The event not only has diplomatic significance for the growing ties between Vietnam and the US but also elevates the position of Vietnam – an independent and sovereign nation in the international community. Subsequently, the country maintains its unshakable position in the face of subversive schemes by hostile forces living both inside and outside the country.
Over the past 34 years, Vietnam has struggled tirelessly against extremist acts by a number of Vietnamese nationals in the US who continue using the issue of the “red” or “yellow” colour as a pretext to sabotage the country. Because they lack the correct information and have been incited by hostile forces, some local administrations in the US even adopted resolutions recognising the three-stripped yellow flag of the former puppet regime in southern Vietnam. So it is not easy to fly Vietnam’s national flag in the US.
The flag flying speaks for itself and underlines that the relationship between Vietnam and the US is developing healthily. This is attributed to Vietnam’s constant efforts to establish relations with the California administration, helping them understand more about the Southeast Asian nation and make decisions in line with the international community and overcome opposition from anti-communist figures that bear a grudge against the new regime.
The event came as a psychological relief to hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese nationals living in San Francisco – the largest city in California. Currently, the US is home to approximately 1.5 million Vietnamese, of whom about 700,000 live in California. Most of them are businesspeople, some are lawyers, doctors and teachers. Despite their community’s modest size, they have made a considerable contribution to local socio-economic development.
In recent years, Vietnamese nationals have paid more attention to politics in the US and more and more Americans of Vietnamese origin have been elected to local parliaments and administrations.
Though they live far from their homeland, the majority of Vietnamese are very patriotic and respect and preserve their national cultural identity. Many turn their hearts to and want to contribute to developing their homeland which is becoming an irreversible trend within the Vietnamese community in the US.