What It Means to be a Progressive Vietnamese American Organization

I have been privileged to be a leader of PIVOT-The Progressive Vietnamese American Organization since its founding 8 years ago. As the organization transitions to new leadership, part of my work has been to reflect on what PIVOT has meant to me. Since English is not my first language, I have been endlessly fascinated by it. So for this reflection I want to focus on the four words in the name of this organization. 

The first is “Vietnamese”. This is a hard word to define, since the Vietnamese people come from different regions, have gone on to live in many other countries, and have different perspectives on almost everything. Even the ability to speak the Vietnamese language, whether using pre-1975 or post-1975 vocabulary, is not a prerequisite for being Vietnamese. After 8 years, what I can tell you is that there are many ways of being Vietnamese, but what defines us is that we seek to be in community with each other.

What does being “American” mean for PIVOT? Here there is more agreement. PIVOTers are people who are invested in fundamental American values—freedom, democracy, justice, diversity, equity, and economic opportunity for all. Being Vietnamese American is to have an understanding that both our Vietnamese-ness and our American-ness are intertwined by the refugee and immigrant experience, whether our own, our parents, or our grandparents. And we incorporate all that into a worldview that emphasizes the unique aspects of being Vietnamese American but extend the rights and privileges that we want to all Americans.

“Progressive” has been the most challenging word for PIVOT. Everyone has different ideas of what the word means. PIVOT’s positions and actions have been called out for being both too radical and not radical enough. This is an ongoing discussion not only between PIVOT and others but also within PIVOT itself. From my perspective, I am glad that it has not been resolved because in my view, progressivism is not an ideology but a journey. Ideologies such as fascism, communism, and socialism are inflexible, exclusive, and oppressive, all of which are antithetical to PIVOT. The root word “progress” signifies change toward something better. That is what PIVOT’s brand of progressivism is about for me—we will never stop working to make the world better as defined by the Vietnamese  American values.

What all PIVOTers agree on is the value of “organization”. Making change and progress require collective action which cannot happen without organization. I remember the chaotic days of 2017 as we were building the infrastructure for Vietnamese American resistance against the first Trump administration. As dark as it seems now with the second Trump administration, we have an effective organization for us all to act collectively to exist, to resist, and to persist. 

The word that I’m most proud of is not the four words in PIVOT’s name. It is “community.” Many people have told me that they found their community in PIVOT. That is certainly true for me. I will always be grateful for the support, fun and friendship we had while working hard for justice. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to act collectively with all of you to build a better country for everyone. As always, there are many injustices to fight against but also a better tomorrow to work toward. I will always be with you in solidarity. 

Tung Nguyen, MD