Lexi Webster
Vietnamese people constitute one of the largest ethnic groups in Australia, with 334,793 people claiming Vietnamese ancestry at the 2021 Census, representing 1.3% of the country's population. There have been two significant waves of Vietnamese migration to Australia, with the first wave of refugees arriving after the Vietnam War. In the 20 years between 1975 and 1995, more than 110,000 Vietnamese refugees settled in Australia. The second wave started in the mid-2000s and continues today, with this cohort primarily arriving through skilled migration and family reunion schemes.
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What You'll Learn
Vietnamese Australians: demographics and history
Vietnamese Australians constitute one of the largest ethnic groups in Australia. According to the 2021 Census, 334,793 people claimed Vietnamese ancestry, representing 1.3% of the country's population. In the 2016 Census, there were 219,357 people in Australia who were born in Vietnam. The median age of people in Australia who were born in Vietnam was 45 years.
There have been two significant waves of Vietnamese migration to Australia. The first was in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, where in the 20 years between 1975 and 1995, more than 110,000 Vietnamese refugees came to Australia. The majority of Vietnamese who migrated before the year 2000 were refugees and/or their family members who migrated through Australia's Family Reunification Programme. Many of these individuals came from Southern Vietnam and tended to hold negative opinions of the Vietnamese Communist Party.
The second wave of Vietnamese migration to Australia started in the mid-2000s and continues to the present day, with this cohort primarily arriving through skilled migration and family reunion schemes. More recently, Vietnamese have tended to immigrate for better economic and educational opportunities, arriving through skilled visa categories, partnership visas, and international student visas. In the first half of 2023, there were 23,939 Vietnamese international students studying in Australia, making Vietnam the sixth-highest ethnic international student population.
Vietnamese Australians have experienced a long history of racial and cultural discrimination in Australia, spanning multiple generations. Earlier generations of Vietnamese migrants and refugees reported experiencing overt forms of racism, especially during the 1980s and 1990s. Political propaganda, racist legislation, misconceptions about job stealing, high levels of unemployment, and cultural differences exacerbated ill feelings toward the Vietnamese community. Vietnamese Australians were easily targeted due to their high population numbers in cities, as well as distinguishable differences in physical appearance, language, and difficulties in acculturating.
Despite these challenges, Vietnamese Australians have established large communities in Australia, particularly in New South Wales (40.7%) and Victoria (36.8%). Melbourne is known for its vibrant Vietnamese cuisine and cultural centres in neighbourhoods like Springvale and St Albans. Vietnamese Australians have also achieved notable educational and economic success, with high levels of labour force participation and educational attainment.
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Vietnamese Australians: education and employment
Australia has a large Vietnamese population, with 219,357 people born in Vietnam living in the country as of the 2016 Census. The median age of this population is 45 years, with 44.7% male and 55.3% female. The community has experienced racial and cultural discrimination, but younger generations of Vietnamese Australians have been at the forefront of promoting cultural diversity and acceptance.
Education is highly valued by the Vietnamese community in Australia. In 2005, 18.0% of Vietnamese-born people in Australia were attending an educational institution, with 1.4% in primary school, 2.6% in secondary school, and 9.5% in tertiary or technical institutions. The most recent data from 2023 shows that there were 23,939 Vietnamese international students in Australia, making Vietnam the sixth-highest ethnic international student population. Australian qualifications are globally recognised and increase the opportunities available to Vietnamese students. The Australian government also offers scholarships to Vietnamese students, and Vietnamese students value the quality of Australian educational institutions and the international student experience.
Vietnamese Australians face challenges in the job market due to historical racism and discrimination. Earlier generations of Vietnamese migrants faced overt forms of racism and were often employed in semi-skilled and unskilled occupations. However, many Vietnamese refugees have achieved success in education and employment. The most common occupations for Vietnamese-born people in Australia as of 2016 were labourers (18.0%), professionals (16.2%), technicians and trades workers (13.4%), community and personal service workers (11.6%), and machinery operators and drivers (10.8%). The most common industries of employment were cafes and restaurants (5.8%), hairdressing and beauty services (5.3%), takeaway food services (2.5%), supermarket and grocery stores (1.9%), and banking (1.8%). The personal weekly median income for Vietnamese-born people aged 15 years and over was $456, with a family median weekly income of $1,366 and a household median weekly income of $1,438.
The Australian and Vietnamese governments are committed to working together to enhance educational opportunities for their respective citizens. Australia supports Vietnam in implementing reforms and reducing regulatory barriers for Australian investment in Vietnam's education sector. Australian universities have established a presence in Vietnam, and the two countries aim to expand their cooperation in education, skills training, and labour market development.
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Vietnamese Australians: income and wealth
Vietnamese Australians constitute one of the largest ethnic groups in Australia, with 334,781 people claiming Vietnamese ancestry at the 2021 Census, representing 1.3% of the country's population. There have been two significant waves of Vietnamese migration to Australia. The first was in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, where in the 20 years between 1975 and 1995, more than 110,000 Vietnamese refugees came to Australia. The second wave started in the mid-2000s and continues today, with this cohort primarily arriving through skilled migration and family reunion schemes.
The income and wealth of Vietnamese Australians have varied over time and across generations. First-generation Vietnamese Australians who came as refugees experienced a wide range of income levels and social classes. Many from the Vietnam War era are white-collar professionals, while others work primarily in blue-collar jobs. The personal weekly median income for individuals aged 15 years and over born in Vietnam was $456, with a family median weekly income of $1,366 and a household median weekly income of $1,438 as of 2016.
Vietnamese Australians have experienced a long history of racial and cultural discrimination in Australia, which has impacted their economic opportunities. Earlier generations of Vietnamese refugees reported facing overt racism and discrimination in public spaces, especially during the 1980s and 1990s. High levels of unemployment and cultural differences further exacerbated tensions within the Australian population.
