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SOCIAL IDENTITY AND VIETNAMESE DIASPORA IN NEW ZEALAND i
Abstract
There remains a paucity of research exploring how Vietnamese migrants experience and
navigate their lives in Aotearoa, New Zealand. By foregrounding the narratives of members of
this community, this research makes visible the diverse experiences, perspectives, and complex
identities (personal, cultural, and social) that are negotiated and remade in their host society. The
study employs a qualitative methodology. Ethnography, narrative storytelling, and case study
methods are used to investigate the social identity of Vietnamese living in Aotearoa.
Ethnography is a primary research method, enabling an in-depth exploration of Vietnamese
Indigeneity, cultural practices, beliefs, and values. Through interviews, participant observation
and community immersion, the researcher gains firsthand insights into the intricacies of social
interactions, identity negotiation, and cultural preservation. Engaging with eight participants
from five families in the community, the researcher captures and analyses their personal life
stories to explore the subjective dimension of social identity in individual and collective
narratives of coexistence, accommodation, and resilience. These narratives are reported in five
case studies through a case study method. By analysing these cases, the researcher investigates
the unique experiences, challenges, and strategies employed by Vietnamese people to sustain
their cultural identity while integrating with the broader New Zealand society. The combined use
of ethnography, narrative storytelling, and case study method facilitates an in-depth analysis of
the Vietnamese spirit, an indigenous psychological construct that supports participants in
negotiating their social identities. Narrative and cross-case analyses draw attention to the
external factors that influence identity formation and the internal dynamics of family and
community. As a result, this research contributes to the existing literature on cultural diversity,
migration, and multiculturalism. It provides some recommendations and implications for policies
and initiatives to support migrant cultural and social cohesion in host societies.
Keywords: New Zealand, Social identity, Indigenous Psychology, Vietnamese diaspora
SOCIAL IDENTITY AND VIETNAMESE DIASPORA IN NEW ZEALAND ii
Dedication
In loving memory of those who passed away,
whose presence in life will forever be cherished.
Though I miss your physical presence,
your spirits will always reside deeply in my heart.
With all my love and gratitude,
this thesis is dedicated to you.
SOCIAL IDENTITY AND VIETNAMESE DIASPORA IN NEW ZEALAND iii
Preface and Acknowledgements
Madame Ton Nu Thi Ninh, a Vietnamese diplomat and academic researcher in cultural
and social studies, once said, “You can't build a future without owning your past”. So do I. My
migration journeys and lived experiences brought me to Aotearoa, New Zealand, giving me a
unique perspective on the Vietnamese diaspora's challenges and opportunities. I am grateful to
be in such a privileged position, with a bilateral perspective informed by being Vietnamese with
a Western education. In this thesis, I focus on how Vietnamese people navigate their social
identities when migrating and living in a new cultural environment. My research seeks to
contribute to a better understanding of the complex interplay between social identity, culture, and
community within the Vietnamese diaspora.
My Vietnamese ancestors are mixed with Kinh and Hoa people. During the Trịnh -
Nguyễn Civil War in the sixteenth century, my mother’s family settled in Sài Gòn (or Saigon,
known as Prey Nôkôr to the formerly Khmer Empire or Hồ Chí Minh City recently). On my
father’s side, my grandmother was a Chinese descendant of Ming dynasty immigrants who
settled in Southern Vietnam during the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. My grandfather
moved from North to South Vietnam during the Vietnam 1954 - 1955 Great Migration (termed
by the United States as Operation Passage to Freedom). I was born in Sài Gòn post-Vietnam War
at the time when Viet Nam experienced economic deterioration in a postwar reconstruction
period. During my childhood, I witnessed firsthand how the country had changed after Đổi Mới
(the economic reform in 1986). I moved overseas in my mid-twenties, studied in the United
Kingdom and then worked in various Asian countries after graduating. I married a British-born
New Zealander and have a Vietnamese-born New Zealand child, later becoming a New Zealand
citizen. I might not be a New Zealander by birth, but I am a New Zealander at heart.
With this thesis, I have drawn upon various resources, including academic literature,
government reports, and interviews with members of the Vietnamese community in Aotearoa.
SOCIAL IDENTITY AND VIETNAMESE DIASPORA IN NEW ZEALAND iv
Some of these materials were sensitive, difficult, and painful to read, listen to and digest. I hope
this research will interest academics, policymakers, and particularly New Zealand-based
Vietnamese as they work to build meaningful and productive lives in this country. I believe that
this research will not only illuminate the cultural, social, and economic factors that influence the
lives of Vietnamese people in New Zealand but also provide insight into how they navigate
hybrid identities as Vietnamese and New Zealanders.
To my participants, thank you for welcoming me to your home and walking me through
your lived experiences. Thank you for the food, drinks, and friendship that you offered.
To my supervisors, Dr Jade Sophia Le Grice and Professor Linda Waimarie Nikora,
thank you for your unwavering support and belief in my abilities. I am grateful for your trust in
me and the opportunities you have provided. I am so lucky to have you both as supervisors and
mentors.
To my 217 rangahau whānau, Larissa Renfrew, Dr Logan Hamley and Dr Oliva Yates,
thank you for reminding me not to forget lunch, for feeding me and making me laugh. I enjoy
our time together, whether drinking, chatting about random stuff or discussing serious topics
such as Indigeneity, social issues, or climate change.
To the proofreading team, Dr Jenny To, Dr Tina Tink and Dr Thao Tran, thank you for
your support.
To my mentor, Connor E. Kelly, thank you for the Physical Storytelling supervision that
has nurtured my mental health during this thesis and beyond.
