The Refugees

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

The Sympathizer is Viet Thanh Nguyen’s first novel, which won him the Pulitzer Prize and brought him critical acclaim. Nguyen draws on his own life experiences in a novel that, like The Refugees, explores issues of identity surrounding immigration, exile, and the Vietnam War.

• SuperSummary Guide: The Sympathizer

Birds of Paradise Lost by Andrew Lam

A short story collection by another California-based diasporic Vietnamese-American writer, Birds of Paradise Lost explores many of the same themes as The Refugees, such as intergenerational conflict and sexuality. 

Race and Resistance: Literature and Politics in Asian-America by Viet Thanh Nguyen

 Nguyen’s first academic book explores the cultural impact of Asian-Americans, particularly in the field of literature. Nguyen argues that the commodification of Asian cultures ignores the significant impact they have on American culture at large.

“Our War Never Ended” by Viet Thanh Nguyen

This article reflects the sentiment of many of the stories in The Refugees, particularly “War Years.” For victims and survivors of war and their descendants, there is no real closure when the war officially ends. War continues through lasting trauma, cultural impact, and geographic displacement.

Strangers at Our Door by Zygmunt Bauman