The communities of the central San Joaquin Valley experienced the Vietnam War in many different ways. Some went to fight for their country, either drafted or as volunteers. Some were forced to fight for their homeland and then became refugees when the war ended. Some joined organizations like the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom to protest the war. These same experiences were felt across the country during this pivotal time in American history. Using primary sources from oral histories to song lyrics, this lesson is designed to help students connect the local experience of the war to this national narrative. Students will be able to understand the mass immigration of the Southeast Asian refugee community to the central San Joaquin Valley in the wake of the war. Students will also understand the perspective of those who were involved in the war through protest or service.

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This is designed as a local supplement to a broader foundational lesson.