Vietnamese families in South Africa work to preserve heritage and language

Lê Hoài Nam, head of the Vietnamese Community Liaison Committee in South Africa, advocates for parents to actively teach their children Vietnamese language and cultural values to maintain their heritage.

Nam identifies language as a primary barrier to cultural preservation because children born in South Africa primarily use English in school and social circles.

He encourages parents to integrate the Vietnamese language into daily life through conversations, stories about grandparents, and video calls to Việt Nam rather than treating it like a school subject. He believes that children learn best when they feel encouraged to connect with their roots. The committee works to foster a sense of community by organizing cultural festivals like Tết and the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Nam emphasizes that preserving identity involves maintaining Vietnamese values, such as family respect and compassion, while still fully participating in South African society. He seeks to move beyond occasional festivals by creating more frequent gatherings and online activities to help a dispersed community stay connected. Nam calls for the Vietnamese Embassy and other representative offices to provide practical support, such as teaching materials designed for children born abroad.

He also wants the community to involve young people in organizing events and hopes that agencies in Việt Nam will create opportunities for overseas Vietnamese to contribute their professional knowledge and international networks to the country's development.