Practices

Language:

Vietnamese traces back to about 3000-4000 years ago. It belongs to the family of languages known as Austro-Asiatic. Vietnamese language is influenced mainly by Chinese language. It is also French, due to six decades of French colonialism. The Vietnamese alphabet is called “quốc ngữ” and uses diacritics for emphasis.

Names, naming:

Traditionally, the family last name is given first, then their middle name, with their first (given name) last. Most names are unisex. However, many Vietnamese in the U.S. have adopted Western naming customs. The most common Vietnamese last name is “Nguyen” pronounced “win.” A common given name is “Cara “ for girls which means “precious jewel” and “An” for boys which means “peace.”

Greetings:

People use the word “Thua” meaning peace in front of a person’s first name as a sign of respect. Many people greet by bowing their heads. Traditionally, women do not shake hands and physical contact is not common.

Etiquette:

The status is obtained with age and education rather than with wealth. When a person is inviting another person on an outing, the person that invites is expected to pay the bill. Vietnamese may come late to appointments because they may not want to seem too interested. It is considered rude to speak in a loud tone with gestures. The elders and parents have to be taken care of until their death. Humility is emphasized as opposed to bragging, which is criticized. Women who drink is disliked, therefore, women who drink are usually nonexistent. Although, it’s accepted for men to smoke, women who smoke are unusual. The only women that smoke are older women.

Displays of Respect:

People may not express disagreement to avoid confrontation. It is disrespectful to touch another person head. Due to modesty that is emphasized, they may smile instead of saying “thank you”. However, the silent smile is equivalent to “thank you”. It is disrespectful to insult elders and ancestors.

Interpersonal Relationships:

Respect is the foundation of Confucius’ teaching and it’s the principle of interpersonal relationships. Therefore, respect is demonstrated in education, to family members and elders. Vietnamese are generally polite people and express their feeling moderately. Although, their practices alters when they move to the U.S. and other countries.

Family:

The family structure of Vietnamese is extended. The family is typically composed of the parents, all the children, in-laws, grandchildren, grandparents and great-grandparents. Although, there could be more family members in the household depending on the size of the house, they all usually live close. There is a strong attachment in the family despite, all of the different age ranges.

Marriage:

Children live with their parents until they get married and move to the husband’s household. Traditionally, the family arranged marriage, but the individual’s opinions of whom they wanted to marry were taken into account. As western influences increased in Vietnam, now parents usually advice their children and arranged marriages are declining. Family highly influences the decision of marriage. Divorce is considered dishonorable even in the U.S.

Dietary Practices and Food:

Vietnamese cuisine is divided into three different regional flavors: the northern, central, and southern. The northern cuisine has similarities with the Chinese cuisine. The cuisine in the central and southern regions is spicier. Ingredients that are common in their cuisine are rice that could be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks such as rice cakes. French baguette that is popular because of French influence. Phở are thick rice noodles that are eaten in soups and Bun or vermicelli are thin noodles that are eaten with fresh vegetables or meat. Nuóc mam is a fish sauce that is a main ingredient in their foods. Fresh vegetables such as lettuce, carrots, and herbs are necessary for meals. Seafood is popular then comes pork, poultry and beef. Coconut and sugar drinks are popular and tea is consumed on a daily basis. Chili peppers are popular in their cuisine.

Forms of Artistic Expression

Music:

Folks songs in the countryside reflect the association with work and entertainment in the fields and at home. Folk songs are the oldest kind of music. The music in the central regions is vocal and instrumental. Also, their music expressions are associated with daily customs, language and rituals.

Festivals:

Important festivals include the Mid- Autumn Festival is the children festival in which children parade through the streets with lanterns. The Dau Pagoda Festival which is a ceremony performed to the Rain God and Buddha for a good raining year that helps with the agriculture.

Dress:

The Vietnamese have several traditional costumes. The "ao dai" ("flowing tunic") for women. The different regions of the country have their own styles of the tunic. Men also wear similar tunics.

Flags:

The red color means “the spirit of the sacrifice…of the struggle of the Vietnamese people” which symbolizes the blood of the people in wartimes and the yellow star “the leading role”.

Holiday Customs:

In Vietnamese, Tet means New Year. This is their biggest holiday. The New Year festival is celebrated for a week. In this week, people dress in new clothes, eat special foods, travel to visit family and friends. The Hai Ba Trung Day celebrates the Trung sisters who lead a war rebellion against the Chinese. In May, Buddha’s birthday is a national holiday. Also, in November Confucius’ birthday is a holiday.

Religion:

Religion has a profound impact of the Vietnamese culture. The dominant religion in Vietnam is Buddhism. Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity (Catholicism predominates), and Islam follow.

Communication:

The Vietnamese are taught during their childhood to be modest and reserved in speech. They are taught to think before they speak. The proper usage of the language is a way to demonstrate respect and to develop good relationships with others. Non-verbal communication is equally important to demonstrate respect.

There are several non-verbal expressions, which include:

Vietnamese children are taught that direct eye contact with parents and authority figures means challenge therefore this should be avoided.
Direct eye contact with the opposite sex is discouraged
Asking questions or disagreeing with an authoritative speaker is discouraged.
A smile can mean an expression of apology
A smile can express embarrassment when revealing personal information. For example, when asked about the death of a family member, a Vietnamese person would smile as a sign of being embarrassed for revealing information.
A smile can also be appropriate to expressions such as “Thank you” or “I am sorry”