Cultural Continuity and Fragments of Diaspora: A Comparative Study of Identity Construction by Second and Third Generations of Overseas Vietnamese in Northeast Thailand

Abstract

This article is based on research on how members of the Vietnamese diaspora in northeast Thailand construct their hybrid identities. Although “diasporic identity” is mentioned often in diaspora studies, it is crucial when investigating it to consider relevant political, social, cultural and economic contexts. This article investigates, compares and analyzes the similarities and differences in place-making and ethnic identity construction by the Vietnamese diaspora’s second and third generations, over different periods of residence, in northeast Thailand. Participant observation, in-depth interviews and desk research methodologies were utilized in this research. The findings reveal that second and third generations of the Vietnamese diaspora underwent dissimilar processes when constructing their hybrid ethnicities (as Vietnamese Thai) due to differences in their migration experiences and levels of social embeddedness in their home and host countries, and because of changes in the geopolitical context in the last 70 years. The differences in identity construction between the two generations reflects their journey from migrant group to diaspora community, their cultural continuity and fragmentation, and their ongoing negotiations to culturally adapt within the host country, and at the same time, maintain attachments with their home country. Keywords: Vietnamese diaspora, Second generation, Third generation, Place-making, Hybrid identities.