Jean Paquette

Colonialism Experienced: Vietnamese Writings on Colonialism, 1900–1931: Lam, Truong Buu: Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 328 pp., Publication Date: August 2000

Truong Buu Lam’s Colonialism Experze / u n l : Vietnomrse Writings on Cokmialism, 1900-1 9.31 gives scholars the opportunity to cxaniine the writings of Vietnamese nationalists, many of them translated here for the first timc. The second part of a planned trilogy, the hook’s first three chapters methodically expose the Kafkaesque intricacies of the French imperial mindset in the administration of‘ Vietnam. The descriptions indicate how conipletely Vietnamese independence was erotled to France’s benefit. The second chapter is particularly useful because it includes descriptions of the several methods of French exploitation, including the plantation system, lahor conscription, military recruitment, and state monopolies. Scholars who specialize i n Vietnam studies have previously examined many of thcsc abuses. The immediacy of these selected documents, however, epitomizes the anger and desperation of those who experienced the disingenuousness of imperialism firsthand and sets Lam’s work apart. ’The articles are diverse. Some are both conciliatory and lucid, illuminating France’s intellectual impact on Vietnam. The tone of these selections is almost pleading, as if to \ay that if‘ the injustices that the Vietnamese lahor under are exposed in a rational manner, the French must understand that their method of rule cannot be justified. Most, however, represent powerful patriotic sentiments. Among the documents is one by Phan Boi Chau that praises the natural glories of Vietnam and predicts that after freedom from the French, the country will achieve a higher stat ub in the world to become “an enlightened example“ (108). Written in 1907, Phan Boi Clrau’s rnndernic.ation program. entitled “Ten Pleasant Conditions,” lists nationalistic objectivcs quite similar to those that H o Chi Minh made use of in the Vietnamese Communist [’arty’s political platform. Additional documents run the gamut from respectful advice to dire warnings. Some insist that Vietnam could and should be changed for the good through education or violence; othcrs simply encourage nationalism in poetic form. The overall tone runs from licry denunciation to benign expression of’ disappointment and sorrow that France has failed thc Vietnamese. For example, Huynh Thuc Khang, writing in 1927, presents a scathing indictment of French neglect of Vietnam education bordering on conspiracy. The hook is a welcome addition for students and instructors wishing to understand the depth of the Vietnamese desire to be free. Its strength is that it gives a deeper understanding ol‘ works such as A Viet Cong MemISBN 0-472-097 121 cloth oir; by Truong Nhu Tang. Although, perhaps not the definitive book on Vietnam’s colonial experience, it should be included in the collection of anyone interested in Vietnam or French imperialism, including undergraduate or graduate students.