The United States policy toward China during that time led to a more hands off approach. That was coupled with the Carter administrations larger problems and distraction in Iran and Afghanistan, as well as the end of detente. That all said, the war was generally viewed as a "win" for the US in that it deepened the Sino-Soviet split, the outcome being irrelevant to that broader implication.

That said, the war occurred against the backdrop of the Vietnamese "boat people" a large migration not dissimilar (though smaller) to one seen today from North Africa and the Middle East. Most of those refugees were settled in the United States, many of them concentrated around Orange County, California and Houston, Texas. Since then, they have adapted well to their new homes and have become a vibrant part of American culture and her economy.