VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.   Term Paper ID:27034 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Examines terrible experiences of refugees from Vietnam War, some of whom made it to the U.S. where discrimination waited. Politics, resettlement, asylum, refugee policy, language.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines terrible experiences of refugees from Vietnam War, some of whom made it to the U.S. where discrimination waited. Politics, resettlement, asylum, refugee policy, language. Paper Introduction: Since the fall of Saigon in 1975, Vietnamese refugees have flocked to the U.S. in four waves in order to escape from the political persecution of the Communist government. The first wave of refugees consisted of successful and wealthy Vietnamese who were evacuated from Saigon by the Americans. In an efficient evacuation campaign, 120,000 Vietnamese were carried to four domestic military bases by ship and plane (Weiss 32). In the late seventies, the second wave, comprising ethnic Chinese and fishermen escaped to the U.S. in boats (Weiss 33). After the then-Secretary of State George Schultz’s proposal in 1984, Amerasian children who were outcasts in the Vietnamese society were allowed to enter the U.S (“Forgotten Children,” 32). Former political prisoners who were released from the notorious re-education camps constituted the fourth wave of Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. In direct opposition to Oakley's perspective on the solution of theboat people crisis, Mark Hatfield, Chairman of the Senate AppropriationsCommittee, believes that the solution lies in increasing the refugee quotaand accepting more refugees, thus easing the burden of the first asylumcountries (Santoli 28). According to Hatfield, many potential refugees aredisqualified by entering the U.S. 1984: 32-33.Luce, D. Police forces have to deal with theincreased crime activity by Vietnamese gangs. Women were raped, and children suffered frommalnutrition (Strubbe 74). However, the problems faced by Vietnamese refugees are shared byother immigrants to the United States. First, the screening processing was performed by the firstcountry screening team and therefore the eligibility of each refugee was upto the discretion of the officials involved. Young women turned to prostitution--a service provided to touristsand foreign businessmen in bars and brothels (Luce 257). However, even though Hatfield's solution is the most humane andideal, he fails to recognize the problems faced by the increasing number ofrefugees and the limited resources available to assist them in the U.S.Thus, before quotas can be increased, systematic structures must be createdto better accommodate the refugees within the country. Oakley, the Assistant Secretary for theBureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Vietnam has not persecutedany of the refugees (6 1). in four waves in order to escape from the political persecution ofthe Communist government. Furthermore, police and city officials should organize outreachprograms to help Vietnamese refugees overcome their hesitation in seekinghelp whenever needed. First, they had to elude the coastal patrols.Vietnamese patrol boats fired at the boats and sank many refugee boats("Vietnam" 57). In this program, all boat peoplewere allowed to land and stay in refugee camps in the first asylumcountries. For example, in the Dorchesterneighborhood described above, there are many other vulnerable refugees,including many Latin American refugees. Therefore, the maladjustment of these refugees to their new life inthe U.S. In fact, according to Strubbe, conditions forthe refugees had deteriorated since 1988, when refugees were no longerallowed to enter the city to find work or enroll in schools, as waspermitted during the 197 s (75). The refugee overflow in the first countries also led toboats being turned away (Oakley 6 ). in boats (Weiss 33). Consequently, theybecome extremely reliant on their children who work to contribute to thefamily income. If these conditions are improved for the general population,there will be no more boat people fleeing from their homeland. "Razor-wire Asylum." Transpacific June 1994: 74-77.Weiss, Lowell. Without question, the crisis of the Vietnameserefugees is a contemporary problem in today's world, where the interests ofvarious nations are interwoven together. Unemployment in theVietnamese enclaves ranges from 2 to 5 percent (Weiss 35). Vietnam embraces the market." Commonweal Aug. Young girls were often abducted and raped for weeksbefore they were deposited onto the shores of the first asylum countries(Santoli 26-27). Thedestruction of the traditional Vietnamese family unit usually occurs whenparents lose their authority in the eyes of their children because theirdearth of English language skills