Young Vietnamese expats want to spread homeland culture
Youths of Vietnamese origin living overseas said they wanted to spread Vietnamese culture worldwide in a talk held by Tuoi Tre newspaper Saturday.
Some 70 Vietnamese youths living in 22 different nations participated in the talk titled “How Young Expatriates Preserve the National Character” as part of a summer camp for young Vietnamese expatriates.
The youths said that aside from preserving Vietnamese culture within the diaspora, they would strive to make it known to the world.
The Pho group (named for Vietnam’s famous noodle) from France said that traditional Vietnamese food has helped preserve the culture and popularize it with foreigners.
Others the best way to preserve the culture was the ability to use its language.
Many youths chose to watch TV and read newspapers in Vietnamese, join Vietnamese speaking groups and activities featuring Vietnamese culture in their adopted nations.
Ngoc Anh from Bulgaria said she participated in a parade of 1,200 Vietnamese wearing Ao dai, Vietnam’s traditional dress, at the Bulgarian Rose Festival last year.
Associations of Vietnamese students in the Czech Republic and Poland have organized events to mark the Lunar New Year Festival and the Full Moon Festival.
Some students in Russia have distributed Vietnamese newspapers in Russian to help locals understand more about Vietnam.
The “Homeland Return from Continents” group including young expats living in Britain, the US, Australia, Mexico and Canada said retaining the national character required a thorough understanding of its culture and traditions.
Returning to homeland was useful, they said, because “spending one day in Vietnam is equal to one year studying about it overseas.”
Duong Thanh Truyen, deputy Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre, was quoted as saying “I can see the Vietnamese vitality over the world.”
During the camp, the youths have visited cultural and historical sites and join in charitable activities in Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Quang Binh, and Ho Chi Minh City.
The camp, July 19-31 this year, has been organized by the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese and the Center for International Youth Cooperation since 2004.
Tuoi Tre - July 29, 2007.
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