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Vietnamese Americans Protest Flying of Flag

Top: The flag of the Republic of Vietnam (also commonly referred to as South Vietnam). Bottom: The flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, used by the current communist government of Vietnam.

By Associated Press

The controversy over the Vietnam flag might not be as wide as the dispute over the Confederate battle emblem, but emotions run just as deep. Many immigrants from what was once South Vietnam still revere their old flag, and they regard the official flag of the current Vietnam as a reminder of a brutal past.

Tom Nguyen, president of the Vietnamese Community of Georgia, said about 50 Vietnamese called him after spotting the banner of communist Vietnam, depicting a yellow star against a red background, among 93 international flags flying at the Interactive College of Technology in Chamblee, Ga.

School president Elmer Smith wanted to display a flag from each country that had ever sent a student to the college. He was unaware of how sensitive that issue could be.

“That flag is a bloody flag. When we see that, it’s like a nightmare,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen visited the college two weeks ago and spoke with Smith.

“The last thing we want to do is offend anyone,” Smith said. “When you try to do something positive and good, obviously the last thing you want to do is cause controversy.”

Late June 25 or early June 26, someone took down the Vietnam flag and unfurled one from South Vietnam, yellow with three red stripes.

On June 27, Smith had the official flag restored — but not near the one from South Vietnam.

“They’ll both be there, but they won’t be together,” Smith said.

The South Vietnam flag is a common sight at some apartments and businesses in DeKalb County and Gwinnett County, home to half the Vietnamese in Georgia.

Community leaders have previously complained about official Vietnam flags at a car dealership, an elementary school, high school and community college and had them replaced by the South Vietnamese version.

“We fought for freedom under that flag,” said Tranh Le, program manager at WSSA-AM, a Vietnamese radio station. “So many of our brothers died under that flag.”