prevent them from getting jobs they oncehad in Vietnam. No uniform screening criteriawas established for the screening countries. "The gulf pirates." The Atlantic Feb. Some ended up drowning and all had to starve ontheir way to safety. Without a doubt, the refugee problem is adifficult issue that continues to plague policymakers from all over theworld. Expenditure is needed to cater to the health careneeds of the Vietnamese refugees. These dramatic changes and loss of powerfor the father can be traumatic for him and can lead to conflicts betweenhusband and wife and between generations (Smith & Tarallo 27). Having difficultiesadjusting to the new cultural conditions, some Vietnamese refugees oftengot depressed and were unable to thrive in their new environment. In the cities of the U.S., greater effort has to be made to initiatethe recent Vietnamese refugees into American society, with the assistanceof the Vietnamese-American community. 1984: 24-29.Schroth, Raymond A. The crime in little Saigonis so severe that the councilman, Tony Lam, called for the deportation ofgang members to Vietnam (Weiss 36). A good way of bridging the gap would be to bringVietnamese-Americans, who can speak Vietnamese and English, into the policeforce, to work in neighborhoods dominated by Vietnamese Americans. 1985: 51- 57. In fact, the later waves of refugees who had made it to the U.S.would consider themselves extremely fortunate. Instead of granting them immediate asylumin Hong Kong until resettlement to the West, the refugees had been confinedto the camps until the asylum request was fully processed--a procedure thatcould take years (Strubbe 75). Apart from the appalling conditions in thecamps, there were also allegations of brutality against old people, women,and children by Hong Kong policemen ("Ordeal" 32). They are using theirresources to sustain increasing numbers of refugees who are not beingresettled elsewhere (Santoli 28). In his opinion, allthe refugees who were sent back to Vietnam risked persecution: "If the U.S.public really saw these refugees as people, whose families have been guttedand whose lives have been scarred by persecution and war, we would bereaching out our hands to help them" (Santoli 28-29). In fact, the wave ofpolitical refugees faced the greatest difficulties, compared to the secondwave of boat people, because they underwent incredible psychological andphysical tortures in the Vietnamese re-education camps (Weiss 37).Therefore, by the time they arrived in the U.S., they were so scarred fromtheir experiences they required assistance that was not made available tothem because of limited resources. Immigration andNaturalization service, because they are classified as "economic migrants." Unlike economic migrants, these refugees have not fled their country insearch of greater wealth; they have fled their countries because of thepolitical tyranny of the Vietnamese Communist Party. Thus, therippling effects can be seen when a decision by any one country has seriousrepercussions for others. can be in a better position to acceptmore refugees. by the U.S. Among the four waves of refugees, the second wave of boat peopleexperienced the greatest hardship in their journey to the U.S. With the existence of oppressive regimes that persecute innocentpeople and political dissenters, many people, such as Haitians and Cubans,are forced to flee from their homelands. Most of them suffered fromtremendous psychological and physical trauma. "Timing is Everything." The Atlantic Monthly Jan. "Nike Town." CBS News "48 Hours" Transcript October 1996."Forgotten Children, Old Allies." Time 24 Sep. Seventy percent survived this part of the ordeal,however, when they reached the neighboring countries, such as Malaysia,Hong Kong, Thailand, and Indonesia, they were placed in unsanitary refugeecamps where they waited for at least a year to be granted asylum in Westerncountries (Weiss 35). They were accepted under a special State Department resettlementprogram called the Orderly Departure Program (ODP) (Weiss 32). The plight of the boat people lies at the heart of a politicalquandary that involves many countries. "Back to Vietnam." The Nation Feb. According to Phyllis E. Next, they were victimized by Thai pirates in theopen seas (Weiss 35). In fact, these refugees also addto the existing poverty of the African-American and Irish-American peoplefrom the inner city (Weiss 36). They werealso victims of pirates. Perhaps, with greater effort and dedication by localauthorities in the U.S., the international community, and the Vietnamesegovernment, no more boat people will have to risk their lives in the openseas or linger for years in refugee camps. According to these writers, thesecond wave of refugees arrived at a time when Western countries were stillreceptive to their plight and allocated benefits