Associating the Point between President Ho Chi Minh’s Lack of Descendants and the Easterners’ Son Preference Attitude

Abstract

            The purpose of this research is to associate the point between President Ho Chi Minh’s lack of descendants and the Easterners’son preference attitude, as well as to find the reason for such phenomenon by the use of documentary method. It was found that to give birth to descendants is one of the important duties of Vietnamese. Consequently, when President Ho Chi Minh broke this tradition, he faced several problems. The Vietnamese’s attitude towards son preference is in conformity with the information indicated in sacred books and several Indian mythology books, i.e. “Upanishads”, “Indian Tales”, and “The Pilgrim Kamanita”, as well as famous Chinese and Thai literature, i.e. “The Romance of Three Kingdoms” and “Lai Jivit”. There are four reasons for son preference of Easterners. Firstly, it is for continuity and succession of family that will make parents attain the state of physical immortality. Secondly, it is for performing ancestor veneration since only men can perform this sacred rite. Thirdly, it is in accordance with the natural law because it will bring about the balance in society. If there is only death without any birth to replace the previous generation, human societies will come to an end. Fourthly, it is to respond to the need of combating in warfare that has happened in Eastern societies from the past up to now.