Ethnic Diversity and Race

We visited a museum dedicated to the different ethnic minorities in Vietnam. It was eye-opening. First, I assumed that everyone in Vietnam was Vietnamese. I viewed them as homogeneous. Apparently, that isn't the case. There are about 54 different ethnic groups in the country.
I have included some of the pictures of the different type houses to give you an idea about how unique and different these groups might be from what we would traditionally think of as Vietnamese....

Don't think it is all one big happy family, either. The minorities suffer persecution from the government, and obviously don't have the same political clout that the Viet have.

One interesting observation, with is consistent with what I've seen in most cultures: Fairer skin color is highly esteemed in Vietnam. Women will often were long gloves and face coverings when driving on scooters to avoid getting sun exposure, and therefore darker skin. Fair skin shows you are wealthy enough to not work in the fields. It signifies some level of education and affluence. I thought that was interesting...