were plentiful for them.For example, the second wave of refugees received 36 months of benefits inrefugee assistance. By establishing an effective system that slowly eases the transitionof the refugees into American society and eliminates the problems that stemfrom cultural maladjustment, the U.S. The harrowing journey undertaken by the second wave of Vietnameserefugees back in the 197 s reflects the tragedy of the boat people thatcontinued to flee from Vietnam in the eighties and nineties. In Dorchester, which contains mid-sized Vietnamese populations, successful Vietnamese flee from Vietnameseghettos to establish their businesses in the suburbs. Since the fall of Saigon in 1975, Vietnamese refugees have flocked tothe U.S. Many of them end up with menial jobs. It illustrates the intricaciesinvolved in the diplomatic negotiations that ensue when the internationalcommunity comes together to deal with an extremely difficult problem.Since 1984, Western countries, such as the U.S., have lowered their quotasfor receiving the refugees. "Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indochinese Refugees." US Department of State Dispatch 31 July 1995: 6 -6 3.Santoli, Al. In the following section, the solutions proposedinclude modified ideas of solutions that have already been implemented andother original proposals. Very often, refugees, especially the boat people,arrived in America without adequate resources. Although Oakley strongly believes that Vietnam would comply with itspromise not to persecute any returning refugees because of its need forforeign investment and establishment of a trade relationship with the U.S.(6 2), it is more important to wrought significant changes in Vietnam. Local people are also resentful of the massivepresence of the boat people in the country ("Ordeal" 32). After the then-Secretaryof State George Schultz's proposal in 1984, Amerasian children who wereoutcasts in the Vietnamese society were allowed to enter the U.S("Forgotten Children," 32). Therefore, international teams should be appointed toimplement this process and follow clearly established screening criteria.During the CPA, out of 12 , Vietnamese screened, only 33, were deemedtrue refugees and resettled. Even withthe input of foreign investment, the lives of Vietnamese people have notimproved; for some, they might have deteriorated. From the humanitarian perspective, there is tremendous insensitivityshown to the boat people. In spite oftheir meticulous preparation for their journey and great expenditure, theyfaced numerous obstacles. The first wave of refugees consisted ofsuccessful and wealthy Vietnamese who were evacuated from Saigon by theAmericans. In 1995, thestreets of Ho Chi Minh City were filled with beggars, prostitutes,pickpockets, and cyclo drivers, whose lives had evidently not been improvedby foreign investors (Schroth 7). also bear great significance today--a legacy that willlinger for years to come. However, in order forthe CPA to be an effective solution, several problems need to beeradicated. Works Cited"A New Ordeal." The Economist 29 July 1989: 32-34.Baskin, R. However, by decreasing the number of refugeesaccepted in the Western countries, first asylum countries, such as Thailandand Hong Kong, are bearing the brunt of the problem. in their war effort during theVietnam War, the Vietnamese government got rid of unwanted ethnic Chinesepeople and wealthy people in order to confiscate the latter's wealth.Furthermore, by allowing direct entry to these refugees, the U.S. Some of the others were captured by the authorities andsent to prison camps. Therefore, in order to stem the flow of boat people into first asylumcountries, there has to be a more active participation by the developedcountries in their efforts to help in the development of Vietnam. Shanty towns of Lima and Sowetocontinued to exist along the river, where thousands of poor people hadcreated their existence, untouched by the progress brought into the countryby foreign investors (Schroth 7). Instead of releasing formerpolitical prisoners who had helped the U.S. could notaccommodate as many boat people, thus leaving their fate to the firstasylum countries (Santoli 28). Furthermore, the refugees who were finally granted asylum to the U.S.after spending years in the refugee camps faced tremendous difficultiesadjusting to a new life in the U.S. The cultural maladjustment of many refugees also arises from thepainful transition between two worlds. Furthermore, there were evenallegations of corruption and impropriety involved in the screening process(Oakley 6 2). In addition, wives who did not work in the past also beginto acquire an income, thus challenging the traditional authority of thefather as head of the household. In addition, the effort by the U.S. 1995: 5-8.Smith, Michael, P., and Bernadette Tarallo. In