Vietnamese oversea prose from regional literary identity perspective

17 HNUE JOURNAL OF SCIENCE Social Sciences, 2020, Volume 64, Issue 4D, pp. 17-25 This paper is available online at VIETNAMESE OVERSEA PROSE FROM REGIONAL LITERARY IDENTITY PERSPECTIVE Nguyen Thi Tuyet Nhung Falculty of Vietnamese Studies, Hanoi National University of Education Abstract. The paper studies on Vietnamese oversea prose from 1975 to present, focusing on two regions of North America and Western Europe, to describe the identities of immigrant literatures in these two regions in terms of major themes and literary inspirations, prominent features of literary forma, and typical authors, etc. The study also gives an explanation of the differences of Vietnamese oversea proses in those literary areas relating to differences in political, historical, social, cultural context of each regions, and impacts of globalization as well as the diversity, complexity of migration conditions and writers’ generations. Keywords: immigrant literature, Vietnamese oversea prose, identity, North America, Western Europe. 1. Introduction The Vietnamese literature’s picture in the integrity, unity, diversity and richness is made of many different colours, of which not to negate the literary part of overseas Vietnamese in general, Vietnamese oversea prose in particular. Originating from the land of national literature, flourishing and growing outside the territory of Vietnam, Vietnamese oversea literature is “an objective, self-existent existence”, a remarkable phenomenon that has contributed to the history of Vietnamese literature because it is associated with historical and social issues as well as Vietnamese people's thoughts, souls and languages. Especially in the context of globalization nowadays, while the subject of region, global integration and the trend of national reconciliation are more and more affirmed, the study of Vietnamese oversea literature has not only brought in the scientific significance but also met the craving of profound topicality. Researches on Vietnamese oversea literature from 1975 up to now have made certain achievements. Abroad, in addition to the articles that both identified and generalized, summarized its stages of formation and development at the milestones of 15 years, 20 years, 25 years and 30 years after 1975 such as Twenty-five years of overseas Vietnamese literature 1975-2000 (Thuy Khue) [1], Outline of the stages of formation and development of prose lineages from 1975 to the present (Nguyen Mong Giac) [2], Fifteen years of literature in exile, formation and development (Nguyen Hung Quoc) [3], Thirty years of overseas literature (Tran Nha Nguyen) [4], Vietnamese literature abroad, issues of development (AA.Sokolov) [5], astute and talented literary critics as Tran Dao (Phan Huy Duong), Dao Trung Dao, Thuy Khue, Received April 11, 2020. Revised April 24, 2020. Accepted May 15, 2020. Contact Luu Thi Kim Nhung, e-mail address: nhungltk@hnue.edu.vn Nguyen Thi Tuyet Nhung 18 Nguyen Vy Khanh, Doan Cam Thi, Vo Phien, Nguyen Hung Quoc, Doan Nha Van, Phung Nguyen, Le Quynh Mai “drew” the portraits of Vietnamese oversea writers such as Tran Vu, Kiet Tan, Doan Minh Phuong, Thuan, Mai Ninh, and Le Thi Tham Van, etc. In the country, it is worth noting that the articles like A look at eighteen-year Vietnamese literature abroad (Le Hoai Nguyen) [6], Some comments on Vietnamese literature abroad (Nguyen Hue Chi [7], Overseas literature viewed from within the country (Do Minh Tuan) [8], Vietnamese immigrant literature in the context of East Asian immigrant literature in the United States [9] and The phenomenon of “going” and “returning” of contemporary Vietnamese writers (Tran Le Hoa Tranh) [10], The similarities between domestic Vietnamese literature and abroad after 1975 to present (Nguyen Thi Tuyet Nhung) [11], etc. The above articles gave initial introductions to a literature department that was both strange and familiar at the same time raised the questions about its nature and prospects in the trend of national harmony. A number of other articles have directed attention to overseas Vietnamese writers whose works were published in Vietnam such as The sense of being lost in contemporary prose (Tran Hanh Mai, Ngo Thi Thu Hien) [12]; Lost feeling in Thuan’s compositions (Trinh Dang Nguyen Huong) [13]; The technique of consciousness stream in the novel And when the ashes (Nguyen Duc Toan) [14]; The status of global citizen in Thuan's novels (Nguyen Thi Hoa) [15], etc. In general, the above researches mainly focused on the summary of Vietnamese oversea literature for 15 to 30 years (stopped at 1995 or 2000), therefore, did not cover the literary phenomena that have been appearing after 2000 that, in our view, have created the new features of Vietnamese literature abroad, different from the previous period. They also paid more attention to the political