Before the Vietnam war, we as Americans saw our nation as superior to other countries in every aspect of wealth, power, and characteristics. Thus, the Vietnam War compelled millions of citizens to question this belief known as American exceptionalism. At first, after WWII, confidence in American exceptionalism was at its peak. After the Vietnam war, however, Americans came to believe that their leaders had misled and even lied to them about the realities of the war. All in all, the combination of shock and mistrust toward the government as a result of the war, shattered the central tenet of American national identity. One of the historical pieces of knowledge I gained from reading Fadiman’s book is that the U.S. government destroyed democracy, freedom, and the Hmong people. The book highlights for me how the government due to its involvement in the war forced thousands of people off their land. Moreover, I believe that the appearance of refugees aided the actions of the U.S. government by portraying the belief that America is always the good guys and always victorious.
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