Vietnamese scholars talk of future
By Colleen Pohlig
Oregon D*ry fm&skl
After decades of pain, loss and bitterness for l>oth Vietnamese
and Americans, it's time to close the doors of the past and look
forward to a future of peace and friendship, two Vietnamese
scholars said
Marking a historic moment, the University is hosting two of
Vietnam's most distinguished si holars. Nguyen Kim Cue and
Hoang Cong Thuy — the first exchange agreement between major
universities hi the two countries since the end of the Vietnam
War.
Cut. a pediatrician and Vietnam's leading expert on women
and families, and Thuy. a professor and member of the hoard
of the Vietnnm-USA Society, said they accepted the month-long
professorships mainly because they want Americans to know of
the mutual need for friendship
"Now that the war is over, we need to heal the war wounds as
well as the health and minds of Vietnamese and American peo
ple," Thuy said. "We re here to show our good will and our readi
ness to make peace with the people in the U S., and to make
friendship.”
Arriving last week as visiting professors with the International
Studies Program and the Center for the Study of Women in Soci
ety, Cue and Thuy are packing their schedules with lectures rang
ing from the war to the Vietnamese language to contemporary
social, political and economic development in Vietnam.
Cue is also spending the majority of time speaking with women
students and faculty as well as women's organizations about the
strives for equality in her country and the status women in the
United States. She serves on a 10-member committee that over
sees the Vietnamese Women’s Union to which 80 percent of Viet
namese women belong.
"Women have very good conditions here,” Cue said "They
are working very seriously and effectively for equality '
University Professor Robert Proudfoot. who has taught in Viet
nam through the U.S.-Vietnam Sister University Project five times
in tile last four years, said the visit is what Americans need to
discard the negative stereotypes and see Vietnamese people in
a true light
"This is the first time that Americans can really get an under
standing of contemporary Vietnam." Proudfoot said "And we
have a lot to learn. They are so generous and forgiving — it rekin
dles optimism for me.”
Proudfoot will return to Vietnam in August to teach as a vis
iting professor, this time for five months, lie said Cue's anil
Thuy s visit has already opened up many doors for student and
faculty opportunities to study ami teach in Vietnam
Also, plans are in the works for the first ever delegation of
American students and faculty to visit Vietnam next year Proud
foot said Vietnamese students and faculty members will then
-p*c*>
Visiting scholars Hosng Cong Thuy (laft). Dr Nguyan Kim Cue
and University Professor Robert Proudfoot have bean working to
ease relations between Vietnam and the United States
havo a U.S. delegation.
Cut anti Thuy said the friendship process is being slowed
by things like the recent discovery of a 1972 letter that report
ed Vietnam had at the time been secretly holding more than (MM)
Americans who were not freed in 197 ,1 under terms of the Paris
peace accords
"We don't havo any POWs (prisoners of war)." Thuy said
"Why would our government hold them, and how could they
keen them a secret from the Vietnamese people?"
The discovery of the letter, found in Communist Party archives
in Moscow, is believed to bo stalling the Clinton administration
from lifting the 18 year trade embargo on Vietnam that his offi
cials had signaled to doing earlier this year Most U.S experts
have since rejected the letter as inaccurate
In fact. the U.S embassy refused Cue and I buy v isas and they
were stuck in Bangkok for six days because U.S. politicians and
activists demanded an at counting. Proud foot said his request
for help from Rep Peter Defa/.io, and ultimately Vice Presi
dent Al Gore, made the visit happen
While Cm and Thuy admit to luting nervous about how they
would be welcomed by Americans, they said they were surprised
to find only friendly people who are eager to talk, and listen,
to them.
"We're doing the best we can to consolidate between Vietnam
and the US," Thuy said "The potu v of openness shows that
Vietnam is ready and willing to be friends for peat e. coopera
tion and development.
ASSEMBLY
Continued from Page 1
Americans and Latinos/Chiainos to cours
(<s on all Tacial/ethnic minority groups
in thu U S A." The amendment passed the
assembly 196-129
Religious studies Professor | T Sanders,
wlu> proposed the amendment, said the
first part of the requirement should in
dude other groups, such as jews
Hut political science Associate Profes
sor Sumi Cho said the four racial groups
that hail been specifieri in the first course
have historically suffered more prejudice
than any other racial or ethnic group, and
they deserve special attention.
