THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AT OUR DOORSTEP: POLITICAL AMBIGUITY AND SUCCESSFUL IMPROVISATION

In: Review of Policy Research, Band 1, Heft 1, S. 28-46

Abstract

In the spring of 1975, the United States was faced not only with military defeat in Vietnam, but also with the challenge of processing, caring for and eventually resettling more than 130,000 persons fleeing Vietnam.This paper presents a case study of the operation‐"New Life" which evacuated these refugees and cared for them on Guam until they could be resettled. The account focuses on the logistic problems and pragmatic solutions reached in a situation where there existed a wide gap between public policy and i t s application. This discussion is especially instructive in light of the growing national and international problem of refugee relocation.