My Unexpected Day With the Vietnamese

Today, I experienced something totally unexpected. My good mate Ken and I attended a service that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and the first arrival of Vietnamese people to Australia.

The service was held at the Dandenong RSL. I had no idea what to expect, but this commemoration was nothing like I might have imagined. Its purpose was to thank Australian veterans for their contribution during the war. It had all the components of a military commemoration service but it had a lot more. Over 300 Vietnamese people and Australian veterans attended.

The service began with the singing of the National Anthems of the Republic of Vietnam and Australia, the Commemorative Ode, Last Post and Reveille and a march by Vietnamerse Veterans in their original military uniforms. The women in the crowd were beautifully dressed in their national costumes in the original colours of the Republic of Vietnam – yellow and red. Many had combined Australian motives and our flag into the designs.

There were lots of speeches, mostly by  members of the Vietnamese Community in which they espressed their thanks for Australia’s support during the war. They told tales of their emigration to Australia (often very dangerous travel in small boats) and stories of their arrival in Australia.

After a break for lunch, the service moved into some entertainment with a band, a fashion show and more speeches.

It was clear to me that these people were extremely grateful (and emotionally thankful) for Australia’s involvement in protecting them for so long from a communist invasion. They despised communism and clearly appreciated the opportunities that our Australian democracy has given them.. These people have repaid our help by working extremely hard and educating their children, many of whom hold professional jobs. I learned about the second generation of Vietnamese immigrants working as doctors, pharmacists, psychologists and software engineers for example. 

I think that the social impact on Australia of the arrival of Vietnamese boat people since the mid-1970s has been profound.  Their arrival challenged Australian perceptions of race and identity, sparked debates about multiculturalism, and ultimately led to one of the most successful stories of refugee integration in our history.

While the initial arrival of Vietnamese boat people prompted fear, resistance, and, at times, racism in parts of Australian society, the large-scale and visible settlement of Vietnamese refugees was the start of Australia embracing multiculturalism and moving away from the old “White Australia” policy. As a result of their arrival, we created new policies that valued diversity. We should be very thankful for their impact on this country.

Vitnamese immigrants have  made a significant contribution to the economic and cultural fabric of the country and have helped cement Australia’s international reputation as a humanitarian nation. They have reinforced the moral (and practical) benefits of accepting refugees.

The legacy of the boat people, and their later family immigration, remains visible in so many areas – from cuisine to community leadership, memorials, and annual commemorative events like this one. The people that we met today were very proud Vietnamese Australians.