has also been incidence of youth coming from affluent families indulging themselves to alcoholism, drugs and partying beyond limits. They go to affluent schools and are spoilt and devoid of ethics. The neighborhood plays an important role in shaping the outlook and performance of the youth. This forces parents to work hard to get money to get houses in good neighborhood so that the future and peers who influence them are more motivated and competitive, rather than fun loving. The class of neighborhood plays an important role in determining the outcome of the rebellious behavior, delinquency and performance in education. Even though neighborhood plays a significant role, the most immediate impact which emerges is the family conflict which results from the clash of the values. It was agreed upon unanimously that parental understanding acceptance and communication played the key role in determining the positive or negative outcome of the conflict which resulted in alienation. These were primary factors leading to rebellious behavior in the youth.
Role of Vietnamese Parents The role of the Vietnamese parents in nurturing the traditional family values has been which could be the foundation pillars of the growth in their children played an important role in determining the level of tension and conflict. The lifestyle involved living together of three to five generation sunder the same roof, which provides the support for the family, but which also leads to complexities in the adolescents. The typical Vietnamese family conforms to the Confucian ideals and the structure of the family circles around authority. The role of the father is most important in all matters related to decision-making. The mother plays the role of the home management and housekeeper. The value of education in traditional family was pivotal to success and the emphasis on education is competitive.
In the context of traditional value system, the criticism targeted towards parents by second generation Vietnamese Americans has been paramount. The youth seemed perplexed by conflicting exposure in which they lacked their own strong foundation in traditional values and ethnic cultural expectations. The strict and authoritative role of the parents made situation worse. There was ongoing emotional turmoil and stress which emerged as the core problem which created a gulf of misunderstanding and increased the generation gap.
The families which have moved since 1985 face the issues which are related to refugee parents which position them in unskilled labor class where they are struggling with new language and cultural issues, along with the economic constraint. The struggle for survival is crippling and their hopes are crushed and the stresses of everyday life is overbearing.
The parents focus on education as the key to raising their quality of life by investing in the future of their children. The pressure is building and leads to increasing levels of conflict. The concern for the collective future of the family is one of the main concerns which engage the parents and this leads to further alienation of the youth from the parents. The over-imposition and authoritative nature of the parents leads to many second generation youth of Vietnamese American origin take education seriously and do well in school and obey their parents but many rebel as they get mixed messages which are of conflicting nature from school and cultural environment around them. The expectation of most Vietnamese parents is to see their children adhere to the Vietnamese cultural values without even taking the effort to instill these values in them from their early years. In the book The Vietnamese Americans the writer Hien Duc Do very strongly mentions Children do not instinctually learn these cultural customs and practices simply because they are born into the family (Do, 1999, pg. 127). Do strongly state the case that it requires active involvement on the part of the parent to teach and expose their children to the cultural values of their roots. Without firm foundation of the traditional values right from childhood, in the youth the children can be pushed over the edge by the pressures from the family and conflicts of the new environment and cultural exposure.
The expectations of the parents is taken very negatively by youth as they think that even though the parents are leading their new life in American environment , they are still in their minds in Vietnam. They want to live by the same rules and values which are not practical in the new environment. They feel that parents lack understanding and support. They feel they are not taken into confidence and told things in the forthright manner. They are expected to be obedient and docile to the extent of losing their identity. They feel that parents ignore the fact that these children are born and brought up in an American environment, and that they need to adapt to this new culture and environment. They are not offered any explanation and guidance which can help them cope better under these conflicting conditions. There is heavy burden of expectation without understanding. These emerging youth feel the need for systematic exposure to the cultural values and history, in order to appreciate their cultural bonds, which parents do not realize and implement. The strictness and the rigidity of the typical Vietnamese parent lead to overprotection which leads towards alienation.
The role of hierarchy based on traditional values which demanded obedience from the children based on the Confucian Family values and system was resented strongly by the children. Youth felt that they were treated as subordinates and that parents lacked empathy and sensitivity towards them. The parents were considered to be harsh and unmindful of their needs. The language also serves as a great barrier in the communication and interaction between parents and children. The parents are also not vocal and expressive about their feelings and sentiments for their children. This gives the youth an adverse opinion with regard their parents position which is regarded as old fashioned and overly strict. The language barrier imposed on the youth who were more fluent members of the family in terms of language fluency with extra roles and responsibilities when it involved interacting with local people, reading contracts and car polices and other documents which were part of livelihood. The adolescent felt overwhelmed with the extra responsibility which was put on their shoulders by the family. There was lack of encouragement from the parents and strong criticism which created an imbalance in the relationship. The pressure of the tradition and the constant criticism along with comparison with others created a very hostile situation which was suffocating for youth. The nagging and the lack of understanding make the situation worse. The Vietnamese youth craved for affection and warmth from parents, and instead they received cold comparison which made them truant. The inability to meet the expectation and the pressure for constant improvement is very discouraging and causes a great gap in understanding and interaction.