factors than the cultural - aesthetic aspects of this literature section as well as did not summarize the achievements in terms of genres of overseas Vietnamese prose at each stage of mobilization and development. Inheriting the previous results and by our own survey efforts, this paper aims to clarify the achievements and limitations of the content and art of Vietnamese prose abroad after 1975 to present, compare and explain their characteristics in different areas and cultural environments. We also point out the relations between migration and cultural identity of Vietnamese immigrants in each region. They are the new contributions of the article. Based on the criteria of the language and the context of the writing, we determine that Vietnamese oversea literature includes works written in Vietnamese language by Vietnamese people residing and temporarily residing abroad. Derived from the conception of the “ego identity” or “self-identity” of Erik Erikson [16], a series of subsequent studies suggest the concepts of “social identity”, “religious identity”, “political identity”, “ethnic identity”, “gender identity”, etc. In this paper, the concept of “regional literary identity” defines the unique characteristics of Vietnamese literature in different communities and regions around the world. Regional literary identity is primarily formed from the process of transformation and creativity to shape the appearance of each regional literature. Differences in geo-politics, cultural and social contexts, migration origins and living conditions of groups of people are the decisive factors that create “regional literary identity”. In general, we divide Vietnamese oversea literature after 1975 to present into 5 areas where the Vietnamese community is relatively crowded: North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia, Australia, and some African countries, South America. In particular, due to the paper’s limit, we will discuss more carefully two most strongly developed areas of Vietnamese literature abroad, namely North America and Western Europe. So far, these are the places where Vietnamese communities are the largest as well as there was the “sensitive” relationship in the history between Vietnam and the places of residence of Vietnamese abroad. Understanding Vietnamese literature in these two regions will contribute to unravel the historical and cultural slices of the Vietnamese community in the historical process. We will identify and distinguish Vietnamese oversea prose from regional literatery identity perspective 19 literature differences in each region according to the following criteria: economic, cultural, social environment, immigrant composition, major trends in content and form, and typical authors. 2. Content 2.1. North America region The North American region (including the United States of America, Canada and Mexico) is the current largest destination for international immigrants. The United States of America was once called “a melting pot” or “a salad bowl”. It can see here the most diverse and complex ethnic groups, religions and population in the world, from the first immigrants from Western Europe to the Native Americans and West African slaves, from Latin American immigrants to the increase in migration from Eastern Europe and Southern Europe in the late nineteenth century and early 20th century, and most recently the wave of immigrants from Asia. It is also a place where immigrants come in the hope of a “promised land” because, to this day, it is still one of the leading countries in the world economy, considered to have a civilian politics, advanced education systems, as well as a vibrant culture, accepting all diversity and differences, world immigrants to the United States are also exposed to the modern, constantly changing academic environment, one of the biggest literary and cultural centers with the long tradition and the high level of intelligence. According to the statistical results, the number of overseas Vietnamese in 108 countries and territories worldwide in 2004 - 2005 was 3,078,143, of which, the total number of overseas Vietnamese in North America accounted for nearly half of the total number of that around the world. The Vietnamese literary community in North America is mostly concentrated in the United States. It was mainly formed after April 30, 1975 that led to large waves of Vietnamese immigrants to foreign countries. The first departure was called an “evacuation”, which is understood as an official and organized departure from Vietnam. It was estimated that there were 50,493 people that evacuated from Tan Son Nhat airport from April 29, 1975. The second largest diaspora after 1975 was called “boat people”. