The Politics of Representing Vietnamese Communities in Louisiana

In 2003, the Louisiana legislature passed State Bill 839, which recognized the flag of the former Republic of Vietnam as the only flag to represent Vietnam in state-sponsored public events and public institutions, including universities. This legislation was part of a broader mobilization among Vietnamese Americans nationwide to lobby for the right to display this flag. While this legislation represents the success of political activism among Vietnamese Americans, especially in Louisiana, it is less clear what rights are conferred by this legislation. In this essay, I examine this case in terms of the paradoxes of visibility and cultural rights for Asians in Louisiana.