Contested Territory: America’s Involvement in Vietnam, 1945–75 (Conference/Institute/Seminar)
Title: Contested Territory: America’s Involvement in Vietnam, 1945–75
Author: Christian Lentz
Author: Andy Mink
Abstract: What do we think of when we think of Vietnam? For many, Vietnam was and remains a war that haunts veterans, families, and politicians. But to think only of the “Vietnam War” overlooks a country and its story. In fact, many Vietnamese wonder why Americans are so preoccupied with the “American War”! This NEH Summer Institute will explore modern Vietnam in order to situate the American War in broader spatial settings and longer historical contexts. Vietnam’s landscapes range from forests, over mountains, through fields, and downstream to river deltas. Vietnamese lives move from village to city, meander through cafes and rice paddies, cross oceans and land again. Many people called “Vietnamese” today did not even speak the national language until deep into the twentieth century. This institute aims to introduce a fascinating place rich in history and to animate a geographic and historical perspective among participants. Based on a course developed by Christian C. Lentz from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with assistance from the Carolina Asia Center, the institute offers teachers a chance to learn from Lentz and other scholar-experts about Vietnam and how to teach its history and geography.
Date Range: July 18–29, 2022
Location: National Humanities Center, Research Triangle Park, NC
Primary URL: https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/education-programs/contested-territory-2022/
Primary URL Description: Institute website

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