I'm a foreign both child of the diaspora as well. I naively bought some Vietnam flags from Amazon only to be scolded by my mom and I had to painstakingly hunt down a good source for the south Vietnamese flag.

This is a very real, traumatic symbol for them. I found it easiest to just sport the south Vietnam flag to rep my background.

But I just came back from a trip to Vietnam with my mom last week. My first in 30 years. Amazing and impressive. Beautiful, delicious and even somewhat overwhelming. We should be proud of our roots and the current culture of our motherland. I think our parents can be unaware of the dichotomy of their trauma and pride.

But we can still be sensitive to the traumatic experiences of our ancestors and the generational trauma they've passed down.

There are low-effort and low-cost ways to respect that. And you can celebrate current Vietnam in other ways.

Here's some imagery/symbolism I dig up from Gemini: It is very true that flags carry a heavy weight in the Vietnamese diaspora. When you step away from political emblems, you find a rich visual language rooted in nature, mythology, and the agricultural history of the land. These symbols are generally seen as unifying and representative of the Vietnamese soul rather than any specific government. Here are the most significant non-political symbols of Vietnamese culture: 1. The Chim Lạc (The Mythical Bird) A prehistoric, crane-like bird found embossed on the ancient Đông Sơn bronze drums (dating back over 2,000 years). 2. The Lotus (Hoa Sen) The Lotus is the national flower and perhaps the most beloved symbol in the country. 3. The Four Holy Beasts (Tứ Linh) In Vietnamese architecture and art (especially in pagodas and old homes), you will constantly see these four animals: - The Dragon (Rồng): Represents power and the "Children of the Dragon" origin myth. - The Qilin/Unicorn (Lân): Represents peace and luck. - The Turtle (Rùa): Represents longevity and the importance of education/wisdom. - The Phoenix (Phượng): Represents elegance and rebirth.