Final answer:
Vietnamese refugees came to the United States due to restrictive communist policies and harsh conditions after the fall of Saigon, with the Refugee Act of 1980 facilitating their resettlement. They were part of more than two million South Vietnamese who fled as refugees, causing ethnic rifts in U.S. communities and shaping the history of immigration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The experiences depicted in the poem from Inside Out and Back Again reflect the plight of many Vietnamese refugees who came to the United States as a result of the Vietnam War. These individuals sought asylum in the U.S. due to the harsh conditions and political persecution following the establishment of restrictive communist policies in Vietnam after the fall of Saigon in 1975. The Refugee Act of 1980 was instrumental in helping them to find a place to settle in the United States. They were part of a larger group of more than two million people from South Vietnam who escaped as refugees to various destinations including the U.S., which experienced ethnic rifts within communities as a consequence.
While the U.S. did place an embargo on Vietnam and refused to trade with them until 1996, thus affecting the Vietnamese economy that became heavily reliant on agriculture, many refugees were seeking to start anew, away from war-torn circumstances. The story of Vietnamese refugees is an important part of the history of immigration and the legacy of political asylum provided by the United States, particularly during the Cold War era.