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February 12, 2026Journal of American StudiesOpen Access

Picturing Bad Refugees: Haiti, Vietnam, and the Racial Politics of Refugee Photography

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Authors

KAKodai Abe

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Overview

This essay critiques how photography shapes perceptions of refugees, contrasting Haiti's portrayal with Vietnam's context.

Key Points

  • The aim is to analyze how photography racializes refugees in American media, specifically comparing Haitians and Vietnamese.
  • Analyzed historical and contemporary photographic representations of Haitian and Vietnamese refugees.
  • Critiqued American policies and media narratives surrounding refugees during the Cold War.
  • Examined the relationship between warfare, race, and refugee identity.
  • Haitian refugees are depicted negatively as economic threats, while Vietnamese refugees are viewed as victims.
  • Photography serves as a powerful tool in shaping public perception of refugee worthiness.
  • The construction of refugee identities is deeply intertwined with U.S. military and racial histories.

Cite This Study

Kodai Abe (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/698d6df45be6419ac0d5355bhttps://doi.org/10.1017/s002187582510159x
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