There has been observed generational gap which has been a hindrance in the acceptance of the traditional values and has led to more trend towards adoption of American cultural values leading to greater degree of cultural assimilation in Vietnamese American Youth.
The youth is more attracted by the American standard which seems to open more opportunities for success in comparison to the restraints and restriction of their traditional value system. This lures the Vietnamese American Youth more towards acceptance of American cultural values. They feel that the constraints of the traditional Vietnamese values which are imposed on them leads to slow down their pace of assimilation within the society within which they are growing. The youth tends to resents against such impositions and rebels against their parents who are so un- American. The pressure to overachieve and obey without questioning adds fuel to the fire. This conflict instills the feeling that parents neither care, love or understand them. The lack of mutual understanding leads to the generation gap which tends to create a gulf which cannot be bridged. The complaint and the worry aspect of parenting are not understood in a positive light.
Solutions for generation gap The core issue which surrounds the issue of the generation gap in the context of the second generation Vietnamese Americans is the conflict which emerges from the traditional Vietnamese family system versus the new environment in which they are immersed, the American cultural experience. The support nucleus of the family can provide the platform for more open communication and security, by warmth, interaction and communication. The existence of the five generations living within the same walls can serve as an asset, since the volatile reactive interaction between the youth and the parents can be pacified by the older members of the family like grandparents.
The entanglement of the system of authority in the new light of the new country and new system of American culture in which the youth does need to assimilate should be taken seriously within the framework of the Confucian ideology which is universally very firm in foundation. An early exposure to stories and narratives with true stories will provide with the opportunity to integrate the two cultures with more open mindedness and les resentment. The command for obedience by the authoritative figure of father has to be transformed to embrace children with more respect and trust allowing them more freedom which is essential for their balanced growth and this will result in less alienation.
The exposure to right education, commitment to traditional values emerging from early training and education will lead to conditions which will help bridge the gap between Youth in Vietnamese American Community. The increasing generation gap can be addressed by providing a platform for engagement and involvement from childhood with regard to the traditional Vietnamese culture, the Confucian ideology, the role of family unity, the ethnic culture.
The parents should also observe the new situation with an open mind and embrace some of the constructive choices which adolescents make, and be not overly critical about their ideas and opinions. The parents in their position as the Vietnamese refugees should try harder to learn the new language and integrate with the local culture. This new look will help them be more understanding towards the needs of their children and will temper their overly strict disposition and provide emotional support to the youth who re still struggling to choose their identity. The assimilation into the new cultural environment will give them confidence to love and understand their children better. The hopes should not be used to pressure the children for over pressure in all situations for excellence, it should be understood that they are also coping with complex situations and will need communication and thinking along with extra care and warmth from the side of the parents.
Parents should take time to integrate the customs and rituals in modified and practical manner to expose their children to these values from the very beginning. Children need to teach these values, with consistency and love. This will instill in them a natural draw towards these core valued when the critical time for decision-making comes. Nurturance plays a very important role in intricate decision-making.
The Impact of the American environment and Social Circles The Impact of the American environment and Social Circles It should be noted that the dramatically contrasting environment of the American schools was one of the early reasons which impacted the historical issues related to Vietnamese refugees. The observation made by Long has been very accurate when she expresses that Many children who were high achievers in Vietnam have failed here, and failure in school drives too many youngsters into gangs. Embarrassed, humiliated, lacking self esteem and self-confidence, students on the edge of the families begin cutting classes.(Long, 1997, p.95). There is tendency for such youth to join gangs and feel withdrawn as a result of linguistic struggle. There is need for attention and good tutorial service to help them out of this cycle of frustration and self- destruction. There is also need to take into consideration that they are place within the school structure in grades which are compatible with their academic skills. The social adjustment factor is also very significant in the sense that kids are tormented by sudden change of environment where they are not fully accepted. Parents and counselors need to address such issues with sensitivity and forcefulness to help the child cope with these new emerging circumstances. Sometimes the trauma of the school experience leads to quitting classes and school as the negative experience is very overwhelming for the child. They feel that exposure to school is a form of punishment.
The experience of second generation Vietnamese Americans who were born in America and have been connected with schools from childhood has been more positive in terms of assimilation, but reveal some other problems related to school. Even though the American background has provided the bridge which makes the transition and understanding more easily, they still experience wide ranging conflict with their Vietnamese parenting values and traditional Vietnamese value system. They are more vulnerable to exposure from their American peers and friends at school. Their standards and friendships led to conflict with traditional Vietnamese value system. They seemed to lean more on their friends for support, and this created space and distance from the family bond. They felt that the support of friends, gave them the encouragement and motivation which was required to do well in school. They also felt that their friends cared more for them than their parents and families. In contrast, the parents played no role in their choice or selection of friends and neither did they approve of their friends attitudes and behavior. The lack of parental involvement with the friends made them divert from the family ethics and values to more acceptances of the American cultural values though the strings of the family ties does play a role in checking their overindulgence in American ways . This merges from the fact that they feel some degree of obligation to conform to the values of their parents.
