Parenting Patriots: Filial Piety, Family Socialization, and Insurgency in the Vietnam War

This paper explores two ways in which family, specifically parents, predisposed Vietnamese children to join the National Liberation Front. Firstly, I found that family often socialized children into a certain political orientation, and children were expected to uphold their parents' honor as revolutionaries. Filial piety and desire to protect one's family played an important role in motivating Vietnamese children to take up arms. The findings presented by this article emphasize that family can be a space where politics and affection intertwine, thereby becoming an important motivator in mobilizing potential insurgents.