...1975: The Fall of Saigon The Vietnam War was, and still is, the longest armed conflict in United States history. It waged from 1959 when the North Vietnamese began a campaign against the South, to April 30, 1975, when the capital of South Vietnam, Saigon, fell. April 30, 1975 marked the first time that the United States had lost a war. After more than ten years of fighting, it was shown that the United States was no longer the nation it used to be. From the day the United States officially went to war on January 31, 1965, to the day the war ended, the capital city of Saigon played a major role throughout the war. As early as 1963, it was the main supply center and command post for all American operations. Later, it would become the focal point of the Tet Offensive. In January 1968, at the beginning of the Tet holiday season, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong launched a massive offensive against the Americans, breaking the truce that had always accompanied that time of the year. This was so bad for the Americans, that Congress passed an act that would prevent any more increases in American involvement. This meant that the only way to continue the war at the same pace was to train South Vietnamese and replace Americans with them. In 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed as a treaty between all parties involved with the war. Despite this, fighting continued until 1975, when the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong’s last major offensive, started in 1974, succeeded in capturing...
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...Identification of Community Originally called the Tri-City, Westminster is in Orange County, California. “Westminster is landlocked and bordered by Seal Beach on the west, by Garden Grove on the north and east, and by Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley on the south”, (Westminster Wikipedia entry, 2014). Westminster is also called Little Saigon. “The 2010 United States Census reported that Westminster had a population of 89,701 with a population density was 8,926.5 people per square mile”, (Westminster Wikipedia entry, 2014). 29.6% of the population is between the ages of 35-54. "Most people were hospitalized due to diseases and disorders of the circulatory system", (OC Health Info, 2011). Industry overview of Westminster is comprised of small businesses and services. Majority of adult population reported that their health was good, very good, or excellent. Summary of Assessment Population Economic Status Assessment The total population of Westminster in 2010 was 89,701 people. “The 2010 census shows racial makeup of Westminster was 32,037 White, 849 African American, 397 Native American, 42,597 Asian, 361 Pacific Islander, 10,229 from other races, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21,176 persons, and 3,231 from two or more races”, (Westminster Wikipedia entry, 2014). “40.2% of the population is comprised if Vietnamese Americans making Westminster the highest concentration of Vietnamese Americans in the country” (Westminster Wikipedia entry, 2014). Westminster’s...
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...Reconstructing the Past to Change the Future: An Analysis of Character Development in When Heaven and Earth Changed Places and Journey From the Fall While the characters from When Heaven and Earth Changed Places and Journey From the Fall move on to a life of "comfort and safety" in the US, unsettling memories of the war resurface that force them to revisit their pasts. In order to reconcile their regrets, they must reconstruct memories from their past and address their guilt. This essay follows the journey that the characters Le Ly Hayslip and Mai take from Vietnam to the US and provides examples of how the two women attempt to forget their previous existences, create new ones, and reevaluate their pasts in the context of the present. By “comfort and safety,” I mean that Le Ly and Mai are not worrying about survival and safety as much anymore in the US as compared to in Vietnam. The two characters escape Vietnam because the livelihoods of their families are at stake. Le Ly escapes Vietnam for reasons relating to physical as well as emotional well-being. When Le Ly talks about the story of a woman watching her son get shot and then the woman herself getting shot as well, Le Ly realizes that the only chance for survival for her and her son is by leaving Vietnam. In addition, not only is Le Ly in physical danger, she is also in a hostile environment in terms of her relationships with the people around her. Her family relations are extremely volatile, since her family is very...
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...Berkeley: U of California P, 1969). In this paper I will explain the rhetorical situation where I used the rhetorical situation to help Same Day Restaurant Distribution, Inc. establish their business in the Vietnamese community. I will be explaining the Exigence of the problem that needs to be solved, the Audience will be the people that I need to address in order to solve the problem, and the Constraint that inhibit my ability to persuade the audience. I am currently interning at a restaurant distribution supply company called Same Day Restaurant Distribution, Inc. located in the heart of Westminster. Westminster has the biggest Vietnamese population second to the country of Vietnam. The area is called Little Saigon. There are many restaurants and mom and pop shops in Little Saigon, none of which Same Day distributes to. The Vietnamese community will only work with other Asians or Vietnamese businesses; Same Day does not have any Vietnamese employees. Because I had come to America as a refugee and have lived in Westminster for the pass 35 years, I understand the community very well. I can relate to their experiences and their needs. The majority of the Vietnamese people who came to America in the 80’s were refugees. The main reason the Vietnamese...
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