Vietnamese Diasporas along the Former Iron Curtain: From Builders of Socialism to Builders of Capitalism

This book examines how socialism and post-socialism influenced or determined (if at all) the adaptive behavior and entrepreneurial activities, both legal and illegal, of the Vietnamese in Central Europe (CE). It considers the circumstances that accompanied the establishment of the migration channel between Vietnam and CE, the geopolitical changes that enabled the formation of Vietnamese diasporas, and the development of Vietnamese business. The authors argue that the rapid emergence and relative success of Vietnamese business after the change in regime was made possible by different factors such as the already existing illicit trade established under socialism, the hunger of (post-)socialist society for consumer goods, the significant economic differences between neighbouring CE countries after the fall of the Iron Curtain, the relatively similar initial post-1989 conditions for both majority and Vietnamese entrepreneurs, and, especially, the socialist moral flexibility and the silent agreement that accepted illicit, quasi-legal, and non-standard practices inherent to the business environment of the entire socialist and post-socialist area. Finally, the authors suggest that the establishment of a network, encompassing both formal and informal business relationships within CE, led to the creation of a unique spatial layer that more or less ignores state borders, referred to as a “Vietscape” – a breeding ground for the development of Vietnamese business in CE that has been significantly transnational since its inception.