Viewpoint of an old Vietnamese man on life in America
by Thong D. Nguyen

Most old Vietnamese men living in Vietnam, if given a chance, would be very happy to come to the US. America is a civilized and rich country with freedom and democracy, which is especially important to Vietnamese people given the restrictive nature of the socialist system in Vietnam.

An old Vietnamese man comes to the US with the belief that life will be a paradise in America. As the days passed, however, the old man begins to feel very lonely, because here, all his children either go to work or to school. The language barrier is very difficult and inconvenient to all elderly Vietnamese people. Some can speak English, but most don't. Because of this, the elderly rarely answer the phone when their family is not at home. In Vietnam, when a man leaves the house he meets his acquaintances. They can converse together and are able to establish fellowships. In the US, because of the language barrier, the man can't even share news about his neighborhood with his next door neighbors. This situation brings about loneliness to the old man.

Most Vietnamese old people are influenced by the doctrine of Confucius, Asia's great Teacher. According to his teaching, the old men are highly respected and are assisted in the society when they reach elderly status. In America, nobody pays any attention or respect to the elderly people. They are not respected in public; there is little consideration given to the elderly population.

Confucius' also teaches about sex, it's teaching tells us to be very careful about the subject of sex. It warns about seeing it or even talking about it. In the US, sexually explicit scenes are advertised in many places such as parking lots, buses, streets, movies, magazines, and too many other places to mention. This material is especially propagated through the TV, a place where children have the most access. These sexual depiction give bad examples and influences to the children and young people. Particularly, programs like The Jerry Springer Show promote destructive sexual practices to young people. Old Vietnamese men believe that repeated exposure to these scenes numbs young people's senses of caring and could bring young men to crimes in the future.

Life in America has two faces like a coin. On one face, there's opportunity for a good education, access to basic necessities of life, and the freedom to choose your destiny. We have plenty of freedom here, to the extent that many take it for granted. On the other face, there are the bad influences such as greed, promiscuity and disrespect for people in general. Magazines, TV shows, and other media that promote these vices can drain a person spiritually. This is especially true for the young people and children of America. For the old Vietnamese men, life is both better and worst here. A very Interesting life, maybe that's the reason for the American life appeal.

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