 | Republican Vietnam, 1963-1975 : War, Society, Diaspora English-language scholarship all too often dismisses South Vietnam as an American creation, a product of US imperialism. Republican Vietnam, 1963-1975 boldly upends this depiction, exposing a diverse and dynamic portrait of the Second Republic. In twelve essays, each based on original archival research, the volume brings to life the Second Republic in all its complexities, displaying how politicians, students, educators, publishers, journalists, musicians, religious leaders, businessmen, and ordinary citizens built a highly intricate society--with dazzling entrepreneurial zeal, an outspoken press, globally engaged religions, a vibrant intellectual and associational culture, and a level of artistic production that remains unmatched since the Vietnam War. That inspired and frenzied age, though short lived, held a resilient spirit that Vietnamese refugees have kept alive. The trove of vernacular music and print media, not to mention the many associations the Vietnamese diaspora founded, exemplify the republican values that once energized South Vietnamese culture. But this nuanced society has appeared in popular media and American scholarship as a hopelessly dependent nation, led by corrupt dictators beholden to US interests. In contrast to such negative stereotypes, this account situates South Vietnamese front and center as agents of their own histories. Trinh M. Luu (Editor) Trinh M. Luu is an independent scholar. She earned her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and from 2020 to 2021, was a research fellow at the University of Oregon's Global Studies Institute.Tuong Vu (Editor) Tuong Vu is Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Oregon. |
