Date of Graduation

5-2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

International and Global Studies

Advisor/Mentor

Hare, Laurence

Committee Member

Phillips, Jared

Second Committee Member

Paradise, Thomas

Third Committee Member

Rulli, Richard

Abstract

The U.S. response to the Indochinese refugee crisis from 1975-1992 has been hailed as an excellent example of humanitarianism and sound U.S. foreign policy. It’s example has been used to criticize the U.S. for the refugee policy it currently employs in the Middle East, even as it remains heavily involved in the conflicts creating refugee flows there. This paper asks the following questions: How exactly has refugee policy differed between the two situations? Why is it different? And how might the former inform changes to the latter? This paper employs statistical analysis of refugee admissions data to answer the first, qualitative analysis of administration documents and speeches to answer the second, and provides policy recommendations to address the third. Research found that the U.S. had indeed accepted fewer refugees in both absolute and relative terms from its main War on Terror conflict countries (Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria) than it did from Indochina. The main reasons for this were the different natures of the Cold War and the War on Terror as political unifiers (or not), and the United States’ impressions of political and military success in each region.

Keywords

refugee policy; Vietnam; Cold War; War on Terror

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