Provides an overview of the characteristics of and challenges facing Southeast Asians, or Indochinese, living in the United States, who primarily arrived from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodian after 1975. The article covers: (1) the two major waves in the history of Southeast Asian immigration, which first involved mostly military and government officials who were well educated and possessed professional skills desired by American employers and later involved primarily rural peasants, farmers, and fishermen who had little education and minimal exposure to Western lifestyles; (2) the population, ethnic makeup, and geographic distribution of Southeast Asians across the U.S.; (3) family structure, religion, and values; and (4) obstacles to successful transition to life in the U.S., especially within the educational and legal systems. Research indicates that Southeast Asian parents lag behind their children in acculturation, which weakens their authority to transmit traditional family values and leads to intense intergenerational conflict. Because Southeast Asians make up the fastest growing Asian group in the U.S., their adaptation and integration will play an important role in the promotion and development of future Southeast Asian American generations.
