Little Vietnam

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Little Vietnam
Sm2000.jpg
"Little Vietnam" on John R Road in Madison Heights, Michigan
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabet Little Vietnam

Little Vietnam is a name given to ethnic enclaves of expatriate Vietnamese. Alternate names include Little Saigon (mainly in "free countries") and Little Hanoi (mainly in historically communist nations), depending on the enclave's political history. Saigon is the former name of the capital of the former South Vietnam, whereas Hanoi is the current capital of Vietnam.

Overseas Vietnamese refers to Vietnamese people living outside Vietnam in a diaspora, by far the largest community of which live in the United States. Of the about 4.5 million Overseas Vietnamese, a majority left Vietnam as economic and political refugees after the 1975 capture of Saigon and the North Vietnamese takeover of the pro-U.S. South Vietnam.

Little Saigon ethnic enclaves of expatriate Vietnamese in some cities

Little Saigon is a name given to ethnic enclaves of expatriate Vietnamese mainly in English-speaking countries. Alternate names include Little Vietnam and Little Hanoi, depending on the enclave's political history. Saigon is the former name of the capital of the former South Vietnam, where a large number of first-generation Vietnamese immigrants arriving to the United States originate, whereas Hanoi is the current capital of Vietnam.

South Vietnam former country in southeast Asia

South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam, was a country that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of the Cold War. It received international recognition in 1949 as the "State of Vietnam", which was a constitutional monarchy (1949–1955). This became the "Republic of Vietnam" in 1955. Its capital was Saigon. South Vietnam was bordered by North Vietnam to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, Thailand across the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest, and the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia across the South China Sea to the east and southeast.

Contents

Characteristics

Political leanings

Tet Festival in Little Saigon, Orange County, California Tet Festival Little Saigon.jpg
Tet Festival in Little Saigon, Orange County, California

Vietnamese enclaves such as those labeled as "Little Vietnam" have differing political leanings depending on whether it is one that exists in the "western" countries versus those that exist in the former Soviet-bloc. "Little Saigon", a term that is associated specifically with the Vietnamese enclaves in the United States are typically anti-communist, whereas, "Little Hanoi", a term that is associated with those Vietnamese enclaves in the former Soviet-bloc have their origins from the Communist era. This was made apparent when a Vietnamese-American video store owner named Truong Van Tran caused controversial stir when he displayed in his store a portrait of Vietnamese communist revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh. In the former East Germany, the Little Vietnam "... on the eastern side sought to bolster its workforce with unskilled Gastarbeiter, or 'guest workers', to help build socialism on German soil." [1]

United States Federal republic in North America

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country comprising 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles. With a population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the largest city by population is New York City. Forty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous in North America between Canada and Mexico. The State of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.

Ho Chi Minh Vietnamese communist leader and Chairman of the Workers Party of Vietnam

Hồ Chí Minh, born Nguyễn Sinh Cung, also known as Nguyễn Tất Thành,Nguyễn Ái Quốc, Bác Hồ or simply Bác ("Uncle"), was a Vietnamese Communist revolutionary leader who was Chairman and First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Vietnam. He was also Prime Minister (1945–1955) and President (1945–1969) of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. He was a key figure in the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945 at the Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi as well as the People's Army of Vietnam and the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War.

East Germany Former communist country, 1949-1990

East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic, was a country that existed from 1949 to 1990, when the eastern portion of Germany was part of the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War. It described itself as a socialist "workers' and peasants' state", and the territory was administered and occupied by Soviet forces at the end of World War II — the Soviet Occupation Zone of the Potsdam Agreement, bounded on the east by the Oder–Neisse line. The Soviet zone surrounded West Berlin but did not include it; as a result, West Berlin remained outside the jurisdiction of the GDR.

Separated communities and integration

Vietnamese enclaves in the United States tend to live in separated communities according to a study Brown University. According to the study, the Vietnamese tend to stay separated from white Americans as much as African Americans are separated from non-Hispanic whites. The same study also found that among Asian Americans, the Vietnamese have the highest rate of poverty. [2]

Brown University University in Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University is a private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, it is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution.

African Americans are an ethnic group of Americans with total or partial ancestry from any of the black racial groups of Africa. The term typically refers to descendants of enslaved black people who are from the United States.

In contrast, the Vietnamese community in France is well integrated into French society, largely due to better linguistic and cultural knowledge of the host nation among the generation of immigrants. A survey in 1988 among French citizens placed the Vietnamese in fourth place as the most integrated immigrant group in the country, behind the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese communities. [3] Furthermore, the Vietnamese population in France has a high level of education attainment, and average income rates are above the national median. [3]

France Republic with mainland in Europe and numerous oversea territories

France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral regions span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.3 million. France, a sovereign state, is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.

