As Klyce intimated, diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Vietnam play a role in the success of the sister city program. It was not until this summer that President Bill Clinton resumed diplomatic relations with Vietnam, and sister city officials hope that this political opening will remove some of the barriers to cultural exchange. Hue is the first Vietnamese city to participate in Sister Cities International. The highlight of this endeavor has been the visit of Hue's mayor, who spent several weeks in New Haven this spring. Because of internal Vietnamese politics and diplomatic relations with the U.S., Mayor Anh's visit was twice canceled before he managed to arrive in the United States.
Citizen action is more of a foreign concept in Vietnam.
There, the word for non-governmental connotes anarchy. Three New Haven junior high schools have sister schools in Hue, and their first major undertaking was an exchange of student artwork. New Haven officials thus far have found the sister-city program to be enormously successful. The idea for the program was inspired by a North Vietnamese soldier who came to the U.S. on a mission of reconciliation. Those who heard him were so impressed that they wanted to reach back out.