The+Unwanted+by+Kien+Nguyen

//The Unwanted :// The Power and Challenge of Memoir

 * Synopsis / Description:** //The Unwanted// is the regrettable story of a childhood interrupted by war. Kien is only eight years old during the fall of Saigon and the rise of the communist party in Vietnam. Nguyen suffers incredibly as a half breed child of an American soldier and a mother whose capitalist connections make her an enemy. Kien describes the brutal death of his dog at the hands of his cousins, and also suffers a rape by an older man. He witnesses the deaths of many of his family members and friends, and even spends a couple of months in a death camp himself. The senseless violence and acts of vengeance in the book may be difficult for students to handle. Although the author’s message is ultimately one of hope in times of great despair, perseverance (he does, finally, leave Vietnam under the UN’s Orderly Departure Program), and survival, much of the book is disturbing in its portrayal of life under communist rule and the dark nature of man. Although 9th and 10th graders could easily understand this novel, some of it may be difficult for them to handle. The content matter may be more appropriate for 11th or 12th grade, depending on the maturity and experiences of the students.

The Vietnam war is still a somewhat taboo topic in U.S. history classes. If studied, it may get a week or two of attention at the very end of the year, after the Kennedy Era and before the Cold War. Students may learn about Guerrilla warfare and Post Traumatic Stress disorder, and the public outcry against the war, but learn very little about the country itself, the politics, the actual situation of the people. Although //The Unwanted// is a story which reverberates in the histories of many countries, and the themes apply to much more than the crisis of the Vietnamese, an understanding of the history of Vietnam is still valuable information for students.
 * Challenge #1: Teaching the Historical Context**

The best way to fill the information vacuum is to assign students to do their own research using the resources on this page as well as other sources of information. You might want to divide your class into groups and assign some of the following projects so students ultimately teach each other.

1. Design a poster-sized map of Vietnam. 2. Create a time line of events leading up to the French occupation to the present government. 3. Research the Ho Chi Minh and the Viet cong party 4. Present information on the U.S. involvement in Vietnam 5. Find information about the Con Lai (half-breed) or Bui Doi (dust of life) children of American G.I.s and the Amerasian homecoming act.

[|PBS' Vietnam Online] includes a series of maps, a time line, a who's who list of influential people in both Vietnam and the United States, and primary sources including letters and statements of U.S. policies, personal essays, reflections and memories, etc.

[|Asian-Nation: Vietnamese AmerAsians in America] This valuable website contains information about the early history of Vietnam, as well as the French colonialism period, the American invasion, the Vietnam war, and modern politics and struggles. It also includes a personal account of persons from the north and the south. Another valuable aspect of the website is their list of resources and recommendations for further reading.

[|The Vietnam War:] A pictorial and interactive tour created by Peter Leuhusen with photographs by journalist and photographer Tim Page. The captioned photos are incredibly impressive; many are heart wrenching. The site also includes a timeline, a map of Vietnam, and a good list of links for more information.

[|PBS' Daughter of Danang] film website includes some valuable information about the children of American G.I.s under the People and Events category. There are also links to some good resources on their Teachers Guide page.

If your students have access to technology, you might consider putting together a class website, where groups add the map with links to cities, a time line with links to information from other groups about important people and events, etc. This site could be used as a resource for other students reading the book. Students might also design a webquest through the history of Vietnam, or a site based specifically on the book with links to resources about Vietnam.

Violence in life is a reality, but violence is often dehumanized in the movies our students watch. Consider the movie //[|Equilibrium].// Although we are attached to the protagonist, John Preston, and his children, and are upset when Mary dies for her anti-equilibria ideas, we feel nothing for the many soldiers brutally killed by Christian Bale's character during his attempt to overthrow the government. They're nameless and faceless, and their lives are inconsequential to the viewers. More and more, television presents violence in such a way as well. Take for example the popular show among students and adults, //[|24],// on Fox. Just as Bale kills left and right in //Equilibrium//, the main character, Keifer Sutherland, maliciously tortures and murders in the name of national security--all during primetime TV. "[|Children and TV Violence]", an article at Parenthood.com discusses the effects of excessive television violence on children, and advises parents on ways to protect their children from viewing TV violence. Literature gives us a chance to present violence in a way that encourages student sensitivity. Part of our job as educators is to be an example for students in our own reactions to violence, cruelty, racism, etc. Another part of our job is to help students express their own feelings toward violence in their world.
 * Challenge #2: Violence in Literature**

One way to help students deal with descriptions of violence and cruelty is to warn them in advance to help students mentally prepare to read text that may affect their emotions. Taking the time to write after reading is also a good idea. Writing forces students to purge their emotions on the paper, and also prepares them to share and discuss how cruelty and violence affects them. When students care about the individual or characters who experience violence, reading texts with violent portrayals can be sensitizing rather than dehumanizing.


 * Additional Resources:**

Author [|Kien Nguyen's official website] includes information about the author, reviews of //The Unwanted,// and his new book, //The Tapestries.// The site can also be viewed in Vietnamese.

Another perspective on Viet Nam is offered by Le Ly Hayslip in [|When Heaven and Earth Changed Places].

by Lindsay Steenbergen