Exploring the Function of the Anti-communist Ideology in the Vietnamese American Diasporic Community

The anti-communist ideology in the Vietnamese American community is increasingly perceived as a destabilizing force. Specifically, there is a shift from a number of younger Vietnamese American scholars in imposing a “critical perspective” on particular formulas and narratives, such as immigrant assimilation, American exceptionalism, “we-win-even-when-we-lose,” and “refugees as a showcase for democracy.” From this perspective, the anti-communist ideology needs to be replaced by a new progressive ideology that can better promote the advancement of the Vietnamese people, here and elsewhere. In this article, the above call to cover the Vietnamese lives from more complex and critical perspectives is seen as an opportunity to revisit the function of the anti-communist ideology, which is embedded in the Vietnamese American diasporic community.