“I Am Still a Refugee!”: Displacement and Transnational Activism

This chapter explores the trajectory and experience of a refugee profoundly shaped by the interplay between human agency and shifting geopolitical configurations and refugee/migration regimes in various historical contexts. Drawing upon materials from a life history project about Father Nguyễn Văn Hùng, this chapter centres on his personal journey as one of the Vietnamese “boat people” in the late 1970s, who later became a migrant rights advocate in Taiwan for over three decades. Father Nguyễn’s life history serves as a testimony to the impact of colonialism, the entanglement of the civil war and the Cold War, and the subsequent era of globalisation on the lives of ordinary Vietnamese. Simultaneously, it demonstrates his enduring aspiration for freedom and his identity as both a Vietnamese refugee and a dedicated human rights advocate. Through a nuanced analysis of Father Nguyễn’s life history, this chapter sheds light on the politics of humanitarianism and the varied approaches adopted by different countries, such as Japan, Australia, and Taiwan, in addressing Vietnamese refugees. Moreover, it provides valuable insights into the multifaceted forms of Vietnamese community building and transnational activism that have emerged and evolved in response to the changing patterns and dynamics of migration.