In 1978 and 1979, the Vietnamese government confiscated the property of ethnic Chinese in Vietnam and forced them to leave the country. Between 1978 and 1982, several hundred thousand ethnic Chinese and other Vietnamese fled to neighboring countries. Tens of thousands died along the way, victims of fierce storms, Vietnamese patrols, and bandits. Those caught escaping, including children, were jailed. Those who made it to refugee camps generally remained for a year or more before resettling in the United States or other countries. Almost every Vietnamese American family has a member who arrived as a refugee or who died en route.
Beginning in the early 1980s, the Vietnamese government allowed some people to legally emigrate from Vietnam to countries such as the United States and Canada. Thousands more continued to flee. Countries that had previously offered refugees either temporary asylum or a permanent home were less willing to accept this wave of refugees. In 1989, 51 nations, including the United States, agreed to a Comprehensive Plan of Action designating a cutoff date later that year, after which people fleeing Vietnam would no longer be granted refugee status. Some Vietnamese fleeing after this date resettled in the United States, but most have been denied refugee status and returned to Vietnam.
"Vietnamese Americans," Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. © 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Duc Duc, Vietnam.
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