Résumé
This study examines the evolution of Vietnamese political activism in exile, focusing on the Vietnamese diaspora in France between 1975 and 1996. Following the fall of Saigon in 1975, France welcomed over 27,000 Vietnamese refugees, who joined a long-established and ideologically diverse Vietnamese community. In contrast, the United States received over 424,000 Vietnamese refugees, most of whom were connected to the defeated South Vietnamese regime and formed a strongly anti-communist diaspora.The paper highlights how political activism took different shapes in the two countries due to historical, social, and diplomatic factors. In the U.S., Vietnamese exiles organized a dense network of anti-communist associations, supported by a hostile U.S. foreign policy toward Vietnam until 1995. The “Lost Vietnam” narrative remained central, particularly in communities like Little Saigon.In France, the legacy of colonial ties and continued diplomatic relations with Vietnam created a more nuanced environment. While anti-communist groups existed, the diaspora also included moderates and even pro-government voices. Armed resistance movements, such as the United Front of Patriotic Forces founded in Paris, ultimately failed, and by the 1990s, political engagement had shifted toward cultural preservation, humanitarian work, and memory transmission.The study shows that while Vietnamese activism in the U.S. remained politically charged and rooted in historical trauma, French Vietnamese communities adapted to their context by focusing on identity, heritage, and cultural continuity—demonstrating how exile reshapes the forms and expressions of political commitment.