The Economic Pathways of Female Vietnamese American Refugees and Migrants

Between 1975 and 2017, nearly two million members of the Vietnamese diaspora settled in the United States after fleeing war, the Vietnamese Communist regime, and seeking increased freedom and economic opportunities. More than half of these were women. This thesis fills a gap in the literature by viewing female Vietnamese American refugees through a lens of self-agency and by describing their economic pathways in both Vietnam and the United States. Nineteen semi-structured interviews and two group interactions were conducted in 2019 by the author in Houston, Texas. A qualitative review was conducted of the emergent themes from the narratives. Important facets of personal economic development in female Vietnamese American refugees and migrants appeared to be education/training, coping with discrimination, availability of an ethnic niche, and family support. These results may prove useful in both NGOs and government agencies working towards improving the economic outcomes of adult, female refugees.