Publication Date

Spring 2022

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

English and Comparative Literature

Advisor

Keenan Norris

Subject Areas

Comparative literature

Abstract

This is a nonfiction poetry collection – prose and verses of creative nonfiction. The collection sheds light on the historical upheavals and wobbling presence of the Mekong Delta through the personal experience of the narrator, born and raised in the area. The delta experienced multiple genocides and ethnic cleansing under the French colonization, the Vietnam War, and the communist regime, leaving collective traumatic memories among the isolated communities. The project traces the path to erosion, impoverishment, and the Mekong Delta's unpredictable future in climate change. After the war, the practice of four rice seasons/years has left the region in ravage, heavily-polluted soil, and now starvation in constant droughts. At the regional level, ambitious dam-building plans in China and Lower-Mekong Basin countries have strangled the water flow and left Mekong Delta thirsty. Young girls and women are left at high illiterate rates and at increased risk of being sexual and labor exploited. Labors migrate out of the region because they cannot live in the rich land that gave birth to their ancestors.

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Available for download on Monday, August 23, 2027

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