January 8, 2025 by Hao Nguyen
Living now in America has presented numerous academic and professional opportunities that have profoundly enriched my life. However, this transition has caused me to drift away from some cherished Vietnamese family practices and traditions that once filled my days back home. One vivid memory that stands out comes from the Tet Festival when my family gathered to make Bánh Chưng. Each year, our kitchen buzzed with life as we prepared for this meaningful tradition. I can still picture my grandmother teaching us how to layer glutinous rice, black mung beans, and pork—symbolic ingredients representing unity and prosperity. The sun streamed through the windows as we wrapped everything in banana leaves, forming the distinct square shape. Laughter filled the room while we shared stories and connections. These moments created deep bonds that helped shape my identity, offering comforting familiarity when I moved to America in August 2020.
Reflecting upon these memories underscores how cultural narratives can significantly shape one’s identity. I think about my grandmother who chose to embrace family-oriented values out of tradition and ethics, contrasting sharply with Nazi propaganda outlined in the article on NS-Frauen-Warte. The magazine’s portrayal painted a narrow and manipulated vision of women, urging them to fulfill roles as mothers merely to expand the Aryan race. Women were incentivized into having multiple children, even receiving medals from Hitler to promote this ideology. Even good ideas can be used for evil purposes.Such manipulation controlled and constrained women during that era, highlighting the dangerous power of propaganda.
As I consider my experiences with the Bánh Chưng tradition and insights from the article, I recognize the importance of celebrating diversity in our narratives. For my grandmother, making Bánh Chưng didn’t simply embody a familial obligation, it represented love, cultural pride, and ethical family values. In stark contrast, oppressive ideologies confined women’s roles during the Nazi regime. True beauty lies in connections we foster with one another and in the stories we choose to share. In sharing my experiences, I hope everyone feels encouraged to honor their heritage and amplify voices that have yet to be heard. By doing this, I believe we can foster empathy as we celebrate our differences with common values. We create engaging, peace-loving communities. Embracing our world’s diverse ethnicities and corresponding cultures not only enriches understanding of our world, but also builds communities focused on common goals which should be to help to make this world a better place, allowing us all to thrive.
