“It Doesn’t Hurt, but It Tickles”: Representations of the Vietnam War in the National Archives’ Teaching Resources

• In Event: Curricular Policy Agents: Critical Frictions and Transformative Disruptions

Abstract

This paper examines underlying discourses in the teaching materials about the Vietnam war on Docsteach—a National Archives's webpage. Despite being named the Vietnam War, these materials introduced reflect exclusively U.S’s perspectives. The focus on soldiers’ shared experiences and celebration of the U.S. military’s technological advancement echoes a common practice of creating a collective memory and valorizing war heroes fighting for freedom and progress. Finally, primary sources and learning activities on DocsTeach represents Vietnamese either as the terrorist or the helpless, which dehumanizes and euphemizes Vietnamese and legitimize U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Ultimately, these findings raise questions about the unmediated nature of archives and call for reflection on the critical use of archival materials in teaching and learning history.

Author

• Thi Nhu Quynh Dang, Indiana University