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Khanh Le
Ethnic Studies, Political Science

Lynn Fujiwara, Mentor

Agent Orange and Reparations
for Viet People

The United States used Agent Orange, a toxic chemical, during the U.S. war in Viet Nam to kill vegetation that protected “enemies.” Thirty years later, over four million Viet nationals continue to encounter the effects of the war as they contract grave illnesses from the deadly toxin. This chemical is banned in the U.S. because the government recognized it as harmful to people. A class action lawsuit forced companies that produced Agent Orange to compensate U.S., Canadian, New Zealand, and Australian veterans exposed to the chemical. Viet nationals are dying from similar health complications, but are unable to benefit from similar compensation. An analysis of the Agent Orange controversy and a comparison of the successful lawsuit by U.S. veterans with the unsuccessful lawsuit filed by Viet nationals reveals the lingering effects of both a racist construction of “enemy” and the Viet Nam syndrome.