Making Connections in Vietnam
Tasting rabbit with sesame and teaching children how to blow bubbles were among the many cultural exchanges 16 students and two professors took part in during their recent month-long abroad in Vietnam and Cambodia. Travel didn’t begin until November 24, but the group had been preparing for weeks.
During Fall Quarter, students took two courses team-taught by Professors John Williams and Linda Bohaker. As their program description explains, both classes focused on “the basic characteristics of national identity and the forces (external and internal) that shape national identity.” Specifically, students examined Japanese history and Chinese politics to develop decoding tools, so to speak, for understanding a country’s history, culture, and identity. Then they applied these tools for three weeks on the ground in Vietnam and one week in Cambodia. In addition, while in-country students observed and analyzed artifacts, customs, cultural performances, and social interactions, all the while making connections with a wide range of people.
When asked for a highlight of the trip, Lacey Crabill, a sophomore, named several: talking with Vietnamese and Cambodian college students, all of whom were very welcoming, and interacting with Vietnamese children in the countryside who “spoke no English whatsoever but were very happy to have visitors.” She also recalled a memorable night in Ho Chi Minh City when news spread that the Vietnamese soccer team had beaten Singapore in the Southeast Asian Games. “People flooded the streets,” Lacey explained. “They were so happy, cheering and waving flags. So we joined in and celebrated with them!” Reflecting on these interactions, she said, “Even though the culture seems so unknown, the people are very similar to us.”
Back on campus now, the group is taking one last class together to reflect on the trip, share the results of their individual research projects, and arrive collectively at two Top Ten lists of the things one needs to know in order to understand the Vietnamese and Cambodian national identities. Impressed by the depth of students’ comments, Professor Williams also remarked on the tenor of the group, noting the closeness that had formed among the students. Professor Bohaker, who acted as resident counselor on the trip, attributes part of that closeness to the selflessness and spiritual support students shared with each other. Concurring with this assessment, Professor Williams summed up the trip in six words, with a smile in his voice: “Good weather, good food, good company.”
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