To the Tran and the Way families, thank you for believing in me and supporting me
financially and emotionally during five years of university and nine years of living in New
Zealand. To Mom and Dad, thank you all for giving me such a good life. To Mickey and Thuy
Tien, Mimi and Duy, Pene and George, thank you for being my brothers and sisters, whether
SOCIAL IDENTITY AND VIETNAMESE DIASPORA IN NEW ZEALAND v
blood-related or in-law. I enjoy your company with many laughs and tears while we manage
discourses and disagreements as siblings, parents, and children. To my father-in-law Ian and
brother-in-law John, thank you for your witty humour (including the sapphire gin and tonic) to
lift my mood. Our discussions about politics, economics, history, and anthropology definitely
enrich my world knowledge. To my wonderful and intelligent nephews and nieces, thank you for
calling me Aunty and welcoming me into your life. Finally, to my beloved husband and
daughter, Big M and Little M, thank you for the teas and meals, keeping the kitchen tidy, doing
parental duties, and hugging and encouraging me to keep going. I did not realise this journey
would take such a long time.
I am fortunate to have you all in my life.
Xin cảm ơn tất cả mọi người.
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou.
SOCIAL IDENTITY AND VIETNAMESE DIASPORA IN NEW ZEALAND vi
Table of Contents
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... i
DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... ii
PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................. iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. vi
LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... vii
LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................................................. viii
CHAPTER ONE. OVERVIEW AND LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................. 1
Viet Nam and Its People ............................................................................................................ 3
The Vietnamese Diaspora .......................................................................................................... 7
Social Identity and Migration .................................................................................................... 9
Cultural and Indigenous Psychology in the Vietnamese Diaspora Context ............................ 16
Vietnamese in New Zealand .................................................................................................... 19
CHAPTER TWO. RESEARCH CONTEXT AND METHODOLOGY ..................................... 24
Qualitative Research in Psychology ........................................................................................ 24
Method ..................................................................................................................................... 28
Recruitment and Engagement ............................................................................................. 28
Participants .......................................................................................................................... 29
Interviews and Ethnographic Observation .......................................................................... 30
Narrative Storytelling and Case Studies ............................................................................. 32
Narrative and Cross-Case Analysis .................................................................................... 34
Relational Ethics ...................................................................................................................... 34
CHAPTER THREE. CASE ONE - BLUETREEFLY AND CENTIPEDE’S STORY ............... 37
CHAPTER FOUR. CASE TWO - PEONY’S STORY ............................................................... 56
CHAPTER FIVE. CASE THREE - DULU AND DAISY’S STORY ......................................... 73
CHAPTER SIX. CASE FOUR - MUSSEL AND OYSTER STORY ......................................... 88
CHAPTER SEVEN. CASE FIVE - GALAXY’S STORY ........................................................ 100
CHAPTER EIGHT. DISCUSSION ........................................................................................... 109
Intercultural Dialogues and Migration Journeys .................................................................... 112
Strategies in Migration Narratives ........................................................................................ 114
Cultural and Indigenous Values ............................................................................................ 119
Strengths and Limitations ...................................................................................................... 122
CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 123
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 126
APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................. 148
SOCIAL IDENTITY AND VIETNAMESE DIASPORA IN NEW ZEALAND vii
List of Figures
Figure 1. Map of regions of Viet Nam .......................................................................................... 2
Figure 2. The interconnectedness of the Vietnamese spirit ........................................................... 6
Figure 3. Two lovebirds and one heart ........................................................................................ 37
Figure 4. A typical Vietnamese gathering with food and drinks ................................................. 49
Figure 5. A typical Vietnamese meal with white rice, braised fish, and vegetable soup ............. 50
Figure 6. Making mooncakes ....................................................................................................... 51
Figure 7. Tet offering at Grandma and Grandpa Scorpion’s house ........................................... 53
Figure 8. Karamatura track in the Waitakere Ranges, West Auckland ...................................... 56
Figure 9. Peony’s garden ............................................................................................................ 67
Figure 10. Peony’s book .............................................................................................................. 69
Figure 11. The magnolia tree is blooming in Daisy and Dulu’s new home ................................ 73
Figure 12. Full-month celebration for the new baby ................................................................... 81
Figure 13. Vietnamese foods at Dulu & Daisy’s house ............................................................... 82
Figure 14. Vietnamese books for children ................................................................................... 83
Figure 15. Mussel and Oyster on the rocks .................................................................................. 88
Figure 16. Family activities ......................................................................................................... 93
Figure 17. The knitted dolls and animals .................................................................................... 94
Figure 18. Oyster’s sweet pastries .............................................................................................. 97
Figure 19. Backyard with banana trees and Vietnamese herbs ................................................ 100
Figure 20. Celebration in the house .......................................................................................... 104
Figure 21. Galaxy’s kitchen ....................................................................................................... 106
Figure 22. Social identity wheel for Vietnamese in New Zealand ............................................. 111
SOCIAL IDENTITY AND VIETNAMESE DIASPORA IN NEW ZEALAND viii
List of Appendices
Appendix A. Online recruitment content in English and Vietnamese ...................................... 148
Appendix B. Recruitment poster in English and Vietnamese .................................................... 149
Appendix C. Email scripts in English ........................................................................................ 151
Appendix D. Participant Information Sheet (PIS) in English and Vietnamese ......................... 155
Appendix E. Consent Form (CF) in English and Vietnamese .................................................. 169
Appendix F. Conversation guide in English .............................................................................. 177
Appendix G. Summary report deposit form in English and Vietnamese .................................. 182
Appendix H. Non-anonymous Summary report deposit form in English and Vietnamese ....... 186