Þörfin fyrir tengsl við uppruna sinn: Afkomendur flóttamanna frá Víetnam

Abstract

In 1979, 34 South Vietnamese refugees came to Iceland after having fled the North Vietnamese communists who seized power in the country. The data of this research was drawn from interviews with eleven participants who had parents and grandparents among the 34 refugees. The majority of them were raised in Icelandic speaking households. The research seeks to answer the research question: Why is it invaluable for the participants, whose home is Iceland, to have knowledge about the language and cultures of their Vietnamese ancestors? The data was analysed using thematic analysis underpinned by Bhikhu Parekh’s theory on multiculturalism and Dewey’s writings about self-control and the social construction of the self. The main findings disclosed that the participants felt a strong desire to learn and know the Vietnamese language and culture. Confucianism partly influenced the family culture they grew up in, emphasising respect for the elders in the family, a sense of duty, and a high value for education. Their need for knowledge of Vietnamese culture is, therefore, a need for self-knowledge and the ability to evaluate and reflect critically on their habits in order to evaluate them, adapt to circumstances, and have control over their own lives.