What Would YOU do if Vietnam Was now a Democratic Society like the USA

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Why endure death as boat people when the US won the war?

I thought most of those were ethnic Chinese that nobody wanted.

[mawilson 2,133]

Same thing I'm doing now. Doesn't impact me one way or another.

[aaron2020 11,651]

I thought most of those were ethnic Chinese that nobody wanted.

They weren't.

Ethnic Vietnamese make up about 85% of the population of Vietnam.

The boat people from 1975 were primarily ethnic Vietnamese who had ties to the South Vietnamese government.

China invaded Vietnam in 1978, and the Vietnamese kicked #######. The Chinese withdrew.

The Communists who persecuted the South Vietnamese after the fall of Saigon aren't exactly the reconciliation types. They pretty much persecuted the Chinese in Vietnam (most of whom were Vietnamese citizens whose families had been in Vietnam for generations) after the failed Chinese invasion. Many of those who fled around 1978 were ethnic Chinese.

From 1975 to about 1986, the Communist ran the country into the ground. The focus on communist doctrine and the thirst for revenge lead the country into a long period of starvation and economic failures. (My cousin actually got into a fight with another cousin over a bowl of rice.) Many starved to death during this time. If the Soviet Union had not sent money and food, the Vietnamese would very much have been like the starving North Koreans.

Many of those who left were ethnic Vietnamese. The first wave who left in 1975 were ethnic Vietnamese. Most of those who later left due to starvation and a failed economy were ethnic Vietnamese. The only significant wave of non-Vietnamese were the persecuted ethnic Chinese in 1978.

Edited April 16, 2012 by aaron2020

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

The exodus began in 1975 and continued into the 1980s. Although commonly referred to as ‘boat people,’ refugees departed Vietnam by air, land and sea. Different groups left for different reasons. The largest of these refugee groups were ethnic Chinese known in Vietnam as Hoa.

http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/central/Brush/BoatPeople.htm

[aaron2020 11,651]

Look at the citation for your point. It cite a 1981 publication. The data was probably collected in 1980 at the height of the Chinese exodus.

As a Viet Kieu, I can definitely say that most of the Vietnamese people here in the US are not ethnic Chinese. A great number of them are. But in no way is it the largest group Chinese. The Kinh (Vietnamese) who make up 85% of the population are the biggest group. If you are only counting my minority groups, then the Chinese are the largest group.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Look at the citation for your point. It cite a 1981 publication. The data was probably collected in 1980 at the height of the Chinese exodus.

As a Viet Kieu, I can definitely say that most of the Vietnamese people here in the US are not ethnic Chinese. A great number of them are. But in no way is it the largest group Chinese. The Kinh (Vietnamese) who make up 85% of the population are the biggest group. If you are only counting my minority groups, then the Chinese are the largest group.

You could be right, and the article could be right. Many of the Hoa ended up in other countries, and many drowned, or were outright killed, as they tried to land elsewhere, like Australia and Indonesia. The fact that the US preferred giving refugee status to those who allied themselves with the Saigon government shouldn't be surprising and doesn't change composition of the total population that either fled, or was expelled from Vietnam. 270,000 of those were settled into Republic of China, predominantly Guangxi.

I know Hoa living in the US that freely admit they are Hoa, went to Mandarin schools in Vietnam, but claim they are Vietnamese, not Chinese.

[lambchop4life 6]

Nothing differently than I am doing now.

The Arab Spring has brought democracy, but all the secular governments have been replaced with governments dominated by fundamental Islamic nutjobs. The Arab Spring has not resulted in better conditions for women or secular minded individuals. The Muslim Brotherhood is only slightly better than the Taliban - not by much in my opinion. Unfortunately, the Arab Spring is unleashing fundamental Islamic nutjobs who will deny rights to women and non-Muslims.

Democracy is not going to change Vietnam.

Do you think the Viet Kieu will be invited back with open arms? Hell no, the Vietnamese living there aren't going to let Viet Kieu tell them what to do. Good luck getting a Viet Kieu prime minister.

Do you think corruption is going to disappear? South Vietnam as a "democracy" was highly corrupt. The US/CIA backed puppet governments rigged every election.

Democracy is not going to change Vietnam in any significant way.

you're quite pessimistic my friend, its not about viet kieu telling people what to do its about change, hope of freedom viet is viet dont have to be anything else but vietnamese either you're one or you are a supporter of one. Dont you want those folks back home to have what we have here?

not quite the reply I was looking for, but thanks sharing.

[lambchop4life 6]

And Vietnam would have most likely ended up like North and South Korea while costing the US god only knows how much money to keep troops there.

Look what you got in return SAMSUNG all right and kimchi. And dont forget those awesome cars KIA

Vietnam can be like South Korea, We are just as capable.

[lambchop4life 6]

Vietnam will never be Democratic in our lifetime at least.

hey anything is possible let start something yo haha, why the hell not its not like you have something better to do?

[lambchop4life 6]

Most of you are quite off Topic but hey its cool, its quite entertaining to think what if. What I'm really trying to say is What would you if Vietnam Became a Democracy?. You know my answer. I'm going back home I'm going to do what Singapore did, rebuild a nation. haha what a dream huh?

[luckytxn 2,265]

hey anything is possible let start something yo haha, why the hell not its not like you have something better to do?

I could be banging my hot VN wife.

[Dan and Judy 614]

You missed the entire point. A poster was posting about "what if" the US had won that war, and I pointed out what it would have been like if the US did win that war. It would have been a country divided with a lot of troops on the border.

As far as North and South Korea...they are the same people, same language, different governments.

Actually the OP didn't say anything about the US winning the war. His question was what if Vietnam was a democracy now.

I think since the post got moved, he's not going to get the responses he was hoping for.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Actually the OP didn't say anything about the US winning the war. His question was what if Vietnam was a democracy now.

I think since the post got moved, he's not going to get the responses he was hoping for.

I was referring to "Some ol Guys" post...well that's what he used to go by on here, now he has one of those stupid AJ like symbols on here.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I was referring to "Some ol Guys" post...well that's what he used to go by on here, now he has one of those stupid AJ like symbols on here.

You are jelly because you don't know how to make those cool symbols like ╫╫╫╫╫╫╫ and ╠╦╬╬═╣

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

You are jelly because you don't know how to make those cool symbols like ╫╫╫╫╫╫╫ and ╠╦╬╬═╣