The conversation

Why the flag of South Vietnam flew during the siege of the US Capitol

The violent mob that besieged the U.S. Capitol on January 6th wore symbols indicating the purpose of their insurrection campaign to derail Joe Biden’s election certificate. In addition to American flags, anti-Semitic banners and Confederate battle flags waved under the yellow and red striped flag of the former South Vietnam. This confused many viewers. One reddit user wondered why the mostly white “anarchist mob” had “co-opted” the South Vietnamese iconography. In fact, the South Vietnamese flag rioters were more likely Vietnamese-American supporters of Donald Trump. Election polls show that Vietnamese Americans were the only Asian-American group with a majority voting for Trump last year. They are drawn to Trump’s tough stance on China, his anti-communist rhetoric, and his avowed commitment to protecting America from all enemies at home and abroad, according to journalists and researchers. The South Vietnamese flag is a reminder of Vietnam’s own “failed” democracy – and of the people’s struggle to save their nation. A nationalist flag After Vietnam gained independence from French colonial rule in 1954, the country split in two and sparked a civil war. The US helped build and support South Vietnam, a pro-Western democratic republic that fought against communist North Vietnam. American ground forces officially joined the war in defense of the south in 1965. In 1975 opposition forces overtook the South Vietnamese capital Saigon. They rushed through the gates of the main palace, seized the building and hoisted the flag of the revolutionary northern government. The fall of Saigon marked the turning point of the Vietnam War which caused over 1 million North Vietnamese deaths, military and civilian deaths, causing a quarter of a million South Vietnamese casualties. The war killed nearly 50,000 American troops and displaced about half a million people. Many Vietnamese refugees sought asylum in the United States. Today they invoke the enduring cultural value of this “fallen” regime by hoisting the flag of South Vietnam at New Years parades and music concerts. The flag reflects the solidarity of the community, but also has a more symbolic meaning. As I wrote in my 2018 book, Return of War: South Vietnam and the Price of Refugee Memory, some Vietnamese Americans see their fallen homeland as an extension of America’s quest for freedom and democracy worldwide. I have interviewed Vietnamese-American soldiers who fear American freedom is failing and who fervently believe in US activities in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. For them, flying the flag of South Vietnam is a sign of nationalism – a militarized patriotism that is both South Vietnamese and American at the same time. Change in Political Loyalty I have also watched Trump use old anti-communist tactics that appeal to some conservatives in this community. Last year he tweeted that his followers are to forcibly “liberate” the country from COVID-19 lockdowns. Hours before the Capitol uprising, he urged followers to “fight like hell” to defend his government. A handful of Vietnamese Americans responded to this call and participated in local “Stop the Steal” rallies in California. The participants in the armed takeover of the Capitol have only been identified, but the media has apparently caught Vietnamese Americans holding up the South Vietnamese flag. These protesters likely believed that the United States must be saved from the socialists – what Republicans mistakenly call Biden – as their white counterparts claimed to believe. Unlike their white counterparts, the memory and politics of the fall of Saigon inspired them to undermine democracy. Vietnamese loyalty to the Republican Party could decline. Social scientists find that younger Vietnamese Americans are more progressive. Born after 1975, they neither fought against communism nor fled as refugees. However, like their parents, these Vietnamese Americans live in a country at war with themselves. This article was republished by The Conversation, a non-profit news site dedicated to the exchange of ideas among academic experts. It was written by: Long T. Bui, University of California, Irvine. Read more: * How self-proclaimed “prophets” of a growing Christian movement provided religious motivation for the January 6th events at the US Capitol * Fired for storming the Capitol? Why Most Workers Are Not Protected For What They Do In Their Free Time Long T. Bui does not work for, and does not consult, or have any interest in or funding from, any company or organization that would benefit from this article relevant affiliations disclosed their academic appointment.

The post Large Burmese Python Sunning Itself In Cooler Climate Eliminated From Coral Gables Driveway first appeared on DECKSAND FENCES DAILY.