Vietnamese nationalism

Vietnamese nationalism (Vietnamese: Chủ nghĩa dân tộc Việt Nam) is a form of nationalism that asserts the Vietnamese people are a nation, and promotes cultural unity in Vietnam. It encompasses a broad range of ideas and sentiments harbored by the Vietnamese people for many centuries, to preserve and defend the national identity of the Vietnamese nation.

Flag of Vietnam

Flag of South Vietnam

Vietnam is the most culturally distinct of the Southeast Asian countries, with the country being part of Sinosphere world, and Vietnamese recognized as the only language in the country. Most Vietnamese nationalism focuses on the military history of the country; however, there are also other aspects to the nationalism in Vietnam.

Most of Vietnamese modern nationalist concepts aim mainly on China, which has many times fueled the anti-Chinese sentiment in Vietnam,[1] although there were other anti-Cambodian and anti-French efforts[2] in the past.

History of Vietnamese nationalism

During the age of the ancient states like Âu Lạc and Nanyue, nationalism among the population was weak, as there was no centralized Vietnamese nation. However, the nationalism grew following the later Chinese millennium in Vietnam. Several attempts against Chinese occupation resulted in many wars that happened throughout thousand years of Chinese rule, after which Vietnam finally regained independence in the 10th century following the battle of Bạch Đằng. Lý Thường Kiệt's famous declaration of Vietnam's independence, Nam quốc sơn hà (Mountains and Rivers of the Southern Country), is a patriotic and nationalistic poem that still lives on in Vietnamese society generations later. Nguyễn Trãi's Bình Ngô đại cáo is considered the other declaration of Vietnam's independence against the Chinese Dynasties.

In the 17th century, in the North during the time of the Trịnh Lords, the Trịnh mandated that the Chinese entering the country had to strictly follow Vietnamese customs and refrain from contacts with the local Vietnamese populace in the cities. However, in the south, the Nguyễn Lords favored the Chinese, allowed many Chinese settling in new conquered land from the Khmer Kingdom. The immigrated Chinese scholars even became Nguyễn Lord officials. The Nguyễn Dynasty under that influence once saw themselves as "Han nhan" (Chinese people).

After defeating the Tay Son, The Nguyễn Lord formed the Nguyen Dynasty. The Nguyen Dynasty completed the Vietnamese "March to the South" or Nam tiến. Over the span of 700 years, starting from the Lý dynasty, the dynasty gradually invaded and colonized the entire state of Champa and parts of the Khmer Empire. Under the Nguyễn dynasty (the dynasty most sinicized and influenced by the teachings of Confucius), they attempted to assimilate all of the ethnic minorities in the territories that they had captured by forcing them to adopt sinicized Vietnamese customs. Copying the Chinese idea of Central Plain, the Nguyễn dynasty saw themselves as belonging to a superior culture, unlike the Indianized states of Champa and the Khmer Empire. As such, they saw themselves as carrying out a civilizing mission against the minorities who were seen as barbarians.[3] Considering themselves as superior due to being sinicized, members of the Vietnamese royalty looked down upon those that were non-Vietnamese as inferior.[4]

Later on, after the Nguyễn dynasty began ruling Vietnam, the dynasty had been using the Vietnamization concepts to begin its massive Vietnamization of non-Vietnamese people. During the nam tiến period of the Nguyễn Dynasty, the Gia Long Emperor stated that "Hán di hữu hạn" 漢夷有限 ("the Vietnamese and the barbarians must have clear borders") when differentiating between Khmer and the Vietnamese.[5] Emperor Minh Mạng, the son of Gia Long stated with regards to the Vietnamese forcing the ethnic minorities to follow Sino-Vietnamese customs that "We must hope that their barbarian habits will be subconsciously dissipated, and that they will daily become more infected by Han [Sino-Vietnamese] customs."[6]

Modern Vietnamese nationalism

As for the French invasion, many resistances came around but failed. However, following from time, Vietnamese nationalism also changed and through it, it also focused on only one goal - independence of Vietnam.

After 1979 war with China, Vietnam nationalism became anti-China.[1] The sentiment grows bigger because of South China Sea/Vietnam East Sea dispute.

Economy

There has been a growing movement among Vietnamese by boycotting Chinese products, and rather using the Vietnamese-made products, which is called "made in Vietnam" to counter with "made in China".

Culture

Despite of being part of Sinosphere cultural influence and sharing many cultural aspects such as Confucianism, and having Chữ Nôm as its former writing script, Vietnamese nationalists mostly refuse to accept the solely Chinese influence.[1] They have a belief that the Vietnamese already had a profound culture before Chinese influence i.e Dong Son, rice cultivating. Adding with the interactions and later conquests of Indianized Kingdom of Champa, Vietnamese nationalists believe it is a major cross-road of two civilizations rather than one.

