For years refugees have come to America from all over the world from Syria, Vietnam, Iraq and even Australia. A refugee is different from an immigrant in that they are essentially forced to leave their country to escape war, persecution or a natural disaster. Unlike immigrants who have been here a long time like Mexicans or Japanese, Vietnamese have been in the United States for about thirty years or less. After the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese feared for their lives and were forced to leave their country in search of freedom. The Vietnamese came here as refugees, not as voluntary immigrants. Vietnamese refugees fled to America in a few waves, one occurred after the Vietnam War in 1975 and was heavily aided by the United States. The United States did not support communism and with the fall of the South Vietnamese government and communism taking over, the United States did everything it could to help them out. The United States provided military merchant ships, aircraft and everything it could do to help. The Vietnamese were transferred to U.S. government bases in Thailand, Guam, Hawaii and the Philippines. When they arrived in the United States, they were placed in refugee camps such as Camp Pendleton in California and one of the larger Fort Chaffee. Initially the American people did not welcome the Vietnamese. Fortunately, when Ford passed the Refugee Act of 1980, which assisted refugees who fled Vietnam and Cambodia, Americans became accustomed to the presence of Vietnamese in the United States. There were approximately 100,000 Vietnamese who left Vietnam and arrived in the United States. Most of those who fled Vietnam ended up in California. In California they had a pretty big refugee camp at Camp Pendleton. From there, that's how the Vietnamese ended up in Orange County. Since World War II, plus......middle of paper......coming from San Diego, I think the Vietnamese have done a great job of being a part of American society. We accept them and also appreciate what they brought us, especially the food. The Vietnamese have made their home here and their home is now part of our society. Sources Cited: Hinch, Jim. "OC Saigon? No big deal." The Orange County Register November 1, 2012. March 10, 2014 “Metropolitan Politics Program.” The Brookings Institution. March 11, 2014 “The Vietnamese Population in the United States: 2010.” United States Census. US Census Bureau. .“Vietnamese Community of Orange County, Inc.” OrangeCounty Vietnamese Community, Inc. March 11. 2014 .