Vietnamerica: A Family's Journey by GB Tran
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The graphic novel Vietnamerica is the family story of GB Tran whose parents fled Vietnam in 1975 after the fall of Saigon when the American’s gave up the war and the tanks rolled in from North Vietnam. The author was born in 1976 in South Carolina in the USA. Growing up in the US his life is much different to their past experiences and he is not really interested in his family history. This changes when he visits Vietnam after the death of his grandparents who died within months of each other. The trip back to Vietnam is a culture shock not just for him, but also some of his family members who are shocked to see how life has changed in Vietnam with crowded streets and the influence of globalization (MacDonalds , Hilton Hotels etc).
His family wanted to forget their past after fleeing to the USA. Many family members were involved in researching this book. Their story is told out of chronological sequence but we learn of their individual experiences living in Vietnam through the various foreign occupations by the Japanese, French and Americans. The events after the fall of Saigon when the South and North are re- unified and the communists take over are not covered much. References are made however to the disappearances of South Vietnamese men to re-education camps. There is a constant theme of hardship and imprisonment by different regimes and the rule of ‘man’ rather than ‘law’ but this book does not really take sides.
This graphic novel examines his families fascinating history through great storytelling and great art mostly in colour but some in black and white to give it a documentary feel. There are also some family photographs and family trees. This Graphic Novel is a history of not just Vietnam but also its people who immigrated to the US. Another great example of Graphic Novels being able to cover serious issues and being enjoyable for people who wouldn't normally read a Graphic Novel. Anyone who has read Maus, Waltz with Bashir or Persepolis will enjoy this.
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