Cultural Differences
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One difference between Vietnamese and American culture is the importance of school and education.  Many first generation Vietnamese Americans did not understand the importance of education and how it can help move one up the ladder of the American society.

After the war, many were forced to leave their homes, possessions, and valuables in Vietnam.  In order to afford a place to stay, food, and education, many parents worked jobs that required long hours.  With little or no education with the English language and the American society, a gap began to form between first generation Vietnamese American parents and second generation Vietnamese American children.  Only 1 in 10 Vietnamese American adults are fluent in English, causing communication and social misunderstandings. 

Parents working long hours, with less than decent wages, risk the chance of not noticing their child's poor progress in school and their feeling of misplacement and alienation from the American society, thus forming and joining gangs.  Racism, peer pressure, and loneliness are main reasons why Vietnamese teenagers are driven to gangs.  A form of self identity is formed through friends who share the same hardships, and which parents could not monitor or give due to the working hours.
More Cultural Differences
The Vietnam War as a Clash of Cultures
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