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Vietnamese Culture
Lycia L. Harris
Jacksonville State University
Introduction
General Overview
There are over a million Vietnamese living in the United
States
Many are involuntary immigrants
Vietnamese Americans face a unique set of problems:
Dissimilarity of culture
Lack of family or relatives to provide support
Negative identification with the Vietnam War
(Purnell, 2013)
Communication
Direct or delicate questions are not answered with no
because it may create disharmony
Self-Control, which is a traditional value, encourages the
Vietnamese to keep to themselves, so they may seem
abnormally quiet
Expressing disagreement that may irritate or offend
another person is avoided
(Purnell, 2013)
Family Roles
At birth, Vietnamese children are already
considered to be a year old
Age is calculated from conception and a year is
added at each Tet which is the Asian Lunar New
Year
Nutrition
A tradition that is predominant with Vietnamese is the
balancing of natural forces, known as am and duong.
Am and duong is represented by foods considered hot
(duong) or cold (am).
Illness or trauma may require therapeutic balance of hotand-cold to restore equilibrium.
Ice water and cold drinks are not liked
Most raw vegetables, fruits, and sour items are taken in
small amounts
(Purnell, 2013)
Pregnancy and
Childbearing Practices
Am and duong balance of force is
recognized during pregnancy
Body heat is lost during delivery,thus,
Vietnamese women avoid cold foods and
drink
The intake of hot foods is increased to
strengthen their blood
Death Rituals
Most Vietnamese dont like hospitals and
prefer to die at home
Spirituality
Religious practices are influenced by the
Eastern philosophies:
Buddhism
Confucianism
Taoism
(Purnell, 2013)
Vietnamese Treatments
Practiced in the United
States
Cao
Gio
Giac
Be bao
Xong
Moxibustion
Acupuncture
(Purnell, 2013)
Health-Care Providers
Traditional Asian male practioners do not
usually touch the bodies of females
Male practioners may use a doll to point out
sources of illness
Young and unmarried Vietnamese women
prefer female health care providers
(Purnell, 2013)
Conclusion
The Vietnamese people have many cultural practices
that are similar to other ethnic groups. As advanced
healthcare providers, it is important to recognize behavior
that may have cultural significance. This brief lesson on
the Vietnamese people was aimed at strengthening the
understanding of Vietnamese culture and decreasing
stereotypes and generalizations related to Vietnamese
people.
References
Clip Art. Google Images. Retrieved June
7, 2015 from: http://www.google.com
Purnell, L.D. (2013). Transcultural Health
Care: A Culturally Competent Approach.
(4th E.d). Philadelphia: PA: F.A. Davis