Ethan Walker
Vietnamese Catholics have been a vibrant part of the US Church since the end of the American War in Vietnam. During this time, many Vietnamese Catholics fled the country, fearing punishment and religious persecution. This led to an influx of Vietnamese refugees, many of whom were Catholic, entering the United States. By the mid-1990s, 27% of Vietnamese Americans identified as Catholic, and Vietnamese priests and sisters have since become a familiar presence in many rural American communities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of data | 2017 |
| Total Vietnamese Catholics in the US | 950 |
| % of American seminary population made up of Vietnamese men | 12% |
| % of ordination class in the US in 2009 that were Vietnamese | 6% |
| Number of Vietnamese-origin Catholic priests in the US in 2012 | 900 |
| Number of Vietnamese Catholics in Orange County, California | 85,000 |
| Number of people who attend the Marian Days Festival in Carthage, Missouri | 50,000 |
| % of American Catholics that are Asian or Asian American | 4% |
| % of vocations that are Asian or Asian American | 10% |
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What You'll Learn
- Vietnamese Catholics in the US are predominantly refugees
- Vietnamese mothers are usually responsible for passing on the faith
- The Marian Days Festival is a celebration of faith, family and culture
- Vietnamese priests are becoming a familiar presence in rural US communities
- Vietnamese Catholics were disproportionately involved in supporting the US and South Vietnam
Vietnamese Catholics in the US are predominantly refugees
The history of Vietnamese Catholic refugees in the US goes back to the fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1975. In the aftermath of the city's collapse, the US government aided in the evacuation and relocation of approximately 125,000 Vietnamese who had supported the US, worked for the South Vietnamese government, or fought against the North. This first wave of refugees, known as "exiles," tended to have better education, English skills, and familiarity with Western culture, which facilitated their transition to life in America. Notably, about half of this initial group were Catholic, a significantly higher proportion than the ten percent of the overall Vietnamese population at the time who identified as Catholic.
Vietnamese Catholics were disproportionately involved in supporting the United States and South Vietnam during the war. As a result, many of them feared punishment and persecution by the new government after the reunification of the country. This prompted their exodus from Vietnam, with over half of the Vietnamese refugees who fled identifying as Catholic. The Catholic Church in Vietnam had also faced restrictions and persecution in the past, with priests going into hiding or fleeing the country.
The arrival of Vietnamese Catholic refugees in the US led to the formation of concentrated Vietnamese communities in various parts of the country, including Los Angeles, San Jose, Houston, New Orleans East, Orange County, Dallas, and Carthage, Missouri. These communities became hubs for the preservation of religious and cultural traditions. Events like the annual "'Marian Days' festival in Carthage, Missouri, draw thousands of Vietnamese-American Catholics, strengthening their faith and cultural identity.
Vietnamese Catholic priests have also played a significant role in serving these communities and maintaining their religious practices. Foreign-born priests, including those from Vietnam, have become a familiar presence in many rural areas of the US. For example, Father Basil Doan, a Vietnamese priest, serves two Catholic churches in rural western Missouri, tending to the spiritual needs of the local Vietnamese Catholic community.
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Vietnamese mothers are usually responsible for passing on the faith
Vietnamese mothers are usually responsible for passing on the Catholic faith to their children, especially when they are married to non-Catholic men. This dynamic is evident in both Vietnam and the United States, where many Vietnamese refugees have resettled since the mid-1970s.
In Vietnam, Catholicism has faced restrictions and persecution at various points in history. Even today, the Vietnamese government restricts church activities, and in some areas, Catholics are barred from holding government jobs. This has resulted in a deep devotion among Vietnamese Catholics, including those who have migrated to the United States.
Among Vietnamese families in the United States, preserving religious traditions is important to first- and second-generation immigrants. The Marian Days Festival, for example, draws thousands of teens and their grandparents, who may speak to each other in English rather than Vietnamese.
Within Vietnamese families, patriarchy often predominates, and women are expected to obey family norms after marrying into their husband's family. When a Catholic woman marries into a non-Christian family, she may face difficulties in practising her faith and educating her children in the Catholic tradition. In some cases, husbands and in-laws may object to their children being raised Catholic and may even threaten to turn the wife out of the home if she takes them to church.
Despite these challenges, Vietnamese mothers play a crucial role in passing on the Catholic faith to their children. They may secretly take their children to church or have them baptised without the knowledge of their husbands and in-laws. By doing so, they ensure that their children receive a Catholic education and maintain their connection to the Catholic community.
Overall, the role of Vietnamese mothers in passing on the Catholic faith has contributed to the deep devotion within the community and the growth of Vietnamese Catholic populations in both Vietnam and the United States.
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The Marian Days Festival is a celebration of faith, family and culture
The Marian Days Festival is an annual celebration of faith, family, and culture, inaugurated in 1978. It is the main festival and pilgrimage for Vietnamese American Roman Catholics. The event takes place on the first weekend of August, lasting four days, in honour of the Virgin Mary, on the campus of the Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer (CRM) in Carthage, Missouri.
