Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

For Vietnamese-American elders, their experience of with Vietnam War and the exodus to America impacts their aging process. Cultural identity and place identity play a major role in shaping their views of death contemplation. Existing work by the authors have been focusing on how elders establish a sense of identity via the association with “place” and their subjective perspectives of the aging process in their “second homeland” and their struggle to maintain the continuity in their life span. The effort to recreate a sense of place and minimize the disruption in their life has been found in this research. The purpose of this study is to gain a more in-depth understanding of how Vietnamese-Americans search for meaning as they approach to the end of life. This study explores their meaning making in the framework of place identity, ethnic identity, and continuity. The design is based on the narrative approach. Interviews were conducted with eight Vietnamese elders Results indicate that for many elders, Buddhist approaches to death as a form of continuity might contribute to their spiritual meaning making of death contemplation. Although mesmerizing about the return to their homeland, their desire to return home is quickly tempered by painful memories. In pursuit of continuity, these Vietnamese elders mended the rupture in their lives by recreating a sense of community and developing a sense of place with their ethnic enclave.