Existing comment:
The Vietnam War didn't end in 1975.
Though North Vietnamese forces captured the South Vietnamese capital of Sài Gòn on April 30, 1975, officially ending the war, the repercussions persist. More than a hundred thousand fled when the state of South Vietnam collapsed. The exodus of refugees from Vietnam -- as well as those from Laos and Cambodia -- continued for years, driven by ongoing instability and conflict. Hundreds of thousands of Southeast Asians eventually settled in the United States, but adopting a new home was not the end of their journey. Their stories and the legacy of war are explored in the concurrent exhibition Tiffany Chung: Vietnam, Past Is Prologue on the second floor of the museum.
American military veterans, returning to a divided country, also had to negotiate new lives, some bearing physical or psychological scars. Families who lost loved ones continue to grieve. Despite the trauma of the war, wounds have begun to heal. In 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial created a site for remembrance on the National Mall. In 1995, the United States and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam normalized relations, an effort led in large part by veterans.
The Vietnam War changed everyone who lived through it, citizens and soldiers, civilians and artists. The art made in response to the war was provocative, political, and, ultimately, personal. Now, we invite you to share your response. |