Cither racial and ethnic groups, she said,
(an be addressed by the requirement's sec
ond course.
When the amendment passed, interna
tional studies Professor Robert Proudfoot
walked out of the assembly, saying. This
assembly just took away Native American
identities and lumped us together with
everyone else. Our voice lias lieen taken
away today Thank you very much
About 30 students followed him, yelling
at the assembly and calling assembly
members racists.
"There is no multicultural requirement
with that amendment,” one student shout
ed. "’It's bullshit.''
A shaken assembly spent the next 20
minutes trying to decide whether it could
vote by secret or mail-in ballot. instead of
by raising hands as it normally does
A secret ballot is against Oregon's pute
lic meetings laws, said University legal
adviser Peter Swan. A mail-in ballot
would have been legal, he said, but the
assembly failed to get the 2/3 vote nec
essary for it.
Several other amendments were sug
gested. but the assembly adjourned I hi fore
voting on any of them
One amendment would reverse the
Sanders amendment, which broadened
the first course to deal with all U.S. racial
and ethnic minority groups
Sociology Associate Professor Samir a
Morgen, who introduced the amendment,
added language to encourage comparative
discussions of racial and ethnic: groups in
the first course but maintained the course's
original intent.
Under her amendment, she said after
the meeting, a course on relations lietween
blacks and lews would Ihi acceptable for
the requirement's first part However, she
said a course just on anti-Semitism would
not.
Another amendment would establish a
committee to assess the fisc al and acad
emic implications of the requirement
A third amendment would reduce the
requirement back to one course.
In the next few weeks, more amend
merits will likely Ihi considered at senate
and assembly meetings.
Supporters say even if the issue is not
resolved by the end of the school year,
they will not give up
"We ll just keep on doing this as long
as it takes." Morgen said
COURT
Continued from Page 1
vott'd during llu* primary elei lions
If thr i onstitution court did rule
(hr elis lions board v iolaled nits lions
rult's. would it It* worth the cost of
liov mg another elet tion. court mmii
here asked
Trncv Dennis, elections board coor
dmalor. said the t ost of a sts mid fits
tion would run between $2,000 and
$5,000 It would take about two
weeks to make up the ballots and get
ready for the election
Student Sen Michael Omogrosso
filed a i omplnint against ( trrgon Dul
ly Kmrntld Editorial Fditor Martin
Fisher and Fditor l*at Malach.
Omogrosso lost fits re-election cam
paign for a one year seat on the sen
ate.
In his complaint. Omogrosso
alleged die newspaper ran a write-in
campaign for Fisher. On April 10.
Fisher wrote in the Kmrmld's "Write
Angles" column: "I am hereby
announcing my write-in candidm y
for an ASUO position Any position
Fvory position
"1 ogree the press should l*e grant
ed extreme latitude but a line needs
to be drawn," Omogrosso told the
constitution court. "Mr. Fisher
stepped out of tlie ring of protection
of journalists and into tile ring of
politicians."
The Hmrrnld is an independent
paper governed by the U S Consti
tution and the Oregon Constitution,
and not governed by the constitution
court. Malach said
"With respe< t to the i onstitution
i ourt. I don't believe the court can
tell us what we can or cannot pub
lish." Mal.u It said. "The Kmcntld
respectfully del lines to respond to
this case.”
Fisher said Omogrosso's complaint
was irrelevant Iks ause elts linns rules
don't supersede the First Amend
ment of the ll.S Constitution
"If you took my column seriously,
you need more help than you're
going to gel from this court." he said.
Oscar Garcia, who was a write-in
i andldate fora Student Senate sent,
filed a complaint against the elei
lions board because no elections
iKwril moodier i ailed him to tell him
he had to file as a candidate prior to
the general election.
(aircia also alleged the board vio
lated elections rules when it placed
Ills name on the general elei lions Iml
lot. even though he hadn't filed. In
the general election. Garcia received
r>4 votes, which wore enough votes
to win.
Brad Anderson, a write-in candi
date for the same sonuto seal, filed
a amicus brief with the court because
he believes he should lie declared the
winner
"I was the only candidate," Ander
son said. "Therefore, I am the win
ner."
•**
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