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, during the period 1975-1995, there were 849,228 people crossing the border by sea and road. They faced many risks and dangers such as being cheated, arrested, stormed, stalled, strayed, killed by pirates, robbed, harmed, starved, thirsty, etc. Some of the boat people were rescued by other ships (including the US Navy); some reached the islands in the South China Sea around Vietnam. Refugee camps for Indochinese boat people have been set up in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, the Philippines, and Thailand. The third wave of migration was called “orderly departure” (or voluntary). Since 1990, reunification, re-education, cross-breeding, resettlement, and refugee return programs have introduced new immigrants to the US and many Western countries. In addition to the ODP (Orderly Departure Program), after the normalization of Vietnam-US relations, it changed to HR (Humanitarian Resettlement Program), the number of overseas Vietnamese from the early 90s of the twentieth century to the present has been increasing for many purposes: labour export, study abroad, marriage with foreigners, officials as “ambassadors”, etc. [Ref 17]. Corresponding to the above three migration waves are the three main generations of Vietnamese writers in North America that have associated with the movement and transformation of artistic and ideological trends. The first generation of composers consisted of refugee writers in North America (1975- 1980), who attached and left most of their lives in their homeland, so in the first steps to a new land, most of them deeply felt to be “uprooted” from the source. The impotence, lost, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Nhung 20 bewilderment when living in foreign land is the main topics in the compositions of the first generation. However, after the efforts to adapt into the “temporary country”, evacuating writers often found themselves a “Vietnamese identity” as a vital reason, a final shelter. Nostalgia for the homeland, the nation and the recollection of historical events was a vortex from which they could reserve their origin. The number of authors and works in this period is not much. Typical for this stage are the authors: Thanh Nam with “The famous singer”, “Sad little station”, “And one night”, “Wild horses”, “The streets without lights”, “Painful seasons”, “Moon in the foreign land”; Vo Dinh with “The Land of Thunder”, “the Loft”, etc. For the first-generation writers, writing in Vietnamese was a natural and indispensable option, because that was the way to both alleviate nostalgia as well as relieve cultural “shock” when setting foot on new land. Because most of them are writers from Southern literature before 1975, their compositions imprinted with the characteristics of the previous period's literature, manifested in traditional language classes, using many Southern dialects. The lyrical, passionate tones associated with the nostalgia of the homeland, the helplessness and insecurity in the present had come to live in the custom pen-style or short stories by Vo Dinh, Thanh Nam, Le Tat Dieu and Mai Thao, etc. The second generation of writers is associated with the “boat people” migration (1981- 1988). Some of them experienced the re-education camps in the country. Most of them had horrified experiences of crossing the sea. Those who luckily escaped from piracy and natural disasters drifted onto an island in an intermediary country in Southeast Asia, waited for a long time before being transferred to asylum in the third country. In terms of genre, memoirs occupied a prominent position at this stage due to the need of record and narration about the ups and downs history that the authors had experienced, typically Ta Chi Dai Truong with the memoir “One Moment of extended Republic Vietnam”, Cao Xuan Huy with “Broken gun in March” (1986), Duyen Anh with “Saigon, the longest day” (1987), Hoang Khoi Phong with “N+ Day” (1988), etc. In the novel, it was noted the appearance of longer works, broadening the scope of reality such as “The years of re-education camp in North Vietnam” (1981) by Tran Huynh Chau, “University of blood” (1985) by Ha Thuc Sinh, “The person walking in the clouds” (1987) by Nguyen Xuan Hoang, “Downstream” (1987), “Depressed horse” (1988), especially a series of novels in “The rough sea season” (1984-1989) by Nguyen Mong Giac. Regarding short stories, it can be named as short sharp pen stories such as The Giang, Nhat Tien, Nguyen Sa, Nguyen Khac Ngu, Le Van Phuc, Nguyen Duc Lap, Tuong Nang Tien, Vo Hoang, Nguyen Ba Trac, Xuan Vu, Phan Nhat Nam, Vo Ky Dien, etc. In this period, although the press, publishing abroad had the strongest development and attracted the most readers, there were no works that actually required the quality of literature. The compositions did not bring changes and innovations in terms of art form. In terms of content, Vietnamese literature in North America in general and prose in particular, due to the “boat people” event, focused on hot and current political issues