Reaction in the Vietnamese Diaspora
Recently there has been a vivid display of reactionary sentiments and views by those in the Vietnamese diaspora in America. At a rally in Biloxi, Mississippi, one of many, a crowd of Vietnamese flew the flags of various reactionary groups with reactionary slogans accompanying. Prominently featured was the three striped flag of the Republic of Vietnam (“South Vietnam”) and the Trump 2020 flag. This show of support for the American regime is the result of numerous components, which we have attempted to identify below.
Yellow Red Scare
The most prominent factor we have to take into account is the diaspora’s relationship to present Vietnam. The ideological and legal predecessor to the modern “Socialist” Republic of Vietnam was the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (“North Vietnam”), which many Vietnamese tried to escape from during the American War in Vietnam. This was largely due to its allegedly communist characteristics, and the fear of suffering under the regime. The resulting intergenerational trauma has left many hesitant to support the S.R.V., and much more willing to support an anti-communist strongman like Trump, who has repeatedly spoken out against “the Marxists and the Anarchists”.
In tandem with this, the struggle that took place against the North has since been painted as a struggle against communism. The North was made out to be a liberty-hating totalitarian dictatorship. Therefore the South was a bulwark of democracy and freedom, despite it being barely different. Even it’s death is noble and heroic. The mass emigration out of the Republic of Vietnam has been propagandized as fleeing an incoming Communist regime. The American air support for this emigration is an act of the “good guys”. Indeed, even some refugees believed these lies! This means many Vietnamese opt to support the late South Vietnam, and it’s biggest sponsor the: United States.
But despite how much the bourgeoisie would like to change and alter history, it cannot happen. And the facts stand that democracy did not exist in the Republic of Vietnam except in it’s twilight days (and still then it was a sham), and the only freedom that existed was the freedom for American and Vietnamese bourgeoisie to exploit the proletariat.
Demographics
McCarthy style anti-communism is useless, however, if no one believes it. Luckily it has found fertile ground in the diaspora’s growing petite bourgeoisie. Small business ownership amongst American Vietnamese went up 35.7% between 2007 and 2012, and American Vietnamese made up 16.2% of all Asian owned businesses in 2016.[1] A force which is more than ready to serve reaction, as is common for small business owners. Let us not forget that small capitalists are still capitalists, and it was the petite bourgeoisie who first helped organize the Fascist movements in Italy and Germany.
We must also take into account the influx of soldiers of the Republic of Vietnam into America, during the end days of the American War. They also played a part in laying down the foundation for reaction, having fought for private capital in Vietnam.
China
Another crucial factor is the People’s Republic of China. Vietnam and China have long had an uneasy relationship at best, one characterized by domination and submission, typically by China and Vietnam respectively. In the modern era, this relationship reached its lowest when the P.R.C. invaded the newly-unified Vietnam in 1979. Although it has since stabilized, there remains a looming sinophobia in both mainland Vietnam and the overseas diaspora.
The Republican Party (G.O.P.) in America has been able to capitalize off of this, with their ideological and political leader Donald Trump taking strong stands against China. Although his motives are more related to capital than an ancient socio-political grudge that goes back hundreds upon hundreds of years. This has not lessened the G.O.P.’s attractiveness to the sinophobic elements of the diaspora, however, who cling to them like a baby clings to its mother. It does not help that the G.O.P.’s main rival, the Democratic Party, are painted as sympathizers of China. For example: recent attack ads of Georgia senate candidate Jon Ossof allege he took money from the Chinese Communist Party and is a sympathizer of the P.R.C. How treacherous.
What is the cure, then, to the disease of reaction? It is two fold: education and agitation! We educate against anti-communism and against the “Socialist” Republic, and we must agitate against the sinophobic and petite bourgeois elements of the diaspora. Sinophobia can only divide us against our Chinese comrades, who suffer under capitalism the same way we do.
Comments
Post a Comment