Bui Doi

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Bui Doi (Vietnamese: bụi đời) means "dust of life" and is a colloquial expression used to refer to the street kids and hooligans of Vietnamese cities. It was made popular by American journalist in the 1980s who mistakenly thought "bui doi" referred exclusively to the overabundance number of Amerasians that roamed the streets of Vietnam and particularly Saigon at the time.

Nguoi Lai is the technical term, meaning "mixed-race person," and refers to the offspring of interracial unions. The majority of mixed race in post-Vietnam war were Amerasians or children of Vietnamese mothers and military or civilian men from the United States. Amerasians born during the Vietnam War (1965-1975) were often a result of long-tern unions. However, because of the large sex industry brought on by the military economy, Amerasians are predominantly seen as off-springs of GI fathers and prostitute mothers. Life was difficult for the Amerasian; they existed as pariahs in Vietnamese society.

In the United States, Boi Doi or the term "dust of life" once again is referred to criminal class where many of these youth included newly transplanted Vietnamese and Amerasians. The misuse of the word Bui Doi also immigrated to the United States and was appropriated by the mainstream. Hence, you see the term Bui Doi referring to Amerasians and featured in popular cultural productions such as in the musical Miss Saigon. The movie The Beautiful Country (2004) describes the life of a fictional Bui Doi and his efforts to become reunited with his American father. Straight to Hell, a 1982 song by The Clash, deals heavily with this subject matter.