In Little Saigon, enmity for the Vietnamese government thrives among the older generation, many of whom arrived in the U.S. as refugees after the fall of Saigon. Some are even willing to pay higher prices if it means the Communist regime will suffer.

A global trade war, sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump, has intensified as he ramped up levies on China while reversing sweeping tariffs on most trading partners, stoking fears of a recession, sending jitters across global financial markets and drawing condemnation from leaders around the world.