Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia has a significant Vietnamese population, with 334,781 people stating they had Vietnamese ancestry in the 2021 census. The Vietnamese community is one of the largest and most well-established ethnic communities in Australia, with notable populations in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, and Perth. The presence of the Vietnamese community in Australia is largely due to the country's intake of refugees after the Vietnam War, with the first wave of migration beginning in 1975 when Saigon fell and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was declared in 1976. Subsequent waves of migration occurred in the 1980s, facilitated by the Orderly Departure Program and Australia's family reunion scheme. More recently, Vietnamese immigrants have come to Australia for economic and educational opportunities, with many arriving as international students or through skilled visa categories.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for immigration | Refugees after the Vietnam War and Fall of Saigon in 1975 |
| Number of Vietnamese Australians | 334,781 (2021 census) |
| Percentage of the Australian population | 1.3% (2021 census) |
| Locations in Australia | Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth |
| Religion | 44.7% Buddhist, 29.2% unaffiliated, 23.5% Christian, 0.7% other, 2.5% not stated (2021 census) |
| Language | Vietnamese is the fourth most widely spoken language in Australia (2021 census) |
| Notable Vietnamese Australians | Charles Tran Van Lam, Hieu Van Le, Dai Le, Nam Le, Phuong Ngo, Thang Ngo, Hung Le, Anh Do, DJ Caroline Tran |
| Cultural retention | High, with 90% of the second generation speaking Vietnamese at home (2006 census) |
| Festivals | Tet Nguyen Dan, Tet Trung Thu, Tết (Lunar New Year) |
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What You'll Learn
Refugee resettlement plan
Australia has a long history of resettling refugees and others in humanitarian need. Since the 1930s, the country has welcomed refugees fleeing global conflicts, including Southeast Asians after the Vietnam War.
Following the fall of the South Vietnamese Government in Saigon in April 1975, Australia, as a signatory to the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, agreed to resettle its share of Vietnam-born refugees under a refugee resettlement plan between 1975 and 1985. By late 1975, the first 400 Vietnamese refugees had been selected by Australia for resettlement from camps in Guam, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. Over the next two decades, Australia resettled more than 100,000 Vietnamese refugees from various Asian countries.
The refugee resettlement plan resulted in three distinct immigration peaks. The initial intake of refugees occurred in the late 1970s, with the first refugees reaching Darwin Harbour in a 17-metre fishing vessel. This was followed by 55 boats over the next six years. The second immigration peak occurred in 1983-84, likely due to the 1982 Orderly Departure Program agreement between Australia and Vietnam, which allowed relatives of Vietnamese Australians to leave Vietnam and migrate to Australia. The third immigration peak happened in the late 1980s and was attributed to Australia's family reunion scheme.
Today, Vietnamese Australians constitute a significant part of the country's diverse fabric. According to the 2021 census, 334,781 people reported having Vietnamese ancestry, representing 1.3% of the Australian population. Vietnamese Australians are well-represented in various professions, including information technology, optometry, engineering, medicine, and pharmacy. They have also made notable contributions to Australian politics, media, and entertainment.
While the resettlement process has not been without challenges, Vietnamese Australians have enriched the cultural landscape of their adopted country, particularly in cities like Melbourne and Sydney, where vibrant Vietnamese communities thrive, complete with popular restaurants, groceries, and cultural celebrations.
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Vietnamese Australians in politics
Vietnamese Australians are one of the largest groups within the global Vietnamese diaspora. At the 2021 census, 334,781 people stated that they had Vietnamese ancestry, representing 1.3% of the Australian population. In 2021, the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated that there were 268,170 Australian residents born in Vietnam.
Vietnamese Australians have a strong sense of their refugee history, and most community associations, leaders, and media remain anti-Hanoi. This is reflected in the community's response to a Vietnamese news program called 'Thoi Su' aired by government-owned SBS TV. The program was poorly received by the older generation of Vietnamese Australians who had fled South Vietnam and still resented the ruling government.
Vietnamese Australians have also retained their cultural traditions, with the majority of second-generation Australians of Vietnamese ancestry speaking Vietnamese at home. Traditional festivals such as Tet Nguyen Dan (Lunar New Year) and Tet Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival) are celebrated by the community, and Vietnamese food and businesses are prevalent in areas with high concentrations of Vietnamese Australians.
Despite facing challenges due to racism and social exclusion, Vietnamese Australians have made significant contributions to Australian society and politics. Here are some notable examples of Vietnamese Australians in politics:
- Charles Tran Van Lam: He served as the first Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia in the late 1950s. Later, he became the Foreign Minister of South Vietnam from 1969 to 1972 and was one of the signatories of the Paris Peace Accord in 1973.
- Hieu Van Le, AO: He is the 35th governor of South Australia and the Chairman of the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission (SAMEAC).
- Dai Le: Dai Le is a Liberal Party-turned independent politician and the first refugee and Vietnamese Australian to be elected to federal parliament.
- Phuong Ngo: Phuong Ngo is a politician from the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and a member of the Fairfield Council in New South Wales. He is also a Catholic community leader.
- Thang Ngo: Thang Ngo served as a Fairfield councillor from 1999 to 2008 and is a cast member of the documentary 'Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta'. He is also a food writer and the publisher of the 'Noodlies' food blog.
- Tung Ngo, Sang Nguyen, Batong Pham, and Huong Truong: These individuals are also Australian politicians of Vietnamese descent, although specific information about their roles or achievements was not readily available.
