When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman's Journey from War to Peace

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains references to war, torture, and death.

The Ban Viet Kieu was a governmental office responsible for all visiting Vietnamese who had left the homeland to live in other countries. In 1986, Hayslip had to obtain permission from this office for her travels and activities. Its existence and role in her visit exposed the extent of governmental control over life in Vietnam at that time.

The Common Guard was the “local police force commissioned to help the army keep peace in the villages” (191), though they became a source of trouble. Chin was a member of the Common Guard and used his power to coerce Ba to marry him. Hayslip highlights the corruption and harm that organs of the Republican government caused peasants via this organization.

Duyen and No are the traditional components of a happy Vietnamese marriage. Duyen refers to love and passion, while no refers to duty (406). According to tradition, the two components should be balanced. When deciding to marry Ed Munro, Hayslip worried about the absence of duyen but felt she must consent to the marriage anyway. The choices of Vietnamese women during the war were dictated by conditions beyond their control.