Issues in Vietnamese American Education: Future of Refugee History, Language, and Culture

Author: Julie Law-Marin
Grades: 9-12

Suggested Amount of Time: 60 - 80 Minutes
Area of Study: Vietnamese Resettlement and Community Building

Compelling Question

• What is Vietnamese America?

Lesson Questions

• How is the Vietnamese American experience included and omitted from the schooling experience? 
• In what ways can individuals, groups, and communities advocate for inclusion of the Vietnamese American experience in schools? 

Lesson Objective

Students will summarize the education conditions for first, 1.5, and second generation Vietnamese Americans and then determine recommendations to create conditions for a more inclusive school setting today. 

Lesson Background

Refugee Student Population (1975)

While students were welcomed into schools, there were often few bilingual materials available in addition to teachers who could speak and write the Vietnamese language to support the newcomers. As a result, many students often fell behind on their secondary education. Many students felt pressure to put aside their first language and Vietnamese culture in order to meet the demands of assimilation with respect to society, media, schools and peer pressure. However, Vietnamese students often surpassed their peers in mathematics. Students and their families often would gain language learning through opportunities provided at bases such as Fort Chaffee. At the time, families may not have been permitted to leave the base, so they could not attend public schools. Many families also learned the English language and mannerisms by watching television shows at night. At the time, the Ford Administration had promised at least $300 for the first 100 Indochinese refugee students who entered the school system and $600 for students thereafter. By 1975, 20% of 137,000 refugees had resettled in California. At the time, most schools used English as a Second Language model, where the instructor was not necessarily required to have a fluency in Vietnamese. Adult refugees would often be hired on as aides to support classrooms, but did not have credentials to be the classroom teacher. Based on research at the time, many did advocate for a bilingual education for the Vietnamese students in which students would utilize both English and Vietnamese currently instead of an English-only model.

Bilingual Education (1980s)

With the increase of Indochinese and Hispanic students, there were debates on whether or not bilingual education would be the best option for students in addition to the funding source for programs. Proponents for bilingual education say that the programs help students with their self-confidence and feelings of self-worth. With English language gains, the first language can often be lost within three generations. 

Vietnamese Dual Language Immersion Program (DLIP) (2013)

Dual Language Immersion Programs were created to help Emergent Bilingual students who speak Vietnamese. While some members of the public claim that Vietnamese was not as marketable as other subjects, proponents have argued that it is beneficial for the growing Vietnamese American population. Dual Language programs have also brought in more families and community members who want to see the program grow as well as optimism for a group that has often been neglected in the education field over the years.

Image Citation: Stavely, Z. (2022, August 29). Dual-immersion programs show promise in fighting enrollment declines. EdSource. https://edsource.org/2022/dual-immersion-programs-show-promise-in-fighting-enrollment-declines/677296