Grocery stores and restaurants

Pho served with beef brisket Pho-Beef-Noodles-2008.jpg
Pho served with beef brisket

Many Vietnamese enclaves will have numerous Asian supermarkets and Vietnamese restaurants. For example, Madison Heights, Michigan's Little Vietnam supposedly started with a nail supply stores, which then expanded to a full service Vietnamese grocery store selling everything from Vietnamese DVDs to Chinese herbs. The article further states that a Vietnamese restaurant was then opened by students at a nearby university, which then accounted for "... full 55% of such restaurants located in Metro Detroit." [4]

Madison Heights, Michigan City in Michigan, United States

Madison Heights is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, its population was 29,694.

Locations

Overseas Vietnamese
Người Việt Hải Ngoại
Total population
~4,000,000 (estimates)[ citation needed ]
Regions with significant populations
Flag of the United States.svg  United States 1,799,632 (2010) [5]
Flag of Cambodia.svg  Cambodia 600,000 [6]
Flag of France.svg  France 300,000 (2012) [7]
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 210,800 (2010) [8]
Flag of Canada.svg  Canada 157,450 (2011) [9]
Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Taiwan 120,000
–200,000 [10] [11]
Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia 70,000 [12]
Flag of Laos.svg  Laos 30,000 (2012) [13]
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia up to 150,000 [14]
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 137.000(2010) [15]
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea 116,219(2011) [16]
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic 60,000(2008) [17]
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 55,000 [18]
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 50,000 [14]
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 41,136(2008) [19]
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  United Arab Emirates 20,000 [20]
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 20,000 [14]
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 18,913 [21]
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 18,333(2006) [22]
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 11,771(2003) [23]
Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand 10,000 [24]
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 8,575(2002) [23]
Flag of Switzerland.svg   Switzerland 8,173
Flag of Qatar.svg  Qatar 8,000(2008) [25]
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 7,151(2001) [23]
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 4,875(2006) [26]
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 3,850(2001) [27]
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 1,020(2001) [28]
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 4,000 [29]
Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia 3,000 [30]
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 1,000
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 3,000
Elsewhere400,000

Americas

Little Saigon (US)

Phuoc Loc Tho, known in English as Asian Garden Mall, the first Vietnamese-American business center in Little Saigon, Orange County Phuoc Loc Tho.jpg
Phước Lộc Thọ, known in English as Asian Garden Mall, the first Vietnamese-American business center in Little Saigon, Orange County

In the United States, most of the Vietnamese enclaves are labeled Little Saigon, although some use the term "Little Vietnam", with the major concentrations on the west coast, especially in the U.S. state of California.

California State of the United States of America

California is a state in the Pacific Region of the United States. With 39.6 million residents, California is the most populous U.S. state and the third-largest by area. The state capital is Sacramento. The Greater Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second and fifth most populous urban regions, with 18.7 million and 9.7 million residents respectively. Los Angeles is California's most populous city, and the country's second most populous, after New York City. California also has the nation's most populous county, Los Angeles County, and its largest county by area, San Bernardino County. The City and County of San Francisco is both the country's second-most densely populated major city after New York City and the fifth-most densely populated county, behind only four of the five New York City boroughs.

Chicago, Illinois, US

West Argyle Street Historic District in the U.S. city of Chicago is known as "Little Vietnam" by most notable sources. [31]

New Orleans, Louisiana, US

Eastern New Orleans is known as "Little Vietnam" in the area called Village de L'Est where it is home to the Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery.

Orlando, Florida, US

East Colonial Drive in the U.S. city of Orlando, Florida has a "Little Vietnam" that is known for its Vietnamese cuisine. [32] The area has been evolving since the 1970s and is currently a 10 block stretch Colonial Drive. [33]

Asia

Singapore

One notable Little Vietnam is the one in Singapore on Joo Chiat Road with its karaoke bars where they say "... the smart ones learn Mandarin to cater to as many customers as possible. [34]

Europe

Little Hanoi (Former Soviet-bloc Nations)

In the former Soviet-bloc nations of East Germany, Czech Republic, and Russia, the Vietnamese enclaves are usually labeled "Little Hanoi" to reflect the representation of the North Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. Other names, (for example: "Sapa") will usually reflect other aspects of the North Vietnamese geography.

France

Unlike other overseas Vietnamese populations, Vietnamese in France have not formed ethnic enclaves within the major cities of France, largely due to high rates of integration. However, there is a significant Vietnamese presence and concentration in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, especially in the Quartier Asiatique neighborhood. [35]

While Vietnamese enclaves are not found within the major cities of France, there are a handful of suburbs in the Île-de-France region surrounding Paris that contain significant Vietnamese populations. The relatively quick assimilation and affluence of Vietnamese who arrived after the Vietnam War resulted in the suburbanization of the community during the 1980s. Communes with a high concentration of Vietnamese are found in the départment of Seine-et-Marne, as well as the town of Ivry-sur-Seine. [36]

In southern France, a "Little Vietnam" in Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot which housed 1,160 Vietnamese refugees in a refugee camp faces demolition after being in existence since 1956. The location has been in neglect where 120 families still live in shacks who are third and fourth generations of the people affected by the World War II. [37]

United Kingdom

London's "Pho Mile" is located in Shoreditch along Kingsland Road. [38]

Oceania

Australia

In Melbourne the suburb of Richmond has a large proportion of Vietnamese-Australians, Victoria Street is often nicknamed "Little Vietnam." [39] Other Vietnamese communities are centered around Springvale Road in Springvale, most parts of Footscray and also in St Albans. In Sydney they are concentrated in Bankstown, Cabramatta, Canley Vale and Villawood.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Ho Chi Minh City, also known by its former name of Saigon, is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of 8.4 million as of 2017. Located in southeast Vietnam, the metropolis surrounds the Saigon River and covers about 2,061 square kilometres.

