Nguyn L Th Minh

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AMERICAN DREAM TO VIETNAMESE

United States of America, the most influential country and the
biggest economy in the world, is a worldly paradise of progressive
changes for those who are not dishearten with facing difficulties and
challenges. With the notions of freedom, equality, prosperity and
opportunity from its very essence, America has become an alluring
beacon of hopes and promises. It not only creates an impact on
countless people worldwide but also encourages many who dare to
reach out. Vietnamese are not an exception. They are, as well,
slowly drawn into the same path, the path to American Dream.
American Dream, a widespread term used to describe an appealing
and mystifying fantasy not only to Americans themselves but also to
people all over the world, has existed or taken its root long before it
was first adopted by James Truslow Adams in 1931. David (2009)
indicated that the phrase originated way back to the very first step
of USA, the Declaration of Independence, which stated that all men
are created equal with certain unalienable rights life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness. American Dream is considered a national
philosophy of United States. It illustrates a way of life in general but
still holds in it a sense of individual. Therefore, to find a needle in a
haystack is much easier than to find a broad fully acceptable
definition for this well-known expression. This American ethos,
however, could be portrayed as a set of beliefs governing people
who pursuit prosperity and success, who strive for a higher social
status and who seek for a better life through hard work regardless
differences and distinction of their own.

American Dream, since its birth, has created an irresistible

temptation attracting many hopeful dreamers from around the globe
including those from Vietnam. Numerous Vietnamese have seen
American Dream as a once in a lifetime opening to turn over a new
leaf.

Consequently,

numerous

people,

throughout

Vietnams

contemporary history, have immigrated to USA by different means

and for different reasons.
Migration to USA, as of today, was not as easy as it used to be due
to strict policy and this may even harder in the future with the new
President elect. American Dream in Vietnam people, subsequently,
has lessened and subdued in this new era. However, it still holds a
distinct impact on everyday life of the people.
Hard working, ambition and success preference are of common
when describing Vietnam people. These characteristics could be
trace down to one root, to get out of destitute and disdained life.
Parents work hard to have a better life for their family and keep their
children from living in a poor and miserable life as they did. Children
work hard to achieve excellent results as in their mind, outstanding
performance equals future success. Lower classes work hard be to
have an affluent lifestyle and thus gaining social upward mobility.
Each and every person try their best to achieve their goal.
In Vietnameses conception, a rich person is more preferred than a
poor but well-educated one. Wealth and luxury are of consideration
to be a success meter by the majority. A report by World Bank &
Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam (2016) shows that
Vietnam middle class, an ongoing one, is predicted to reach to 33
million in 2020 and made up about half of Vietnam population in
next decade is believed to be the new rich. However, the fact that
being middle class did not bring their reputation, buying and
showing

off

extravagances,

e.g.

expensive

phones,

luxurious

accessories, costly vehicles or imported goods - especially from USA

2

or at least American brands, are what people expect to see from a

middle class person.
All these mentioned above trends closely resemble with some of the
core value of American Dream and even of American themselves i.e.
urge to success and prosperity, individualism and materialism.
Vietnamese have unconsciously acquired and practiced them as a
part of their culture without notice. They are chasing their own
version of American Dream right on Vietnam.
Yet, a considerable number of hopeful dreamers, mostly from the
middle and upper class, remain focus on following the actual
American

Dream.

There

are

some

leave

to

avoid

severe

environmental pollution, few to avoid strict, confined and lack of

freedom regime and mostly to find better job or life. The reasons to
seek after American Dream vary from person to person, from social
class to social class. Possessing a permanent residency or green
card is what they all yearn for. To attain this status, American Dream
seekers could employ various methods, as long as meeting basic
requirements for admissibility, such as marriage either an authentic
or

risky,

simulated

one,

investment

with

the

minimum

of

$1,000,000, having special in-demand jobs, and so on (extracted

from Official Website of the Department of Homeland Security,
https://www.uscis.gov/greencard).
As of 2012, Vietnamese immigrants comprised about 3 percent of
the total foreign-born population, which stood at 40.8 million
(Hataipreuk & Jeanne, 2014). In addition, the statistical data from
Vietnam Ministry of Justice clearly showed that in 2015, the number
of people renouncing their Vietnamese citizenship in compared to
those of regaining or applying counterparts was 150 times higher, at
4,474 and 29, respectively (The, 2016). These figures undeniably

indicate that American Dream has not lost its magnetism in

Vietnameses mind.
However, setting foot on USA and fulfilling American Dream are not
a piece of cake. Hardly do they know the adversities and
challenges that Vietnamese immigrants have faced or the things
those immigrants are forced to leave behind. From the narration
about Tung Nguyen (Naomi, 2015), a young mother who fled to USA,
or the story of Kim Luu (2016) with her family, these tales have told
a behind story of hardship that only clear to the insiders. Language
barriers is the first problem. With limited English background,
namely, speaking broken English, manual labor becomes an only
choice for those new comers. Secondly, compelled to part things
they endear, homesickness is the mental agony creeping into bed
every night and evoking their nostalgia. The 1.5 generation, a group
neither an adult nor a child, is notably affected by those challenges
far more than other group of immigrants. During their process of
naturalization or Americanization, they have to strive at least twice
or three times as much as their American junior peers, i.e. second
generation, do.
In conclusion, American Dream, as the name suggests, is about a
dream. A dream that has become a long standing standard of
worthy life. Vietnamese, understandably, are unable to oppose this
global influence. By transforming and integrating most, if not all,
aspects of itself in to the flesh and bone of every Vietnamese from
lifestyle to way of thinking or course of action, American Dream has
made a noteworthy mark to Vietnam culture in contemporary time.

REFERENCES
David, K. (2009, April). Rethinking the American Dream. Vanity
Fair. Retrieved
from
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2009/04/american-dream200904
Hataipreuk, R. and Jeanne, B. (2014, August 25). Vietnamese
Immigrants in the United States. Migration Policy Institute. Retrieved
from http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/vietnamese-immigrantsunited-states-2
Kim, L. (2016, September 04). How American dream came true for
Vietnamese refugee family. The Straits Times. Retrieved from
http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/how-american-dream-cametrue-for-vietnamese-refugee-family
Naomi, S. R. (2015, May 3). Living the American dream: A pregnant
moms escape from Vietnam. New York Post. Retrieved from
http://nypost.com/2015/05/03/living-the-american-dream-apregnant-moms-escape-from-vietnam/
The, K. (2016, August 25). Hn 4.400 ngi thi quc tch Vit Nam
trong nm 2015 [More than 4,000 people renounced Vietnamese
citizenship in 2015]. Dan Tri. Retrieved from http://dantri.com.vn/xahoi/hon-4400-nguoi-thoi-quoc-tich-viet-nam-trong-nam-201520160825165141218.htm
World Bank & Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam.
2016. Part II Background Chapters 6 Promoting Equity and Social
Inclusion. In Vietnam 2035: Toward Prosperity, Creativity, Equity, and
Democracy (pp.281-333). Washington, DC: World Bank.