Vietnamese textbooks also refer to the influence of China but refuse to recognize Chinese elements in Vietnamese nation.[1] The current north Vietnam was part of the land of Bai Yue tribes, so they believe the similarities are because of the Chinese culture was influenced by the culture of Bai Yue tribes when the Han Chinese conquered the land of Bai Yue tribes.

Military

For much of its history being razed by wars, Vietnamese developed its nationalism based on its successful history of warfare. Many Vietnamese generals are revered and are a source of pride and nationalism in Vietnamese society, such as Trần Hưng Đạo, the famous general who stood up to the mighty Mongol Empire by successfully repelling the three Mongol invasions of Vietnam in 1258, 1285, 1287–88 and Nguyễn Huệ, a revered Emperor and general who defeated the Qing Dynasty of China in the Battle of Ngọc Hồi-Đống Đa, which was a large battle that is considered to be one of the greatest military victories in Vietnamese history. Both Trần Hưng Đạo and Nguyễn Huệ have several streets named after them and statues erected to honor them in Vietnam named, and both are listed as being among the greatest generals in history.

Vietnam also heavily honors its long lists of generals in ancient Vietnamese history that fought against Chinese expansionism, such as the Trưng Sisters and Lady Triệu, who were female generals that led major independent movements against Chinese occupation. Ngô Quyền is well honored for being the first to successfully defeat the Southern Han of China at the Battle of Bạch Đằng in 938 and establishing Vietnamese independence, Lê Hoàn for defeating the Song dynasty at the same river in 981, and Lê Lợi who liberated Vietnam by defeating the Ming dynasty and founding the Lê dynasty.

A sense of pride has also developed in the Vietnamese resistance in the 20th century. Ho Chi Minh is seen as the founder of modern Vietnam after his victories against the Japanese in World War II and against the French in the First Indochina War, declaring the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Võ Nguyên Giáp is recognized as the most successful general in current Vietnamese history, emerging victorious in not only the two aforementioned wars, but also in the Vietnam War against the Americans, that allowed the unification of the country, and the Sino-Vietnamese War against the Chinese.

Education

Vietnamese national pride is heavily promoted in Vietnamese textbooks, especially of its development and its heroism.

Many Vietnamese stories are still heavily mentioned in the youth education system and among the older generations which have been regarded as a major factor that keeps Vietnamese nationalism alive.

Greater Vietnam

One of Greater Vietnam concept which claiming Laos and Cambodia are not sovereign but Vietnamese territory. There are varieties of Greater Vietnam irredentism.

The ideology of Greater Vietnam is a popular concept among some popular Vietnamese nationalist parties that claim the territory of Southern China (Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong and Hainan),[7] as well as Laos, Cambodia[8] and Thailand's Isan to Myanmar's Shan State as part of greater Vietnamese sovereignty. The idea is just a newly developed ideology following the beginning of 20th century, but it only gains popularity in the aftermath of 2014 Vietnam anti-China protests.

From the view of Vietnamese nationalist groups, these territories have been traditionally Vietnamese territory until expansionism from foreign powers brought the situation like today, and Vietnam must retake it. For this causes, Vietnam had carried a long-time conquests and conflicts with neighboring countries, as well as assimilations and even genocides due to its irredentist sentiment.

References

Nhi Hoang Thuc Nguyen (2017). "Anti-Chinese Sentiment in Contemporary Vietnam: Constructing Nationalism, New Democracy, and the Use of "the Other"" (PDF). Trinity University. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
[Munholland, J. Kim. “The French Response to the Vietnamese Nationalist Movement, 1905-14.” The Journal of Modern History, vol. 47, no. 4, 1975, pp. 655–675. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1877397. Accessed 8 Feb. 2021. "The French Response to the Vietnamese Nationalist Movement, 1905-14"] Check |url= value (help). www.jstor.org.
"March to the South (Nam Tiến)". Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
Barbara Watson Andaya (2006). The Flaming Womb: Repositioning Women in Early Modern Southeast Asia. University of Hawaii Press. pp. 23–. ISBN 978-0-8248-2955-1.
Choi Byung Wook (2004). Southern Vietnam Under the Reign of Minh Mạng (1820–1841): Central Policies and Local Response. SEAP Publications. pp. 34–. ISBN 978-0-87727-138-3.
A. Dirk Moses (1 January 2008). Empire, Colony, Genocide: Conquest, Occupation, and Subaltern Resistance in World History. Berghahn Books. pp. 209–. ISBN 978-1-84545-452-4. Archived from the original on 2008.
"Nhìn lại lịch sử Bách Việt và quá trình Hán hóa Bách Việt". tiasang.com.vn.
"Cambodia - Tai and Vietnamese hegemony". Encyclopedia Britannica.

