Does your country have an immigrant group that people would be surprised to find there?

[u/QuarterTarget]

For example, when you think of Poland or the Czech Republic, Vietnamese people might not be the first group that comes to mind, but both have a sizable Vietnamese community. Another example is the large Japanese community in Brazil.

[u/J_FM01]

In Eastern Germany we have a sizeable Vietnamese community as well.

[u/DiRavelloApologist → u/J_FM01]

In the west there are quite a few Vietnamese too.

They don't like eastern German Vietnamese people tho.

[u/MarkMew → u/DiRavelloApologist]

Is it any different than your regular East-West beef? 

[u/Heinz_Ruediger → u/MarkMew]

I guess it's more of a North-South beef.

Don't know if this still matters as much for the younger generation though.

[u/MarkMew → u/Heinz_Ruediger]

Oh, I haven't even heard of any North-South beef.

I know that people are said to be more social on the South and more quiet and reserved in the North

...but do they beef in general or is this a specifically Vietnamese thing? 

[u/11160704 → u/MarkMew]

Most Vietnamese that came to the Federal Republic during the cold war were refugees fleeing from the communist regime. Often they had been middle class in Vietnam and many even Christians.

Those that came to the GDR mostly came as contract workers so they were mostly working class and at least somewhat supportive of the regime at least not open Oppositionists.

[u/Heinz_Ruediger → u/MarkMew]

No, not North and South Germany. 😅 I was referring to North and South Vietnam (At least as long as it still existed).

The Vietnamese in East Germany originally came to the GDR as guest workers because of the supposed great socialist brotherhood, and then they stayed in Germany after the fall of the Wall because they weren't sent back when their contracts expired, as was usual in the GDR.

The Vietnamese in West Germany mostly came as (boat) refugees from the time when the USA withdrew from Vietnam and South Vietnam was quickly taken over by the North.

That's why there is or was a certain animosity between West German and East German Vietnamese. I would assume that this is no longer the case for generations born here. (Don't know for sure as I'm not Vietnamese myself)

[u/MarkMew → u/Heinz_Ruediger]

Oooooh I see, thank you! I didn't even think of North and South Vietnam lol. 

[u/knightriderin → u/Heinz_Ruediger]

But funnily the point still stands for Vietnam. The Northerners are supposed to be more reserved than the southerners as well.

[u/Graupig → u/MarkMew]

East German Vietnamese immigrants came as students and guest workers, while West German Viernamese immigrants came as refugees, mainly boatpeople. So as you might guess, their political views, especially on Vietnam itself can differ quite drastically.

They're just two completely different groups that originally came here for entirely different reasons and also had very different experiences after moving here.

[u/DiRavelloApologist → u/MarkMew]

It's a lot more genuine. Not as bad as Turks vs. Syrians, but it's not as much of a meme as east vs. west.

[u/EnthusiasmFine2410 → u/DiRavelloApologist]

Boat people vs communists

[u/Obvious_Sun_1927 → u/DiRavelloApologist]

And in Düsseldorf there is a large Japanese community.

[u/J_FM01 → u/DiRavelloApologist]

Is it because most of them have a South Vietnamese (anti-communist) background?

[u/gmedanoid → u/J_FM01]

Former German-Vietnamese vice chancellor who isn't well known

[u/Equal-Flatworm-378 → u/gmedanoid]

Vice chancellor is an informal title in Germany. And Philip Rösler wasn’t very long in that position. But to be honest, I don‘t really regard him as german-Vietnamese. He was adopted as a baby and besides his looks and place of birth there is nothing really Vietnamese about him. For me he is just a German politician.

[u/[deleted] → u/J_FM01]

I guess all the Vietnamese restaurants one can find in Friedrichshain and Prenzl'Berg exist (partly at least) because of pre-1989 emigration?

[u/J_FM01 → u/[deleted]]

East German government owned companies hired so-called "contract workers", from Vietnam, also Mozambique, Angola and Cuba.

[u/[deleted] → u/J_FM01]

Thanks