Subject: Book Summary

Thomas, Mandy. (1999). Dreams in the Shadows: Vietnamese - australian lives in Transition. St. Leonards, ACT: Allen & Unwin

Location: University of Waikato Library, Call No. DU122.V53T48. 1999

The author of this book is an anthropologist at the University of Western Sydney. It is a revised version of a doctoral thesis written about Vietnamese immigrants in Australia, many of whom were refugees following the Vietnam War. It provides a brief historical background to Vietnam and the reasons for migration and also insights into the cultural adaptation necessary for the Vietnamese immigrants in areas such as values, roles, housing, employment and dress. In particular Chapter 7 deals with status including occupation, education and class and Chapter 8 provides interesting insights into the background of the cultural festival of Tet (New Year celebration) and these chapters provide teachers of ESL with a deeper understanding of the Vietnamese society and culture. Although this resource is written about Australia the information provides an opportunity for New Zealanders to draw comparisons as our society is not very different from Australia in the areas of politics, economics and social structure.