The festival is a combination of American and Vietnamese culture, with attendees enjoying Vietnamese cuisine and taking part in daily Masses, confessions, processions, and firework displays. The event attracts tens of thousands of attendees from the United States, Canada, Vietnam, Thailand, Europe, and beyond. Many participants camp during the festival, and local residents also get involved, with some looking forward to the event each year.
The Marian Days Festival has its origins in Vietnam, where it was a way of asking the Virgin Mary for peace during the Vietnam War. After the Fall of Saigon, members of the Congregation of the Mother Co-Redemptrix arrived as refugees in the United States, and the first Marian Day was organised in 1978 to celebrate the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The event has expanded over the years, with an estimated 35,000 attendees in 1987, and between 75,000 and 100,000 in recent years.
The festival is an important cultural and religious event for the Vietnamese American community, allowing them to reconnect with their faith and heritage. It is also a time for families to come together and give thanks for the blessings they have received. The Marian Days Festival is a vibrant and diverse celebration that brings people together from all over the world, fostering community and a sense of belonging.
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Vietnamese priests are becoming a familiar presence in rural US communities
Vietnamese priests are an increasingly common presence in rural US communities. In the mid-1970s, Vietnamese priests began moving to the US due to declining numbers in American religious orders and the threat of persecution in Vietnam. The Congregation of the Mother Co-Redemptrix, for example, moved to Carthage, Missouri, a small, largely Protestant town. The order, which was founded by a Vietnamese priest, now has 500 seminarians in Ho Chi Minh City, a number unseen in American orders since the 1950s. With seminaries and convents unable to accommodate all those seeking to enter religious life in Vietnam, many have come to the US.
The presence of Vietnamese priests in the US is also due in part to the large number of Vietnamese refugees who fled to the country following the Vietnam War. Many of these refugees were Catholic and feared punishment after the reunification of Vietnam due to their support of the South. By the mid-1990s, 27% of Vietnamese Americans were Catholic. Today, there are around 700,000 Vietnamese-American Catholics, who are working to pass on their faith and culture to the next generation.
To maintain their connection to Vietnamese culture, Vietnamese priests and sisters in America celebrate the Marian Days Festival, a four-day pilgrimage to give thanks to the Virgin Mary for the safety and freedom they feel in the US. The festival draws between fifty and sixty thousand people, making it one of the largest ethnic festivals in the country. It features traditional songs, dances, and food, as well as a procession with a statue of the Blessed Mother.
In addition to Carthage, Missouri, Vietnamese Catholics have also settled in Orange County in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, which has the largest population of Vietnamese Americans in the US, including 85,000 Vietnamese Catholics. The strong presence of Vietnamese Catholics in the US has led one observer to call Vietnamese priests "the new Irish".
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Vietnamese Catholics were disproportionately involved in supporting the US and South Vietnam
Following the war, many Vietnamese Catholics fled the country, fearing punishment after the reunification of Vietnam under communist rule. In the mid-1990s, 27% of Vietnamese Americans were Catholic. During the colonial era, Catholicism was used as a tool of colonialism and to control and exploit the population. This continued during the American War in Vietnam, with the Catholic Church being the largest landowner in South Vietnam.
The involvement of Vietnamese Catholics in supporting the US and South Vietnam had significant impacts on the religious landscape of the country. The migration of Catholics from North to South Vietnam during the war led to political conflicts in South Vietnam as it struggled to absorb a large number of migrants with different cultures and religions in a short period. Additionally, the preferential treatment given to Catholics by the South Vietnamese government generated claims of religious bias and led to protests by Buddhist monks, who made up the majority of the population.
The strong Catholic presence in South Vietnam also had an impact on the Vietnamese American community. Foreign-born Vietnamese priests are becoming a familiar presence in many rural communities in the United States, and they play an important role in preserving religious traditions and culture for Vietnamese immigrants and their descendants. The Marian Days Festival, for example, draws thousands of teens and helps Vietnamese priests and sisters serving in America to reconnect with their culture.
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Frequently asked questions
Vietnamese Catholics began migrating to the US in the mid-1970s, with an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 people. By the mid-1990s, 27% of Vietnamese Americans were Catholic.
Asians and Asian Americans make up only 4% of the American Catholic Church, but Vietnamese Catholics make up a significant proportion of this group.
There were about 450-500 Catholic priests of Vietnamese origin in the US around 2010-2014. This number increased to about 900 by 2012 and 950 by 2017.
Vietnamese Catholics in the US tend to live in places with larger Vietnamese populations, such as New Orleans East, Orange County, Houston, San Jose, and Dallas. Orange County, in particular, has the largest population of Vietnamese Americans in the US, with 85,000 Vietnamese Catholics.
