High-Skilled Workers: Vietnamese in The United States, Place Integration, Place Identity and Challenges.

Keywords: immigrants, high-skilled, Vietnamese, place integration, place identity
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

The paper explores the experiences of Vietnamese high-skilled workers in the United States (US). The research is based on previous studies which focused on the experiences of Vietnamese immigrants in the United States and the paths of international migration of low-skilled and high-skilled workers. Previous studies also pointed out the differences between the experiences of refugees, low-skilled and high-skilled immigrants. However, there have not been many studies that incorporate the place integration, place identity and the challenges of those processes of Vietnamese high-skilled immigrants and Vietnamese Americans in the US. Moreover, Vietnamese immigrants are usually perceived as “refugees” and low-skilled immigrants. Therefore, this paper will pay attention to this unexplored area and answer the following questions:
1. To what extent does place integration happen with the Vietnamese high-skilled immigrants/ Vietnamese Americans in the US?
2. How do the individual and community perceptions, values and actions influence the place identity of Vietnamese high-skilled immigrants/ Vietnamese Americans in the US?
3. What are the challenges in constructing place integration and place identity of Vietnamese high-skilled immigrants/ Vietnamese Americans in the US?
This study will deploy qualitative methods. It is expected to be a contribution to academia of high-skilled immigrants and Vietnamese Americans.