I really hate how privileged people in the cities would jump at the opportunity to criticize the migrant workers looking for better chances in foreign countries. They don’t use harsh words against the government and corrupted authorities for facilitating the situation that allows this phenomenon to happen in the first place, or the predatory labor broker business for employing shading tactics, or domestic factories with draconian, oppressive policy against workers in the homeland, or foreign enterprises for praying on the desperate migrant workers. Noo, it’s never been something outside of average people’s control that cause this to happen, it’s always due to their lack of nationalism and refusal to build the career for themselves on the soil of motherland.

To be clear, it’s always fanatic nationalists who hold on to this kind of hateful rhetoric. Some people still look back at the heroic past of Vietnamese resistance force against imperialist powers in 20th century and the victory our ancestors have gained that pave the path for our independence, and believes that people who are not willing to sacrifice everything for the nations don’t deserve that liberation. They hold that views to look down upon the migrants from Africa and Middle East, for fleeing the country instead of staying and building/fighting for the better. It’s no surprise that when the tragedy of deceased Vietnamese migrants on the Essex truck came to light, they’d jump at the first opportunity to berate the poor souls for daring to leave the great Viet.

And again, it’s a fringe idea in Vietnam and most people still understand the complicated nature of the situation.

Anyway, I’ve been reading Al Jazeera for updates on Israel-Palestine conflicts but remain skeptical of its journalism due to the fact that the publication is funded by Qatari government. But this is a really good article about a subject that I’m quite familiar with.