FROM REPRESENTATION TO SELF-EXPRESSION:THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS OF VIETNAMESE MINORITY LITERATURE AFTER RENOVAT

Abstract

This paper examines the evolution of Vietnam’s ethnic minority literatures over the four decades following the Đổi mới reforms, framing it as a paradigmatic shift closely intertwined with broader socio-cultural transformations. Central to this process is the reconfiguration of expressive space, marking a crucial transition from being spoken for to active self-representation and the construction of identity- and history-related discourses. Through an analysis of institutional frameworks, processes of professionalization, and the consolidation of an emerging theoretical consciousness from within, the article highlights both the opportunities and challenges of the digital age. Ultimately, it proposes that ethnic minority literatures are moving from a peripheral position toward more active participation in the polycentric structure of contemporary Vietnamese literature.