The social involvement helped in bridging the gap and extracurricular activities helped many youth to stay positively active and involved. The activities like Girl Scout, Boy Scout, sports gave them a platform to get involved with the community at more equal par without ethnic or language barriers coming in the way. These activities sometimes provide focus and discipline which plays to boost their performance in school and thus help them cope with the situation better. The encouragement from the coaches who motivated them to perform better in academics as well as sports worked to push their levels of motivation. The success encouraged them to work harder and aim for success and recognition. This also acted as diversion from the loosening ties of the family. This resulted in inculcation of patterns and attitudes which was not readily acceptable at home and led to conflict with the parents and their value system. The patterns were distinctly alien and non-conformist.
The Role of Personal Freedom The issue of personal freedom has been paramount in the understanding of the process of alienation in Vietnamese American. The major part of the family tension with regard to cultural value system emerged from youth desiring for more personal freedom more in harmony with American cultural practices. The strictness and authorities attitude of the parents which did not even consider and grant reasonable freedom and independence to growing and merging youth led to feeling of resentment which bred into open alienation. A Vietnamese leader and educator, Le Thanh Viet who spends ample time with Vietnamese families lays emphasis on the fact that parents would educate themselves to recognize, accept and understand the two cultural values with their differences and learn to live in harmony with the synergy of cultural values which can enrich lives and relationships. (Long, 1997, p.80.)
The role of parents in assimilation to the American culture plays an important role in keeping the family chord united and strong. The failure of parents to understand and interact leads to the development of the cycle of rebellion and alienation which can be controlled. In the book Family Tightrope author Kibria writes about the Vietnamese American youth, which expressed a desire for a more democratic form of expression which would involve open hugging and kissing, and adoption of communication pattern which engaged in open expression of affection. The absence of such expressions in Vietnamese culture made them feel awkward. They observed that the cultural expression was very contained in Vietnamese families in comparison to the open expression in American Families.(Kibria, 1993,p.153).
The lack of communication has been identified as one of the most significant factors which lead to generation gap between parents and the youth of Vietnamese American community. Parents can be immense comfort and support in the rough periods of adjustment and can help handle the youth with care and love and understanding. Communication is the key to resolving conflicts and disagreements. Parents need to sit with the child, hold hands and allow them to express when they are ready. This sensitivity is choked in the family structure of the Vietnamese American Community and the present day youth who have seen the outside world and culture resent this narrow mindedness and vigil.
It is interesting to note that parents are so tightly bound by their Vietnamese traditional values that even though they cherish their children, the tightrope of tradition and authority limits their free discussion, open communication and free expression within the family. The imposition that the child must accept and obey what a parent commands is an essential fact which leads to the wider gap between generations and ultimately leads to alienation. The expectations of the family from the child are very overwhelming. There is conflict in terms of expectations the parents expectation is that children should be more in harmony with the tradition Vietnamese value system and Confucian ideologies. The Vietnamese American youth on the contrary want their parents to be more open to assimilation within the American culture, be more fluent in overcoming their language barrier and be more open like American parents. It is of significant importance that children understand the Vietnamese culture and grasp its ideologies, but the nurturance should start early and without imposition but with more involvement and care and warmth. There has been trend that younger parents are taking steps to bridge the gap by trying to understand what the children are going through. It is important to interact with child and the youth, and be round them when they need you. It is important to know hat is going on their school, with their friends, be involved with their friends and be part of their activities. This gives them a platform of bonding on which the other lessons with regard to culture and ideology can be sustained. There have been instances of wider generation gap and intense angers directed towards alienation from the core families in Vietnamese American Community. Though things are in the process of transformation, yet it has not been fast enough to suppress the seeping angers towards their parental generation in the youth. There has been increasing rebellion and alienation which has led to severe complaints against parents. Interestingly, if you scratch the surface there is hope for second generation of Vietnamese American who are going through this cultural turmoil. There is still love and sense of obligation which holds the family chord, and holds the string of delicate relationship alive with hope for reconcilement and harmonious integration.
The examples of other immigrants are also an important looking glass through which they have hoped to restructure their value system for more harmonious family ties. There is possibility of blending and integrating various value systems which can bring together the old cultural value in tune with the new cultural exposure, in which both can emerge to strengthen the relationships within the families in the new emerging and struggling Vietnamese American Community.
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