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Residency Themes
The following three-fold thematic division does not necessarily envision a strictly linear approach. Rather it represents one possible strategem to look at the diasporic phenomenon in an intelligible fashion. Applicants are encouraged to make proposals based on their own innovative perspectives and special area of interests. Proposals related to any one of the three theme groups will be considered.
Theme Group 1: Examining Constructions of Vietnamese
History
During the first phase of residencies, visiting scholars are invited to explore
issues in the construction and interpretation of Vietnamese history. How do
regional perspectives (northern, southern, and central points of view), religious
differences (e.g. Buddhism versus Catholicism), contradictory value systems
(e.g. Confucianism vs. modernization) and conflicting ideologies (capitalism
vs. socialism vs. nationalism) influence diasporic constructions of fact,
myth, and meaning in Vietnamese history? What role(s) do these historical
understandings play in the (re)constructions of Vietnamese identities in the
diaspora? How is the contestation over Vietnamese histories reflected in unresolved
political and social conflicts that continue to surface in Vietnamese communities,
work, and family life, both in the diaspora and in Viet Nam today? How do
historical facts and collective myths feature in the construction of histories?
How does formal education about Vietnamese history in elementary and high
schools, college courses, and texts influence the framing of Vietnamese identities
in the diaspora? Alternatively, how do oral histories from family members,
community members and leaders (as evidenced in Vietnamese community newspapers
and forums), who had direct experiences with colonial wars in Viet Nam, experiences
in reeducation camps and resettlement in New Economic Zones and escape journeys
after 1975 help shape Vietnamese diasporic identities? With the internet (mang
luoi) and information technology, how do the increasingly transnational dynamics
between diaspora, homeland, and cyberspace influence the constructions and
interpretations of Vietnamese histories and identities? Are there strategies
for curriculum design, pedagogy, and community organizing that can incorporate
conflicting histories?
Theme Group 2: Emerging Diasporic Voices: Exploring
Vietnamese Literature, Language, and Culture in the Diaspora
Contributions by fellows in the first phase will lay a ground work for understanding
the development of Vietnamese diasporic voices and identities as expressed
through literature, language, and culture. Recognizing that poetry and literature
have historically played a critical role in shaping Vietnamese identities
and movements of resistance, we ask Rockefeller fellows during the second
phase of residency to explore the work of established and emerging Vietnamese
writers and artists (broadly defined) and their audiences in the diaspora
through the following interconnected questions: What are the particular issues
that writers and artists face in the diaspora and how do they address these
issues and themes in their work? How do the contexts of language, culture,
history, economics, and politics shape the production and interpretation of
literature and art in the diaspora and how does literary or artistic work,
in turn, shape those contexts? Who are the audiences for this literature and
art and how are they evolving? What roles do writers, artists, and their work
play in (re)constructing home, family, and community identities in the diaspora?
What is the significance and impact of women's voices, in particular? What
are the resources for Vietnamese literature and culture in the diaspora, and
how are Vietnamese language and culture changing? How do diasporic writers
and artists relate to their counterparts in Viet Nam?
Theme Group 3: (Re)Constructions of Vietnamese
Identity and Place in the Diaspora: A Long Term Perspective
The third phase of residency will continue building on phases one and two,
while inviting fellows to explore (re)constructions of Vietnamese identity
and place in the diaspora through the following questions: What defines home
for Vietnamese in the diaspora? How have definitions of home and identity
been affected by various policy changes in Vietnam such as doi moi (renovation)
in 1986, the U.S. Embargo Lift in 1994, and the current transition to a more
market oriented economy with its resulting access to increased information,
travel, and investment from Vietnamese diasporic communities. With the increasing
numbers of Viet Kieu (overseas Vietnamese) visiting their homeland through
travel and the internet, how are images of Viet Nam changing, and how do Vietnamese
perceive the diasporic visitors ? What are the impacts of the diaspora on
the homeland and what are the impacts of opening the homeland to the diaspora?
What are the ways in which Vietnamese communities reflect and reproduce systems
of identities, relationships, and values? How are these systems changing?
How do problems, practices, and visions of Vietnamese community development
compare and contrast in various settings across the diaspora as well as with
other diasporic populations, including ethnic Chinese from Vietnam? How are
Vietnamese diasporic communities developing new notions of civic life and
democratic practice as they struggle to claim voice, space, and rights in
their host societies? How are these lessons in civic life and democratic practice
and related changes in gender and generational roles and identities relevant
to the homeland? What are the long-term challenges and prospects for the Vietnamese
diaspora, and what should constitute a long-term agenda for relevant research
and development?
Terms of Fellowships:
Fellowships shall be for a term of three to nine months ( September
through June). While in residence, fellows will have all the privileges of
university faculty, including library borrowing, internet access, and email
accounts. Fellows will receive advice and consultation in finding housing
and health insurance for the terms of their residence. Office space, a computer,
telephone, fax, and mailing will be provided through the office of the Joiner
Center. Some fellows, where appropriate, may have their residencies assigned
to other participating units such as the Asian American Studies Program or
the Institute for Asian American Studies. There will be orienting activities
for all new fellows on campus where they will be introduced to university
faculty, students, community leaders, and local visiting faculty from Vietnam
in other programs.
As part of their residency, fellows will meet with the standing committee at least twice, once at the beginning and once at the end of their residencies to discuss their projects. The first meeting will focus on ways to match university or community resources with the needs of the research project; the last meeting will be a discussion of successes and failures and plans for continuing project work after the terms of the residency. Visiting fellows will make at least two presentations during the period of their fellowships: one on campus and one at an appropriate site in the community. These presentations should center on some aspect of the fellow's research while in residence.
In addition, fellows will also meet with a core group of individuals from the Vietnamese community that may include teachers, librarians, human service providers, scholars, members of student organizations, artists, writers, and journalists. This group will act as an informal advisory group for the center and the standing committee throughout the project and will make recommendations for continuation activities after the fellowship program has ended.
For the specific terms related to the 2002-2003 academic
year program, please refer to the
Application
Section.
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