Why was the South Vietnamese flag at the rally/riot? Many US, Trump, Tea Party, Confederacy + some national flags like Australia, Japan, S. Korea. But the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) that ceased to exist in 1975? Why did its three-red-stripes-on-yellow flag pop up yesterday? 1/15

As any capable historian could guess, the answer is long and complex. Like other flags, its presence signifies pro-Trump support from a group of people: in this case, support from a sizable number of Vietnamese Americans, some of whom were very vocal in their communities. 2/15

Their biggest reason is that Trump is the best suited or toughest person to stand up against China whose expansionist and imperial designs harm Vietnam further. In their view, the CCP is bent on territorial and other gains vis-a-vis a largely impotent Vietnamese government. 3/15

Such anti-China and anti-CCP aren't exclusive to many first- and 1.5-generation Vietnamese Americans. They are shared among Filipino/a immigrants and Chinese dissidents, if not others. In fact, pro-Trumpism has been stronger in Vietnam than it is in the diaspora. 4/15

The majority of Vietnamese refugees and immigrants in the US, however, came from southern Vietnam and have tended to identify with the anticommunist RVN. Anticommunism, though, did not mean warmth towards the US during the war, given American tendency to call the shots. 5/15

Indeed the first waves of refugees experienced US "abandonment" of SVN & viewed US government with skepticism at best & anger at worst. They were grateful to US society, including churches, for helping them resettle in this country, but it was also an ambivalent gratitude. 6/15

For a host of reasons, they eventually grew more positive about the US. Some reasons were Vietnamese: collectivized economy, reeducation camps, boat people crisis, etc. Others were American or global: Reagan's anticommunist rhetoric and action, the end of the Cold War, etc. 7/15

Back to the RVN flag, it was (and is) a common sight at ethnic events. Always nationalistic, its symbolism was even more potent among refugees due to a lack of representation: no museums, commemoration, formal recognition, etc. At first It was confined to ethnic events. 8/15

During the 1970s and 1980s, it might appear at non-ethnic events organized and/or participated mainly by non-Vietnamese. But, I think, only occasionally.

I don't think that its appearance at non-ethnic events became widespread until the 1990s or even the 2000s. 9/15

By then there was a critical mass of former reeducation political prisoners + their families in the U.S. They injected new political energy into various ethnic communities. The RVN flag (and RVN anthem) became even more important & there were more flags at ethnic events. 10/15

Also from the 1990s was the common visuals of former RVN military officers in military clothes at ethnic events. It too reflects the experience of erasure.

Flags, anthem, military uniform were very common at Tet events, rallies, fundraisers, funerals, reunions, etc. 11/15

Other factors included efforts to repair the wartime relationship between US and RVN veterans. A number of 1.5 and second-generation Viet Ams joined the US armed forces. At the high school and college levels, younger Viet Ams saw the RVN flag as the "heritage flag." 12/15

Still more factors--e.g., post-9/11 American nationalism & homeland politics regarding China--combined to produce a higher visibility of the RVN flag at non-ethnic events.

Moving into the 2010s, the visibility of this flag might have signaled an overlap of sorts. 13/15

Overlap between homeland politics and incorporation into US politics. For sure there were RVN flags flying at non-ethnic pro-Trump rallies during the election. Its presence at the rally/riot meant at least some Vietnamese supporters continue to believe in his legitimacy. 14/15

I better stop as I'm not a social scientist, but I invite you to read my article from 5 years ago. It isn't short but quite explanatory of a crucial experience in Vietnamese American history. 15/15

https://tuannyriver.files.wordpress.com/2019/08/2016-jvs-article.pdf

Addendum: There is a racial angle, too, in that Vietnamese-Black relations are generally negative. It is a complex subject of its own--having to do with Vietnamese colorism, model minority, racism, etc. It isn't clear to me at this time, but I believe it is there.