Vietnamese in Australia
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Migration History
The Vietnamese were one of the first Asian populations to be granted permanent residence in Australia en masse after the abolition of the . Thus, they are one of the most well-established migrant populations in Australia. There have been several waves of migration from Vietnam to Australia, the first of which began after the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was declared in 1976. Most Vietnamese who arrived in Australia during the 1970s and 1980s were refugees fleeing the American (Vietnam) War.1 This included some Vietnamese women who married Australian troops during their posting in Vietnam, and orphans of the war who were adopted by Australian families.
Overall, the vast majority of Vietnamese who migrated before the year 2000 were refugees and/or their family members who migrated through Australia’s Family Reunification Programme. It is worth noting that many of these individuals came from Southern Vietnam. Thus, their ideologies tend to be more liberal and individualistic (see Political Difficulties in Core Concepts for more information). They may hold negative opinions of the Vietnamese Communist Party and State and have personal familiarity with the atrocities of the American War.
More recently, Vietnamese have tended to immigrate for better economic and educational opportunities. Most arrive through skilled visa categories, partnership visas and international student visas. Some individuals have sought asylum from state harassment on religious or political grounds, although this has been a less successful avenue of entry. Australia is also home to a large Australian-born Vietnamese population.
International Students
From January to June 2023, there were a total of 23,939 Vietnamese international students studying in Australia, making Vietnam the sixth-highest ethnic international student population.2 This number has remained steady over the past 10 years, with over 20,000 Vietnamese students studying in Australia every year.2, 3, 4 Most Vietnamese students opt to study in Australia to obtain knowledge, skills and qualifications that are globally recognised.2, 5 Australian qualifications significantly increase the opportunities available to Vietnamese students by increasing their marketability in the global workforce.2, 5 Most Vietnamese international students come from middle-class families who can afford to heavily invest in their children’s education.6 Studying in Australia is considered a prestigious achievement, and many parents choose to send their children to study abroad to increase their family's social standing in Vietnamese society.2, 6, 5
Experience in Australia
The Vietnamese population has experienced a long history of racial and cultural discrimination in Australia. Discrimination against the Vietnamese community has spanned over multiple generations and has taken many forms. Earlier generations of migrants/refugees born in Vietnam report experiencing overt forms of racism that were openly expressed in public spaces, especially during the 1980s and 1990s.7, 8 Political propaganda, racist legislation, misconceptions of job stealing, high levels of unemployment and cultural differences exacerbated the Australian population's ill feelings toward Vietnamese migrants.9, 7 Vietnamese were easily targeted by physical and verbal racist aggression due to their high population numbers in cities, as well as the distinguishable differences in physical appearance, language and the difficulties they experienced acculturating.7 Public and systemic discrimination was prolific during this time, with Vietnamese often being made fun of, called names, labelled as ‘dumb’ or ‘stupid’ and having derogatory remarks towards them while out in public or accessing services.8, 10, 11