Summary
This article examines the complex interplay of identity, memory, and assimilation within Franco-Vietnamese literature through the works of Doan Bui and Minh Tran Huy. It investigates how their narratives confront and challenge the prevailing perception of Vietnamese immigrants in France as the “ideal immigrant,” set against the historical backdrop of French colonialism and pressing contemporary societal issues. The focus is on the experiences of second-generation Vietnamese immigrants, illuminating the cultural erasure present in French educational and administrative frameworks, and the persistent quest for identity and recognition. Doan Bui's Le Silence de mon père (2016) and Minh Tran Huy's Voyageur malgré lui (2014) are pivotal texts in this examination. Bui’s narrative emphasizes the role of consumption, showing how culinary traditions serve as a means of reclaiming cultural roots and shaping personal identity. Furthermore, the article explores the role of religion in the assimilation process, exemplified by Doan’s early desire to participate in Christian rituals, juxtaposed with her later reclamation of Vietnamese culinary practices. This duality underscores the multifaceted nature of identity formation and the negotiation between different cultural influences. In contrast, Tran Huy’s story portrays the integration challenges and systemic discrimination that minorities face in France. Additionally, the article contextualizes these literary works within broader socio-political discussions, highlighting the connections between historical marginalization and contemporary experiences of invisibility and discrimination. It illustrates how literature can act as a vehicle for opening dialogue and solidarity among minority communities, pushing for a reimagined French national identity that embraces multiculturalism and addresses past injustices. Through this examination, the article contributes to the discourse on the evolving dynamics of identity in postcolonial France.
Warisara Emily Sawin
https://doi.org/10.17613/1997-za71
Warisara Emily Sawin is a Graduate Fellow and Ph.D. Candidate in Francophone Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Mississippi, where her thesis focused on the influence of Naturalism and Realism in 19th-century French literature, art, and history within the scope of social and cultural studies. For her doctoral and future research, she has shifted her focus to 21st-century issues, specifically in the field of Viet Kieu cultural production within a post-migratory, postcolonial context. Her dissertation examines minority representation by Viet Kieu writers, cartoonists, and filmmakers. She aims to highlight the overshadowed experiences and narratives of the Vietnamese diaspora in contemporary France. Currently, she is working on translating Minh Tran Huy’s novel Un enfant sans histoire (2022), which explores themes of medical, social justice, and disabilities. She aspires to continue her research and teaching career, cultivating greater understanding and appreciation of multicultural narratives.