Vietnamese community in Senegal
Encyclopedia
The Vietnamese people in Senegal consists of both expatriate
technicians and laborers from Vietnam
, as well as the mixed-race descendants of early 20th-century migrants. A total of several hundred are estimated to live in Senegal
; the national capital Dakar
even boasts a few Vietnamese restaurants.
, Vietnam and Senegal
have a long history of cultural links. Beginning in the 1930s, many Senegalese began serving in Vietnam as soldiers for France
; some took local wives, with whom they had children. However, in the turbulent 1940s, with World War II
and the First Indochina War
, many Vietnamese women married to Senegalese followed their husbands back to Senegal. By 2007, Jean Gomis, himself a Vietnamese descendant and an unofficial "community leader", estimated that fewer than five of those wives remained alive, while 300 of their descendants lived scattered throughout Senegal. They retained some knowledge of the Vietnamese language
and still cook Vietnamese cuisine; however, Gomis expected that within 10 years, the language would no longer be spoken
.
In the 1990s, Vietnamese agricultural technicians began to arrive in Senegal under the sponsorship of the United Nations
' Food and Agriculture Organization
, through an initiative to promote cooperation between the nations of the global South. By 2001, their numbers had risen from 40 to 100. Most technicians come to Senegal on two year stints, unaccompanied by their spouses, and live in group housing with other Vietnamese. They aim to promote small-scale technologies and techniques suitable to Senegal's level of economic development; for example, Vietnamese beekeepers introduced Senegalese farmers to manually-driven centrifugal honey extractor
s and Vietnamese-style concrete beehive
s. Others attempted to familiarise Senegalese people to the representative Vietnamese fish sauce nước mắm. Though as of 2001, it was only produced and used by the restaurants in Dakar, Vietnamese technicians in the seaside town of M'Bour
trained a women's group in its preparation, and produced roughly 20 tanks of the sauce. Most of the technicians speak only Vietnamese, though they typically learn some Wolof language
agricultural vocabulary during their time in the country.
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
technicians and laborers from Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, as well as the mixed-race descendants of early 20th-century migrants. A total of several hundred are estimated to live in Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
; the national capital Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
even boasts a few Vietnamese restaurants.
Migration history
Both being former French coloniesFrench colonial empire
The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
, Vietnam and Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
have a long history of cultural links. Beginning in the 1930s, many Senegalese began serving in Vietnam as soldiers for France
Military of France
The French Armed Forces encompass the French Army, the French Navy, the French Air Force and the National Gendarmerie. The President of the Republic heads the armed forces, with the title "chef des armées" . The President is the supreme authority for military matters and is the sole official who...
; some took local wives, with whom they had children. However, in the turbulent 1940s, with World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the First Indochina War
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...
, many Vietnamese women married to Senegalese followed their husbands back to Senegal. By 2007, Jean Gomis, himself a Vietnamese descendant and an unofficial "community leader", estimated that fewer than five of those wives remained alive, while 300 of their descendants lived scattered throughout Senegal. They retained some knowledge of the Vietnamese language
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
and still cook Vietnamese cuisine; however, Gomis expected that within 10 years, the language would no longer be spoken
Language attrition
Language attrition is the loss of a first or second language or a portion of that language by individuals. Speakers who routinely use more than one language may not use either of their languages in ways which are exactly like that of a monolingual speaker...
.
In the 1990s, Vietnamese agricultural technicians began to arrive in Senegal under the sponsorship of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
' Food and Agriculture Organization
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
, through an initiative to promote cooperation between the nations of the global South. By 2001, their numbers had risen from 40 to 100. Most technicians come to Senegal on two year stints, unaccompanied by their spouses, and live in group housing with other Vietnamese. They aim to promote small-scale technologies and techniques suitable to Senegal's level of economic development; for example, Vietnamese beekeepers introduced Senegalese farmers to manually-driven centrifugal honey extractor
Honey extractor
A honey extractor is a mechanical device used in the honey extraction. A honey extractor extracts the honey from the honey comb without destroying the comb. Extractors work by centrifugal force. A drum or container holds a frame basket which spins, flinging the honey out...
s and Vietnamese-style concrete beehive
Beehive
A beehive is a structure in which bees live and raise their young.Beehive may also refer to:Buildings and locations:* Bee Hive, Alabama, a neighborhood in Alabama* Beehive , a wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings...
s. Others attempted to familiarise Senegalese people to the representative Vietnamese fish sauce nước mắm. Though as of 2001, it was only produced and used by the restaurants in Dakar, Vietnamese technicians in the seaside town of M'Bour
M'Bour
M'Bour or Mbour is a city in the Thiès Region of Senegal. It lies on the Petite Côte, approximately eighty kilometers south of Dakar. It is home to a population of 153,503 . The city's major industries are tourism, fishing and peanut processing....
trained a women's group in its preparation, and produced roughly 20 tanks of the sauce. Most of the technicians speak only Vietnamese, though they typically learn some Wolof language
Wolof language
Wolof is a language spoken in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania, and is the native language of the Wolof people. Like the neighbouring languages Serer and Fula, it belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger–Congo language family...
agricultural vocabulary during their time in the country.