Nothing like a little Christmas Spirit

Unfortunately, Vietnam never really gets into the holiday spirit, despite the mini Christmas trees at Vincom mall. There's nothing like a little holiday cheer and the warm glow of a winter evening. Students here in Vietnam don't even get a Christmas break, excuse me, I meant 'Winter Break'. They do get a break for Tet, though: a two-week affair. I, on the other hand, am glad to be able to claim both holidays. Maybe it's a little homesickness, or the cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows I am sipping on, but I'm feeling like it is time to head back.

Since the holiday cheer hasn't been going around, it seems like the Grinch, having already been successful in stealing Christmas, has been making regular appearances just to cause trouble (sort of like Mickey, the rat who shares my dorm room). In a fashion that is just as detestable as my furry friend, fellow Viet Kieu have been ripe to bash me with a barrage of insults lately. They like to focus on my friends (not enough of them are Asian), where I was raised (white suburbs in Phoenix) and my proposed inability to understand minority issues (I can't know anything if I'm not active in race-based groups). Throw in a mix of insults ranging from the pejorative 'rich and privileged' (I go to UPenn) to 'elitest' (I believe in free markets) and you get the gist of their tirades.

It is not for me to judge how they came to these conclusions, and nor do I know them well enough to fully understand how these issues have impacted their lives. What I can express is disappointment. Disappointment that in our efforts to celebrate our heritage, many of us have been unable to shake a feeling of cultural superiority. They are right that race is not a color-blind issue; it is acceptance of all colors, including those having none at all. These pigmentation differences should only serve as a part of a fuller spectrum, one shape in a tapestry of personality, from which we see those around us. Unfortunately, for too many, it is the only picture they can perceive. This is a vicious cycle, one that mirrors the self-defeating spiral of depression, substance abuse, or racism. Self-segregation, even in the search for safety and identity, feeds into a system of bigotry and misunderstanding. All parties lose in this situation, yet everyone only becomes more adamant in their resolve. The Catch-22 is that we all become more divided than ever and the continuation of such group think will damage us all in the long run. We'll split along race, culture, region, politics and religion. If we are not careful, the same groups we use to pull us together can tear us apart.

So in this case, what do we do? When America, or your community, or your friends hail from every corner of the world or claim every different aspect of ideology, how do we come together? The first step must be civility. Without adequate forum for discussion, there can be no understanding. It is here which a few of my fellow Viet Kieu have lost themselves to their passion. Next, we must acknowledge our differences. Sweeping away race does nothing to foster acceptance. In order to move forward we must appreciate our own idiosyncrasies, both by accepting ourselves and those around us. In turn we should also carry ourselves with humility, and bring a measure of self-deprecating humor wherever we go, for our differences can often bring us together. Lastly, we must try to massage out intolerance. People do not become bigoted for no reason, and so we must work to address those experiences and shed positive light upon our distinctions. Such a task must be performed delicately, and may take extraordinary patience, but will be necessary to grease the wheels of dialogue. As emotional as such issues can get, and as insulated as we can become in the clusters of our own society, there must be a conscious movement to improve. Without such, like author Joseph Heller would have us believe, we can never escape the war.