External links

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[trinity-1] Nhi Hoang Thuc Nguyen (2017). "Anti-Chinese Sentiment in Contemporary Vietnam: Constructing Nationalism, New Democracy, and the Use of "the Other"" (PDF). Trinity University. Retrieved 21 January 2021.

[2] [Munholland, J. Kim. “The French Response to the Vietnamese Nationalist Movement, 1905-14.” The Journal of Modern History, vol. 47, no. 4, 1975, pp. 655–675. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1877397. Accessed 8 Feb. 2021. "The French Response to the Vietnamese Nationalist Movement, 1905-14"] Check |url= value (help). www.jstor.org.

[3] "March to the South (Nam Tiến)". Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation. Retrieved 26 June 2015.

[4] Barbara Watson Andaya (2006). The Flaming Womb: Repositioning Women in Early Modern Southeast Asia. University of Hawaii Press. pp. 23–. ISBN 978-0-8248-2955-1.

[5] Choi Byung Wook (2004). Southern Vietnam Under the Reign of Minh Mạng (1820–1841): Central Policies and Local Response. SEAP Publications. pp. 34–. ISBN 978-0-87727-138-3.

[6] A. Dirk Moses (1 January 2008). Empire, Colony, Genocide: Conquest, Occupation, and Subaltern Resistance in World History. Berghahn Books. pp. 209–. ISBN 978-1-84545-452-4. Archived from the original on 2008.

[7] "Nhìn lại lịch sử Bách Việt và quá trình Hán hóa Bách Việt". tiasang.com.vn.

[8] "Cambodia - Tai and Vietnamese hegemony". Encyclopedia Britannica.

Ethnic nationalism
Nationalisms	Acholi Afrikaner Albanian in Albania in Kosovo in North Macedonia Andalusian Arab Aragonese Argentine Armenian Assyrian Asturian Austrian Azerbaijani Balkar and Karachay Baloch Basque Bavarian Belarusian Bengali Berber Bodo Bosniak Breton Burmese Canarian Cantonese Castilian Catalan Chicano Circassian Coptic Cornish Corsican Croatian Czech Egyptian English Estonian Filipino Finnish French Galician German in Austria Georgian Greek in Cyprus Han Hazara Hungarian Icelandic Igbo Indian Iranian Iraqi Irish Italian Japanese Jewish Kabyle Khmer Korean Kurdish Lebanese Lezgin Lombard Macedonian Malay Manchurian Mapuche Moldovan Montenegrin Naga Neftenya Norwegian Occitan Ogoni Palestinian Pashtun Polish Punjabi Romanian Russian Sahrawi Sardinian Scottish Serbian Sicilian Sindhi Sinhalese Somali Slovak Slovenian Spanish Tamil in Sri Lanka Tripuri Turkish in Cyprus Ukrainian Ulster Uyghur Valencian Venetian Vietnamese Welsh Zaza
Pan-nationalisms	African Algerian American Arab Asian Australian Bangladeshi Chinese Congolese Celtic European German Hispanic Iberian Indian Iranian Iraqi Israeli Latin Libyan Mongolian Native American Nigerian Nordic Oceanian Pakistani Russian Scandinavian Slavic Tunisian Turanian Turkic Ugandan
Movements	Alsace independence movement Assam separatist movements Assyrian independence movement Catalan independence movement Champa independence movement East Turkestan independence movement Faroese independence movement Flemish Movement Free Aceh Movement Free Papua Movement Future of Åland Galician independence (Spain) Greenlandic independence Guangdong Independence Movement Hawaiian sovereignty movement Inner Mongolian independence movement Kaszëbskô Jednota Māori protest movement Mapuche separatist movement Muslim Independence Movement (Philippines) National Liberation Front of Corsica Patani United Liberation Organisation Ryukyu independence movement Scottish independence Siberian regionalism Silesian Autonomy Movement Székely autonomy movement Taiwan independence movement Tibetan independence movement Vojvodina Autonomist Movement Wallmapuwen Walloon Movement Welsh independence
Concepts	Arakan Artsakh Assyria Azawad Balawaristan Balochistan Bangsamoro Chameria Champa Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Circassia Crimea Hatay State Hazarajat Danzig Donetsk East Turkestan Herzeg-Bosnia Hutu Power Ilirida Karakalpakstan Karelia Katarismo Ketuanan Melayu Kurdistan Lezgistan Luhansk Manchukuo Marathi Abhimaangeet Northern Epirus Ossetia Pashtunistan Republika Srpska Santa Cruz Sápmi Saraikistan Silesia Sindhudesh Székely Land Tamil Eelam Tibet
Other	Racial American Indigenous Black Indigenous Korean White Zionism
Note: Forms of nationalism based primarily on ethnic groups are listed above. This does not imply that all nationalists with a given ethnicity subscribe to that form of ethnic nationalism.