Core Concepts
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- Humility
- Resilience
- Perseverance
- Stoicism
- Modesty
Vietnam is a Southeast Asian nation bordering Cambodia, Laos, China, and the South China Sea. Its cultural identity is deeply rooted in tradition but has evolved to incorporate modern influences. This fusion is evident in many aspects of daily life, where old customs coexist with new practices in unique and intriguing ways. For example, today, a farmer making traditional offerings to his ancestors may burn pictures of mobile phones and other modern technology deemed valuable in the afterlife.
The Vietnamese are renowned for their adaptability and opportunism, readily embracing new ideas, technologies, and lifestyles. However, this modernisation coexists with an ongoing reverence for tradition. Core values such as filial , respect for elders, and community remain central to Vietnamese culture. The country's history of foreign interference has also significantly shaped the modern-day Vietnamese psyche, fostering a collective desire for self-determination and independence. Such experiences have reinforced the national identity. Today, resilience remains a fundamental trait of the Vietnamese character.
Political Difficulties
Vietnam has endured a huge amount of difficulty and suffering in its recent past. Its people are generally very conscious of this history and take the legacy of past events very seriously. Many are still impacted by the physical, emotional and economic effects of the American War (known to the West as the ‘Vietnam War’).
The culture is not generally optimistic as there continues to be a collective lamenting felt throughout the society. Yet, to their credit, the Vietnamese people rarely complain and continue to be motivated and resilient despite having experienced so much adversity. They are often very stoic and realistic; problems get put into perspective as almost every family has a story of grief or loss relating to the war. Contemporary struggles also continue, as much of the population has to work very hard in order to make ends meet.
Nonetheless, Vietnam has undergone remarkable progress in recent decades, boasting one of the fastest-growing market economies in Asia. The population is exceptionally young, with roughly 24% under 15 years old and only 11.9% over 60.1 This demographic shift further emphasizes the generational divide in the country. The majority of the Vietnamese population wasn't even born when the war ended, amplifying the contrast in experiences between those who lived through its devastation and the younger generation. The war should continue to be acknowledged as it continues to play a key role in many Vietnamese people’s identities. However, one should avoid characterising all Vietnamese people as products of the conflict.
Today, Vietnam is governed as a communist state through a one-party system. Many Vietnamese support and feel disenfranchised by this government. This is particularly true of those from Southern Vietnam, which was heavily influenced by Western ideals of individualism and liberalism. On the other hand, the North of Vietnam is generally considered more conservative, traditionally minded and complicit with the communist regime.
Some Southern Vietnamese continue to resent those of the North due to events occurring in the war. They may renounce the communist flag and show allegiance to the flag of South Vietnam (a yellow flag with three red stripes). This is flown on commemoration days and on the day they call the “fall of Saigon”. They may also continue to refer to Ho Chi Minh City by its original name of “Saigon”. However, the current government imposes limits on freedom of speech and does not tolerate disrespectful or critical comments about Ho Chi Minh. It also officially rejects the Southern Vietnamese flag, and there can be serious implications if one is found in possession of it.
It is important to understand that this dichotomy between the North and South, regarding the perceptions of historical events and the current Communist Party, can be a very sensitive subject for Vietnamese. While most Vietnamese in Australia are from Southern Vietnam, people’s opinions may vary depending on their region of birth, age, education and personal experiences.
Underpinning Interaction
There are a few shared cultural that deeply influence behaviour and communication across the general population of Vietnam. The first is the concept of ''. This is the quality embedded in most Asian cultures that indicates a person's reputation, influence, dignity and honour. By complimenting people, showing them respect or doing something to increase their self-esteem, you give them . Similarly, people can lose by being criticised or behaving in a way that is considered socially inappropriate. Therefore, individuals generally act deliberately in Vietnam to protect their self-worth and peer perception. People speak quite indirectly and politely as one’s speech is assumed to reflect their virtue.
Another important value is ‘ê’ (modesty) or ‘ê ’ (modesty and self-). Vietnamese people typically exhibit humility by downplaying their emotions and communicating indirectly. This disposition is thought to maintain more . However, such modesty does not preclude honesty. while the Vietnamese may appear modest, they are also observed as being especially honest.
Many Vietnamese may also have a fatalistic attitude and take a more reactive approach to problems as opposed to proactive action. This is influenced by the Buddhist belief that what one did in their previous life determines what they experience in their current life – “to the same degree, they reap today what they have sown in the past”. This view can make some Vietnamese quite receptive and resigned to difficult situations, as they may believe the circumstances are the result of a predetermined destiny.
Social Hierarchies
The Vietnamese do not like to stratify their people into ‘classes’ and prefer to feel unified in their society. The government’s communist orientation particularly supports this view. Nevertheless, in reality, there are quite distinguished stratifications in society. Many people were left impoverished as a result of the American War and the policies of the Communist Party’s governmental regimes. The differences in wealth between those living in rural and urban areas are becoming bigger. As such, there is not much of a recognised middle class; people are mostly distinguished as either ‘rich’ or ‘poor’. Brand items are admired and those who are wealthy tend to exhibit their affluence to differentiate themselves. The term ‘nha que’ (peasant or country person) carries derogatory connotations. The 2019 Population and Housing Census showed that 65.6% of Vietnamese resided in rural areas, while 34.4% lived in urban areas. There is a visible differentiation in cultural values between the two lifestyles, with the urban areas now very commercially oriented and motivated.
There is a general cultural acceptance of hierarchies in society regarding one’s age, gender, status and education (relating to Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist concepts). Education is highly valued and often the most respected above all other attainable attributes of status – approximately 95.8% of the population is literate.1 By ‘filial ’, there is also a strong cultural emphasis on the importance of age. In Vietnam, age determines the grading of respect in many interactions. Often, this can mean a person has to unconditionally obey seniors or defer to the views of the older person in an argument. People should not disagree with their elders unless able to do so very respectfully.
China’s Influence
China has had a recurrent influence on Vietnam, significantly shaping the composition of the country’s traditional culture. The continual efforts by China to assimilate Vietnam have noticeably some cultural customs (such as family systems) and ideologies (through the introduction of Confucianism and traditional Chinese philosophies). However, the Vietnamese people have generally always maintained a distinct identity and resisted being subsumed by the influences of China. It is important to understand this as comparisons between China and Vietnam often make them seem very similar. However, Vietnamese national identity and culture are determinedly different.
From their intense and long history of national and cultural survival, the Vietnamese have developed a strong independent streak. There is a noticeable nationalism in the culture as the retention of the Vietnamese identity has been such a long-enduring feat. Many people find this a source of pride. This can make it quite difficult for older generations of Vietnamese to acculturate to Australia, as there has been a long history of resistance to cultural change.