Crossroads and Reconciling Differences

Professor Valverde's analysis in "Creating Identity" revealed the tensions different cultures can make between people from the same country. There is a stark contrast between views of communism due to the differences in American and Vietnamese culture and politics. Chau Huynh's unique experience highlights these difference as she herself went from being raised communist to being anti-communist. Her change in opinion reflects the influence of propaganda and childhood education has on people. We are still taught in schools that communism is bad without being told the whole story. Even though the right of free speech is highly valued in our society, artists like Huynh are still protested against and censored for producing artwork that offends some people. She had the intention of honoring refugees but her artwork was misinterpreted as an insult and being pro-communist. There is a contradiction in this situation in which the protesters are free to protest artwork they perceive as communist and the buckling under pressure of the newspaper through an apology as well as the firing of an editor. The fear of communism still pervades American society but this time it's the people who are attempting to censor instead of the government. 

How can Vietnamese diaspora reconcile anti-communism with protection of free speech by artists like Chau Huynh? 

Laura Roser

11/1/15

Week 7