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References

  1. ↑ "Berlin's kitschy and flavourful Little Vietnam".
  2. ↑ "Study: US Vietnamese Tend to Live in Separate Communities".
  3. 1 2 La diaspora vietnamienne (in French)
  4. ↑ "Little Vietnam In Madison Heights".
  5. ↑ United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 16, 2012 Taken from http://factfinder2.census.gov/. You can manually reach that page by entering in "Quick Start" of http://factfinder2.census.gov/ "Vietnamese" and check the "race/ancestry" checkbox, choose "Vietnamese and any combination", "OK", and then roll down and choose the first "SELECTED POPULATION PROFILE IN THE UNITED STATES". I had to upload this to mediafire because factfinder doesn't allow permalink.
  6. ↑ CIA – The World Factbook. Cia.gov. Retrieved on May 30, 2011.
  7. ↑ . Les français d'origine vietnamienne de retour à Saigon, La Croix, 2013. Retrieved on November 27, 2013.
  8. ↑ Year Book Australia, 2012
  9. ↑ . Statistics Canada, 2011 Census
  10. ↑ Archived September 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ↑ http://sowf.moi.gov.tw/stat/year/y06-08.xls
  12. ↑ "Malaysia to raise minimum wage for Vietnamese laborers". Thanh Nien News. March 1, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Cộng đồng người Việt tại Lào mừng lễ Vu Lan [Vietnamese community in Laos celebrates Ghost Festival]", Voice of Vietnam, August 31, 2012, retrieved November 30, 2012
  14. 1 2 3 (in Vietnamese) "Cộng đồng người Việt Nam ở nước ngoài". Quê Hương. 2005-03-09. Archived from the original on 2006-12-24. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
  15. ↑ . Retrieved on September 10, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-01-26. Retrieved 2016-02-07.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link). Retrieved on March 13, 2012.
  17. ↑ Number of foreigners in the CR | CZSO Archived 2009-08-29 at the Wayback Machine.. Czso.cz. Retrieved on May 30, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Vietnamese Community in Great Britain". Runnymede Trust . Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  19. ↑ Archived December 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  20. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-01-10. Retrieved 2014-02-25.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  21. ↑ "Bevolking naar herkomst". Statistics Netherlands . Retrieved August 18, 2009.
  22. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070503022408/http://www.ssb.no/vis/emner/02/01/10/innvbef/art-2006-05-11-01.html. Archived from the original on May 3, 2007. Retrieved February 25, 2014.Missing or empty |title= (help)
  23. 1 2 3 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-05-04. Retrieved 2015-08-13.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  24. ↑ Việt Nam và Thái Lan hợp tác dạy tiếng Việt. Vietbao.vn (July 14, 2008). Retrieved on May 30, 2011.
  25. ↑
  26. ↑ Vietnamese – Facts and figures – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Teara.govt.nz (March 4, 2009). Retrieved on May 30, 2011.
  27. ↑ All-Ukrainian Population Census 2001: The distribution of the population by nationality and mother tongue State Statistics Committee of Ukraine. Retrieved September 4, 2012
  28. ↑ Népszámlálás 2011. Nepszamlalas.hu (May 24, 2011). Retrieved on May 30, 2011.
  29. ↑ Người Việt ở Phần Lan náo nức chuẩn bị Tết Mậu Tý – Tiền Phong Online. Tienphong.vn. Retrieved on May 30, 2011.
  30. ↑ Bộ Ngoại giao Việt Nam Archived 2007-05-03 at the Wayback Machine.
  31. ↑ "Exploring Chicago's Little Vietnam neighborhood with kids".
  32. ↑ "36 Hours in Orlando, Fla".
  33. ↑ "The Evolving Identity of Orlando's Little Vietnam".
  34. ↑ "Two sides of Little Vietnam in Singapore".
  35. ↑ Smith, Craig S. Face behind Paris 'bistro' counter becomes Asian. International Herald Tribune , 10 May 2005.
  36. ↑ La Diaspora Vietnamienne en France un cas particulier (in French)
  37. ↑ "FEATURE: 'Little Vietnam' in rural France faces demolition".
  38. ↑ "Vietnamese restaurants in Shoreditch".
  39. ↑ "Melbourne's gateway to little Vietnam on Lunar New Year".

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