A groundbreaking study of the settlement of Vietnam's highland regions, this volume offers a historical analysis of and provides profound insights into the political economy of migration both in Vietnam and elsewhere. It shows how socialist policies especially changed the face of the highlands, as settlers from the plains turned the hills 'red'. Placing people's experiences in the context of government policy and national history, this book can be read as a contribution to migration studies in Southeast Asia, but also as a grassroots history of twentieth-century Vietnam. Written in a lively style and illustrated by numerous maps and photographs, this study promises to become a classic in Vietnamese historical studies. In recognition of the contribution made by this study, Andrew Hardy was awarded the 2005 Harry J. Benda Prize for Outstanding New Scholar of Southeast Asian Studies.