Now that is a nasty pejorative term. I think, because of the past conflict that shaped the outlook of many people that there are still people in southern Vietnam who do not like those from the north. Calling a northerner chó "dog" is a way of expressing that hatred.
It is an established fact that many northerners did migrate to southern Vietnam several decades ago. By contrast, a number of southerners (as well as those from central Vietnam) also moved to the north. My clan, for one, moved from Quang Binh in the central region up north to avoid war. By definition, my family is not from the north. I wonder whether I would be called a "dog" when I moved to southern cities like Saigon.
The reason for such questions is because, after the war many Vietnamese had to move from one region to another due to government policy. Many did so and rooted where they arrived; another wave of migration occurred after that, only two or three decades from now. With such waves of people moving around, it is very hard to discern whether a person is really a north- or south-erner. Most Vietnamese kids who move around like that acquire two to three accents that they use interchangeably. Two of my friends are northern and southern-origin kids who moved south and north respectively; their command of regional accents is surprising to say the least.
Adding to this melting pot is the fact that, among the younger generation in Vietnam many study abroad and meet each other. While on alien soil, Vietnamese of whatever region tend to flock together and befriend each other rather than holding each other in contempt, because they are equally alien to the local people. The Vietnamese community, from whatever region, is able to stay strong because they don't divide themselves internally. As I am a student in Japan, this applies directly to me. I myself have a great number of friends from southern (and central) Vietnam, many of which I love dearly and unequivocally. Perhaps when the Vietnamese are on foreign soil, we are able to combat regional differences and agree on how to treat each other like brothers. No one has ever called me "northern dog" as I recall.
To sum up, the forces of internal (inside Vietnam) and external (outside Vietnam) migration and interaction are helping to diminish the regional differences and regional discrimination among the Vietnamese. Perhaps, only those who stick to their home soil and refuse to accept people from other places would resort to using slurs to insult others. But they are a minority, and will be swept away jkm78\
by the present currents.
