Medical Mission to Vietnam

Considering the trauma of being forced to flee one’s native land, leaving behind career, and sometimes family, it’s not surprising that bitterness toward the Communists fills many of Orange County’s emigres from Vietnam.

Fortunately, dislike or hatred seems no longer to cross the line into violence against emigres with different opinions. And as those with firsthand experience of the war grow older and their places in society are taken by their American-born children and grandchildren, new generations are looking at Vietnam anew and forming their own opinions.

Recently a group of doctors and nurses returned from a medical mission to Vietnam, a journey that was unthinkable not too many years ago. About half the 26-member group came from Orange County. Included were surgeons, pediatricians, anesthesiologists and nurses.

Not all in the group were of Vietnamese descent; the mission clearly was humanitarian: repairing the faces of disfigured children.

But even before the start of the 10-day trip, criticism was broadcast on Vietnamese-language radio. Many Vietnamese exiles continue to urge isolation of the Hanoi government and a ban on trade. Many were especially upset when the United States normalized relations with Vietnam in 1994.

Doctors and nurses who made the journey said it was worthwhile. The trip was sponsored by Medical Mission Foundation, a nonprofit group that sends medical teams to poor countries. Lines of families awaited the medical team’s arrival. Children whose deformities would have been corrected at an early age in most industrialized countries were finally attended to by the visitors. Enabling a child to fit in, to look like his or her classmates and not draw stares or scorn improves outlook, self-esteem and chances at success.

The debate within the community of Vietnamese Americans in Orange County is healthy, a hallmark of the democracy of their adopted country. Those who oppose the Hanoi government are right to campaign for democracy in their native land. But the medical professionals who help the children of Vietnam also are helping improve relations between the two countries on a personal level. They deserve respect rather than censure.