So recently, we've been emphasizing on the war that took place in Southeastern Asia with the Communists versus Americans. However, there hasn't been much talk about the American soldier's opinion of the battlefield within this area. The perspective of the war from the American side could help us to grasp a better concept of the Southeast Asians exodus to the States. In le thi diem thuy's play, Red Fiery Summer, the writer gives account of how the Marines must have felt in coming to Vietnam.
"Though I walk through the valley
in the shadow of death
I fear no evil
for I am the biggest
baddest motherfucker
in the valley" (thuy 388).
This quote is sufficient in explaining that the soldiers view Vietnam as a "valley...of death", and also thought of themselves as top of the food chain in the foreign country. It portrays the soldiers as extremely conceited and vulgar, characteristics which would hardly make them appear sympathetic to the locals. If American marines showed no kindness for the inhabitants of Vietnam, then we can assume that the Vietnamese might have had a disliking for Americans, thus making the forced trip to the United States more than likely one less promising. It's interesting that every other Asian group came to America because of promising prospects except those who were from Southeast Asia, a group who might have had quite opposite expectations. This distinction makes the Southeast Asians of America a very unique group due to their less-than-promising journey from their homeland to America.
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