More recently, Vietnamese immigrants tend to come from middle-class families seeking better economic and educational opportunities. They often arrive through skilled visa categories, partnership visas, and international student visas. Australian-born Vietnamese tend to achieve high levels of educational attainment, with strong representation in Australian universities and various professions, including information technology, optometry, engineering, medicine, and pharmacy.
In terms of occupation, the most common responses for Vietnam-born individuals in Australia as of 2016 were labourers (18%), professionals (16.2%), technicians and trades workers (13.4%), community and personal service workers (11.6%), and machinery operators and drivers (10.8%). The industries with the highest employment of Vietnam-born individuals included cafes and restaurants (5.8%), hairdressing and beauty services (5.3%), takeaway food services (2.5%), supermarket and grocery stores (1.9%), and banking (1.8%).
While there have been improvements in social class and income levels over time, there is still a diverse range of economic experiences within the Vietnamese Australian community.
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Vietnamese Australians: religion and culture
Vietnamese Australians make up 1.3% of the Australian population, with 334,781 people stating they had Vietnamese ancestry in the 2021 census. The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that there were 268,170 Australian residents born in Vietnam in 2021, and in 2016, there were 219,357 people in Australia who were born in Vietnam. The median age of people in Australia who were born in Vietnam was 45 years.
Vietnamese Australians have experienced a long history of racial and cultural discrimination in Australia, with earlier generations of migrants facing overt forms of racism and public and systemic discrimination. Political propaganda, racist legislation, misconceptions about job stealing, high levels of unemployment, and cultural differences exacerbated negative feelings toward the Vietnamese community.
Vietnamese Australians have also faced challenges in terms of cultural interaction and adaptation. As refugees from a colonial society escaping the aftermath of civil war, they entered a society that had been involved in that war. The Vietnamese presence in Australia has contributed to and revealed the deep instability of the empire project and the tensions created by the apparent disjunctions of history and geography.
In terms of religion, according to the 2021 census, 44.7% of Vietnamese Australians are Buddhist, 29.2% are unaffiliated, 23.5% are Christian (with 19.8% Catholic), 0.7% follow other religions, and 2.5% are not stated. In the 2016 census, 40.46% were Buddhist, 28.77% were Christian, and 26.46% followed secular or no religious beliefs.
Vietnamese Australians have also made significant contributions to Australian society. By 2001, the second generation of Vietnamese Australians had become a significant part of Australian political, economic, and cultural life. Vietnamese Australians have also sought to maintain their cultural identity through media and entertainment, such as the SBS TV Vietnamese news program Thoi Su, which was later replaced by variety shows like Paris by Night. Additionally, Australia has attracted a significant number of Vietnamese international students, with over 20,000 Vietnamese students studying in the country each year.
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Vietnamese Australians: racism and discrimination
Australia is a multicultural society with a long history of international migration. As of June 2024, Australia's population included 8.6 million people born overseas, comprising 31.5% of the country's total population. Among this group, England, India, China, and New Zealand were the countries of birth with the largest populations.
Within this diverse demographic landscape, Vietnamese Australians have experienced a long history of racial and cultural discrimination. This discrimination has taken many forms and spanned multiple generations, with earlier migrants and refugees from Vietnam reporting instances of overt racism during the 1980s and 1990s. Political propaganda, racist legislation, misconceptions about job stealing, high unemployment rates, and cultural differences all contributed to negative sentiments toward the Vietnamese community during this period. Vietnamese Australians were particularly vulnerable to public and systemic discrimination due to their high population numbers in certain cities, as well as their distinct physical appearance, language, and challenges with cultural assimilation.
Various studies have been conducted to understand the experiences of Vietnamese Australians regarding racism and discrimination. One study by Mellor (2004) found that despite Australia's multicultural identity, racism toward non-Anglo immigrants persists. This research revealed that about one-quarter of Australians have experienced everyday racism, with those born overseas being more likely to encounter it, excluding racially white immigrants from the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Another study by Dunn (2003), which included interviews with 50 Vietnamese participants, concluded that while the racism reported was less pervasive than that experienced by Indigenous Australians, the tradition of discrimination toward non-Anglo immigrants continues.
The historical context of migration plays a role in shaping the experiences of Vietnamese Australians. Before the year 2000, the majority of Vietnamese migrants were refugees or family members who arrived through Australia's Family Reunification Programme, often fleeing the atrocities of the American War. As a result, their ideologies tend to be more liberal and individualistic, and they may hold negative opinions of the Vietnamese Communist Party and State. More recently, migration trends from Vietnam have shifted, with individuals immigrating for improved economic and educational opportunities, often through skilled visas, partnership visas, or international student visas. As of 2023, Vietnam was the sixth-highest ethnic group among international students in Australia, with over 20,000 Vietnamese students enrolled annually.
Despite these shifts in migration patterns, Vietnamese Australians continue to face challenges. Racism and discrimination have persisted, taking on more covert and subtle forms in recent decades. While Australia has made strides toward reconciliation and recognition of Indigenous rights, there is still work to be done to address the marginalization and prejudice experienced by both Indigenous Australians and ethnic minority groups, including Vietnamese Australians.
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Frequently asked questions
According to the 2021 Census, 334,793 people of Vietnamese ancestry live in Australia, making up 1.3% of the country's population.
Common occupations for Vietnamese Australians include labourers (18%), professionals (16.2%), technicians and trade workers (13.4%), community and personal service workers (11.6%), and machinery operators and drivers (10.8%).
Melbourne, St Albans, Footscray, and Springvale are known for their large Vietnamese communities and cultural offerings.