such as the war in South Vietnam 1954-1975, especially the failure of the Republic of Vietnam government, the re-education camps and the Southern society after April 30, 1975, “the boat people disaster”, etc. In addition to the compassionate inspiration of normal people’s fate in historical fluctuations, the works were mainly written from the view of the defeated, who were hostile to the domestic regime and obsessive, inferiority complex. It was the intense political consciousness and extremism that damaged the artistic and humanistic nature of literature. It is thought that the compositions in this period were mainly for propaganda purposes. Therefore, they cannot be considered as authentic or “top” literary works. From 1989 to 1999, after the proliferation of political press and memoirs, historical documents, Vietnamese oversea prose was somewhat free from political prejudice as well as hostility. The number of new authors and published books increased, “professional publishers were born, and a real, rich and diverse literary life has appeared” [Ref. 6; p.49]. Short stories Vietnamese oversea prose from regional literatery identity perspective 21 blossomed, prevailed at this stage. Apart from the writers who wrote in the previous period, continued writing in this period such as Nguyen Mong Giac, The Uyen, Ho Truong An, Nguyen Sa, Mai Kim Ngoc, Song Thao, The Giang, Vo Ki Dien, it is impossible not to acknowledge the younger short story writers, crystallizing the achievements of the genre and creating their unique art style. Beside the simple, everyday life style mixing with the charm of humour, wittiness in the pages such as “The Diary to the West” (Do Kh.), “Between the two rainy and sunny regions” (Hoang Mai Dat), “The story of a moderately headached immigrant” (Nguyen Ba Trac). It was also recognized the fairly sharp, intense short-story style of Khanh Truong in the two volumes of stories “Contiguous to the Field” (1991) and “Do you love me?” (1997), Phung Nguyen with concerns about his identity and migration status through the “Memory Tower” (1998), Duong Nhu Nguyen, Mai Kim Ngoc in the short stories within profound lyrical writing style, etc. In particular, during these ten years, the trend of integration and adaptation increased with the emergence of the generation of female writers of the 1.5 generation, such as Tran Dieu Hang with “The Dance of Peacock” (1985), “Rain in the strange land” (1986), “Beloved Rambutan” (1989), Nguyen Thi Ngoc Nhung with “Finally night will be over” (1986), Vu Quynh Huong with “Eternity land” (1986), Le Thi Hue with “Rose Bush” (1984), “Memory with My Anh” (1987), “Snake and Dragon” (1989), Nguyen Thi Hoang Bac with “Glitter dust particles” (1988), “Witches” (1992), “Mudslides alongside”, “Pulling anchors to run” (1997), Phan Thi Trong Tuyen with “Summer, elsewhere” (1989), “One page of life” (1991), Bui Bich Ha with “Morning alone” (1989), Tran Thi Kim Lan with “Night Breeze” (1989), “New Year”, “Like a dream” (1991), Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan with “A little happiness” (1993), ... Other female writers like Tran Mong Tu, Truong Anh Thuy, Le Hang, Pham Thi Ngoc, Vu Quynh Nhu, Nhung Uyen, etc., each one brought her own voice, created the richness and polyphony for Vietnamese literature in the United States. In Canada, some female short story writers such as Tran Sa, Nguyen Thi Som Mai, etc. were appreciated. The main theme in their writing are the life and people in the new residence place, the hidden memories and eternal desires of women. Among them, there were sad stories of the obsessions with personal tragedies and the breakdown of families on new land. There were stories of the failures to integrate into a local culture. But there were also stories that brought a bright colour to the process of reconciliation with the past and adaption to the present. However, in terms of form, short stories of female writers in this period did not really make a breakthrough in plot, characters, language or tones. Most of them were still structured in linear or causal logic; the characters were mainly viewed in terms of fate but had not delved into the crooked, mysterical parts of the inner and psychological speech; language and tone mainly were lyrical and romantic. During this period, the number of published and consumed works showed the signs of going down, the Vietnamese readership community was gradually narrowed. In 1989, the collapse of the Soviet Union led to the disintegration of the system of socialist countries, after that, the establishment of diplomatic relations between the US and Vietnam in 1995 brought Vietnam into the process of integration and globalization. As a result, Vietnamese literature abroad has changed accordingly in the next stage. From 2000 to present, Vietnamese oversea literature in North America has developed in the context of new culture and te