ABSTRACT:Vietnam is a country which agriculture had dominated the economy for about one thousand of years. Since the Vietnamese prefer staying together rather than being separated, a kind of stable and strict order is indispensable for a family. In order to enhance its unity and stability, the core of family is just filial piety. In this way, inequality in aristocratic society extends into the family, particular to the family relationships, respecting to elderly people, enhancing marriage and criticizing divorce etc. However, the viewpoint of American on family is quite opposite. The American families are extremely mobile. The primary purpose of an American family is to advance the happiness, the equality and the freedom of individual members. The American desire for freedom from outside control clearly extend to the families, they don’t like to be controlled by other family members. 

　　　This paper focus on comparing some key differences between the American families and Vietnamese families in family structure, children in the two families, family relationships, old people and two the people’s viewpoint to marriage and divorce as well.    

Key Words: American family; Vietnamese family; different points; life style.

摘  要: 越南是一个农业经济占主导地位大约一千多年的国家。由于越南人喜欢住在一起，而不喜欢分离，因而一种稳定而又严格的秩序已成为每一个越南家庭必不可少的部分。为了加强其团结和稳定性，其家庭的核心就是孝道。这样，贵族社会的不平等现象已延伸到家庭，尤其是对家庭成员间的关系。提倡尊重老人，倡导婚姻但斥责离婚等.但美国人对家庭的看法却与越南人正好相反。美国家庭是极为机动的。美国家庭主要的目的是推进幸福，平等和个人自由。美国人渴望他们的自由从外部控制明确延伸到他们各自的家庭，他们不喜欢他们的自由被其他家庭成员所控制。 

   本文侧重于从美国家庭和越南家庭的家庭结构，孩子，家庭关系，老人以及两国对婚姻和离婚的看法等进行分析比较，从而总结出其中存在的一些重要的差异。

关键词: 美国家庭； 越南家庭； 不同点； 生活风格