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Vietnamese Australians in the media
Vietnamese Australians are one of the largest groups within the global Vietnamese diaspora, with 334,781 people stating they had Vietnamese ancestry in the 2021 census, representing 1.3% of the Australian population. Vietnamese Australians have a strong presence in the media, with many notable figures in the community gaining recognition.
Vietnamese Australians have faced challenges in the media, with some reporting on the community being deemed fear-mongering and sensationalist. In the 1990s, the suburb of Cabramatta in Sydney, a hub for the Vietnamese community, was portrayed as a 'ghetto' in the media due to high unemployment and social issues. Vietnamese Australians were also subjected to harsh ethnic stereotyping and media scare campaigns during this time, particularly in relation to the drug trade in Cabramatta.
However, since the turn of the 21st century, there has been a shift in the media portrayal of Vietnamese Australians, with increasing representation and acceptance in Australian society. Notable figures in the media and public life include filmmaker Khoa Do, director of 'The Finished People' and Young Australian of the Year in 2005; comedians Hung Le and Anh Do; DJ Caroline Tran; and community politicians such as Thang Ngo and Dai Le, the first Vietnamese Australian to be elected to federal parliament.
Vietnamese-language media is also available in Australia, with SBS TV airing a Vietnamese news program called 'Thoi Su' in 2003. Variety shows such as 'Paris by Night' have also gained popularity among Vietnamese Australians.
Vietnamese Australians retain a strong sense of their culture and traditions, with festivals such as Tet Nguyen Dan (Lunar New Year) and Tet Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival) being celebrated widely in the community. The Vietnamese language is the fourth most widely spoken language in Australia, with 320,760 people speaking it at home according to the 2021 census.
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Vietnamese culture in Australia
Vietnamese Australians are one of the largest and most well-established migrant communities in Australia. In the 2021 census, 334,781 people stated that they had Vietnamese ancestry, representing 1.3% of the Australian population.
Vietnamese Australians have a strong sense of their refugee history. The first large wave of Vietnamese migration to Australia occurred after the takeover of South Vietnam by the North Vietnamese communist government in April 1975. Australia, being a signatory to the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, agreed to resettle Vietnam-born refugees under a refugee resettlement plan between 1975 and 1985. Most of the Vietnamese who migrated during this time were refugees fleeing the Vietnam War. This included Vietnamese women who married Australian troops during their posting in Vietnam and orphans of the war who were adopted by Australian families.
There was a second immigration peak in 1983–84, likely due to the 1982 Orderly Departure Program, which allowed relatives of Vietnamese Australians to migrate to Australia. A third immigration peak in the late 1980s was mainly due to Australia's family reunion scheme.
Vietnamese Australians have experienced discrimination and racism over multiple generations. However, since the turn of the 21st century, Australians of Vietnamese origin have become more accepted by other Australians. Vietnamese Australians are now highly represented in Australian universities and many professions, particularly as information technology workers, optometrists, engineers, doctors, and pharmacists.
Vietnamese Australians have a rich community life, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne. In Sydney, they are concentrated in suburbs such as Cabramatta, Bankstown, and Marrickville. Melbourne suburbs with large Vietnamese communities include Richmond, Footscray, Springvale, and St Albans.
Vietnamese Australians celebrate traditional festivals such as Tet Nguyen Dan (Lunar New Year) and Tet Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival). They also celebrate figures such as Nguyen Ngoc Ngan and Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen, who are beloved personalities by Vietnamese people at large.
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Anti-communist sentiment
The presence of Vietnamese people in Australia is largely attributed to the refugee resettlement plan between 1975 and 1985, following the takeover of South Vietnam by the North Vietnamese communist government in April 1975. Australia, being a signatory to the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, agreed to take in its share of Vietnam-born refugees. This led to an influx of staunchly anti-communist refugees from South Vietnam, who established community networks and institutions in their new homeland.
The anti-communist sentiment among the Vietnamese refugees was deep-rooted and carried over into their new lives in Australia. This sentiment was shaped by their experiences under the communist regime in Vietnam, which likely included political persecution and a desire to escape the new government. The refugees sought to rebuild their lives in Australia while maintaining a strong sense of their refugee history and a continued resistance to the ruling government in Vietnam.
The arrival of the Vietnamese refugees in Australia contributed to social tensions, with pressure mounting from existing anti-communist groups within the country. These groups advocated for the acceptance of refugees, reflecting a complex interplay between political ideologies and humanitarian concerns. The resettlement of Vietnamese refugees in Australia was not without challenges, as they navigated experiences of racism and social exclusion, often settling in concentrated groups to rebuild a sense of community and find solace among compatriots.
The Vietnamese community in Australia has retained its cultural heritage, with a strong emphasis on maintaining the Vietnamese language, traditional festivals, and endogamy within the community. While they have faced obstacles in terms of labour market participation and adult education programs, the Vietnamese Australians have established vibrant communities in cities like Sydney and Melbourne, particularly in suburbs like Cabramatta, Richmond, and Springvale. Over time, they have gained greater recognition and acceptance, with notable figures of Vietnamese descent making their way into public life.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia has a large Vietnamese population due to the country's intake of refugees after the Fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. The Australian government agreed to resettle Vietnam-born refugees under a refugee resettlement plan between 1975 and 1985.
According to the 2021 census, 334,781 people stated that they had Vietnamese ancestry, representing 1.3% of the Australian population.
In Melbourne, the suburbs of Richmond, Footscray, Springvale, Sunshine, and St Albans have significant Vietnamese populations. In Sydney, they are concentrated in Cabramatta, Bankstown, and Marrickville. There are also notable Vietnamese communities in Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, and Perth.
