Youth and the Preservation

Youth Involvement and Community Development

Youth and the Preservation and Development of Vietnamese Culture Nguyen Phuc Anh Lan

Vietnamese(VISCI|)

Vietnamese(VPS)

Youth Workshop 1998

According to Son Nam, a Vietnamese writer, " culture, national identity have different definitions. But all theses definitions share a fundamental point: national culture and national identity are the capacity of a people to adapt with the changing environment for survival. They are expression of strength when facing the challenge of nature or other people".

Le van Sieu, a Vietnamese scholar, defined national tradition as " the particular human characteristics of a people in the course of its evolution"

This presentation will centre around the following questions:

Do youth have pride in their Vietnamese origin? Why?

How does pride in our origin help with our life in the new society?

Is there a need for Vietnamese youth to go back to their origin?

How can we achieve a blending of Oriental and Western culture?

Growing up in North America, many Vietnamese youth never thought much about the question of identity until they come across issues related to racial origin . They realize that, because of the colour of their skin, their hair, they are seen in a different way by people in the mainstream society. In their primary and secondary school years, many youth do not like to be associated with their Vietnamese origin. They try to look like other youths as much as possible. They even try to change the colour of their hair or their eyes to be more like their peers. But in their university years and upon their contact with the society, many youth feel the need to find themselves a place in the society and start searching for their own identity.

Knowledge of the language and history of our people is important in the search for our own identity. This requires a collective endeavour of many generations young and old.

Good qualities of the Vietnamese national legacy that need to be developed are: a sense of family belonging, the love for education and the determination to realize personal advancement, perseverance, hard working, love for peace, and solidarity in time of peace and the indomitable spirit when faced with foreign invasion.

Vietnamese youth also need to adopt and practice the strong qualities of the Western society. They are: democracy, rationalism, pragmatism, leadership, team spirit and the sense of collective responsibility for the community.

Some examples of good practices in the preservation and development of Vietnamese culture in the new society are:

Vietnamese Heritage Language Schools
Summer classes on Vietnamese history and culture
Debating Society for Vietnamese Youth
New Year’s cultural festivals among Vietnamese student associations
Organizing summer camps for Vietnamese youth.

The challenge

How to integrate and advance in the mainstream society without losing the Vietnamese identity.

The big question

What would the overseas Vietnamese community be like in 20 years?
Would the younger generations still be able to preserve our cultural legacy and our language?

The answers to these questions lie with the young generation.

Youth Workshop 98