Week 7_Shannon Ngo_ASA150E

In Brother Enemy: The War After the War, author Nayan Chanda describes the countries of Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Laos and their relationships to the Indochina wars. Anything concerning Viet Nam and America’s involvement in the war was predominantly constructed from the perspective of the United States, a failure swept quietly under the rug with the flashy banner of democracy. With the noble cause of ridding the country of anti-communism, the image of the heroic American soldier returning from the war was common in the media. And yet, no one hears of Laos or Cambodia, two countries that were just as affected by the war.

Populations like the Cambodians were displaced, sent to refugee camps that resulted in a burgeoning community in areas like Long Beach, California. War narratives rarely consider more than one or two sides to a story, erasing perspectives like those of Laos and Cambodia in the process. Viet Nam had a long history fighting with China, and the involvement with the United States was a small blip in its timeline in comparison. 

Little is known about these details, about the events prior to the American war in Vietnam, about the effects the war had on countries like Cambodia and Laos. How do we go about ensuring these narratives aren’t forgotten?

Source: https://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-life-arts-culture/first-they-killed-my-father-running-oscar-nomination