Coping with America: Refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos in the 1970s and 1980s

Abstract

This article focuses on the refugees from former French Indochina—who they are, where they have resettled in the United States, and their integration into the American work force. Most of the data reported here are on the Vietnamese, who are by far the largest number of refugees from Indochina in the United States. Vietnamese entering the country were, for the most part, well educated, young, and accompanied by their families. Initially they were scattered through the country by U.S. voluntary agencies that took responsibility for resettlement. Since initial resettlement, there has been considerable secondary migration within the United States that has resulted in the formation of refugee communities. In the United States, Vietnamese have experienced considerable occupational and social downward mobility. They have entered the American work force at rates comparable to native-born Americans. However, they have taken jobs that pay at best the minimum wage, and, while employment rates are high, they remain dependent on the American welfare system for survival.