comparing the plight of the different waves of refugees, manywriters differ from the hypothesis stated above that the second waverefugees suffered the greatest hardship. Regardless of thedifficulties experienced by the different waves of Vietnamese refugees oncethey arrive in the U.S., they are saddled with new problems that everyrecent immigrant has to face. In exploring the multi-faceted problem of Vietnamese refugees andtheir suffering, it is difficult to come up with ideal solutions that caneradicate the situation. Former political prisoners who were releasedfrom the notorious re-education camps constituted the fourth wave ofrefugees. One of the solutions to the boat people crisis was the ComprehensivePlan of Action (CPA) created by the international community in order todeal with the refugee situation in 1989. By the time the later waves of Vietnamese refugees--consisting of former political prisoners, the Amerasians, and the late-arriving boat people--they were given only to 8 months of benefits (Weiss35). 1994: 257-258.Oakley, Phyllis E. Furthermore, foreign companies, likeNike, exploit the Vietnamese workers, by paying them only $4 a month forsix days of work and physically abusing them (Baskin). Then the refugees would be screened to determine theireligibility as political refugees (Oakley 6 -6 1). In an efficient evacuation campaign, 12 , Vietnamese werecarried to four domestic military bases by ship and plane (Weiss 32). 1993: 27-3 .Strubbe, Bill. Consequently, it is a volatile place thatis rife with conflicts between the different races. Furthermoresome children, who are overwhelmed by the expectations of success, drifttoward gangs. Inthe late seventies, the second wave, comprising ethnic Chinese andfishermen escaped to the U.S. Apartfrom allowing rampant foreign investment in the country at the expense ofthe well-being of the people, an international monitoring committee shouldbe set up to ensure the compliance of the regulations governing thetreatment of workers. to allow former politicalprisoners to leave directly from Ho Chi Minh City through the ODP was alsoexploited by the Vietnamese authorities. "Hanoi's victory undone? In fact, gangs constitute a formidable criminal force inlittle Saigon in California (Weiss 36). Therefore, thepsychological and social consequences of the Vietnamese boat people'sjourney to the U.S. Inaddition, the political situation in Vietnam should be closely monitored inorder to ensure that no political persecution is implemented. 1994: 32- 37."Vietnam: Under Two Regimes." Department of State Bulletin Sep. In the U.S., traditional Vietnamesefamily units are disintegrating: children no longer obey their parents, andwives are no longer subservient to their husbands (Weiss 36). Vietnamese-Americans and othervolunteers can form organizations to provide education and information torecent refugees in need of help. Seventy-two thousand returned "voluntarily" toVietnam. Refugeessuffer from depression and severe headaches. Certainly, Vietnamese-Americans should be encouraged to attendEnglish classes so they have a better chance of getting good jobs and usingtheir training acquired in Vietnam to contribute to the American society. For the U.S., resettling Vietnamese refugees is only the beginning ofa new set of problems. In 1994, 35, Vietnameserefugees languished in deplorable conditions in 13 detention centers inHong Kong. Hong Kong's poortreatment of the refugees captures the frustration and impatience of thefirst asylum countries in their futile efforts to resolve this majorinternational problem. poses serious social problems not only for the refugees, but alsofor the general society. Because of rapidindustrialization brought on by foreign investments, unemployed peasantshad to move into the already overcrowded cities of Ho Chi Minh City andHanoi. Many suffered from the violence wrought by gangs created byyoung people and adults. "The Unsettling Resettlement of Vietnamese Boat People." USA Today Mar. Dissoluteyoung people joined gangs and committed crime in their ghettos, preying ontheir own community, knowing that these refugees were either too fearful ordistrustful of the police to report the crimes (Weiss 36). Investment proposals should also be scrutinizedclosely before they are implemented to verify their use in Vietnam. Mental and physical personnel should alsobe engaged to help these refugees deal with their physical and emotionalscars. Infact, the political and economic conditions in Vietnam lie at the heart ofthis problem. However, as the countries aroundthe world become weary of extending a welcoming hand to these refugees, therefugees have been virtually abandoned in refugee camps or forciblyrepatriated to their homelands. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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