Introduction

The hilltribes people from Vietnam known as the Montagnards first began coming to the United States in 1986. Although the Montagnards worked closely with the U.S. military in Vietnam, almost none of them joined the exodus of refugees fleeing South Vietnam after the fall of the South Vietnamese government in 1975.

In 1986, about 200 Montagnard refugees, mostly men, were resettled in the United States; most were resettled in North Carolina. Before this small influx, there were only an estimated 30 Montagnards scattered around the United States.

From 1986 to 2001, small numbers of Montagnards continued to come to the United States. Some came as refugees while others came through family reunification and the Orderly Departure Program. Most settled in North Carolina, and by 2000 the Montagnard population in that state had grown to around 3,000. While these refugees have faced considerable difficulties, most have adapted quite well.

In 2002, another 900 Montagnard refugees were resettled in North Carolina. These refugees bring with them troubled histories of persecution, and few have family or political ties with the established Montagnard communities in the United States. Not surprisingly, their resettlement is proving to be very difficult indeed.

This profile looks at the backgrounds of the Montagnard people in Vietnam. It also looks at their resettlement experiences in the United States and discuses specific areas of adjustment that have proven problematic for this population

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