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PODCAST

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen

thevietnamesepodcast

Being a part of the Vietnamese culture of over 100 million people comes with plenty of history, privilege, honor, and not to mention painful challenges. Join Kenneth Nguyen as he spotlights Vietnamese experience from around the world! Each podcast episode explores the creative process of individuals shaping the diversity of what it means to be Vietnamese--as a local, born and raised, or as a third culture kid. Gain insight on the divisions that separate us politically and culturally. This podcast

society & culture performing arts

All Episodes

37:12

451 - How Far Would You Go To Tell Your Story - Film...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/10/10

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Czech-Vietnamese filmmaker Duzan Duong to explore the creative and personal journey behind his debut feature film, Summer School 2001 — a project that took 8 years to make and 6 years to write.We discuss what it takes to navigate European film financing structures, how he approached casting and directing actors, and where the emotional core of the film came from. Duzan opens up about the personal and cultural themes that shaped the story, and gives us a

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39:12

450 - Can The Viet Film Fest Shift Cultural...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/10/07

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Eric Nong, the Artistic Director of the Viet Film Fest, to explore this year’s film selections and the evolving landscape of Vietnamese cinema. From the exciting rise of animated Vietnamese films to the behind-the-scenes process of how films are chosen, the conversation also touches on how AI might shape the future of curation and storytelling in film. Eric also discusses what kinds of films are selected this year

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55:32

449 - Is Vietnamese Culture Being Replaced by Korean...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/10/03

In this episode of the Vietnamese podcast, we’re joined by Karen Tran Wood, a seasoned entertainment marketing and publicity executive with over a decade of experience leading award-winning campaigns across film, television, and lifestyle brands.As Head of Entertainment Marketing & Publicity at IW Group, Karen oversees a division dedicated to crafting integrated, culturally resonant campaigns that connect with today’s diverse audiences. Her client portfolio includes major names like Amazon Prime

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63:47

448- Could Chữ Nôm Be Considered the Premodern...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/09/22

In this episode of Viet Origins, Kenneth Nguyen joins Professor John Phan of Columbia University to examine the creation and evolution of chữ Nôm, Vietnam’s early vernacular writing system. Born out of a need to express Vietnamese thought in written form, chữ Nôm emerged as a linguistic innovation that pushed against classical norms. Just as hip hop gave voice to the unheard, chữ Nôm became a medium for cultural expression outside the dominant literary establishment. Is it possible that chữ Nôm was

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70:35

447 - Part 2 AMA - Did Chinese Writing "Civilize"...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/09/09

If you joined us last time for the episode "Did Chinese Writing "Civilize" Vietnam?" we are here to answer your questions on this AMA based on the questions we got from the podcast sub series so far. We had quite a conversation with Professor John Phan from Columbia University about the evolution of the Vietnamese language. We dove deep into its fascinating history, from its roots and the long influence of Chinese culture, to the creation of the modern writing system and its unique

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69:49

446 - Who Was Vietnam's First Intellectual Export?...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/08/29

In this episode of Viet History Makers, we sit with Professor Kevin Pham to explore the remarkable life and legacy of Trần Đức Thảo, who we can describe as Vietnam’s earliest intellectual export. A philosopher trained in France, Thảo studied alongside some of the 20th century’s most influential European thinkers, including Jean-Paul Sartre and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. Yet his journey was not one of mere academic exchange—he carried philosophy across continents, weaving together European phenomenology

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52:55

445- Han & Holden Nguyen - The Amazing Race...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/08/28

We sit down with siblings Han and Holden Nguyen, finalists from The Amazing Race Season 37. They open up about their journey to the show, including the audition process that first brought them into the spotlight.We dive into their unique sibling dynamic—how competing side by side strengthened their relationship, but also tested it under the pressures of racing around the world. Han and Holden also reflect on just how close they came to winning it all, sharing the emotional highs and near-misses

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48:14

444 - Can Vietnam Ever Beat the Korean Culture...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/08/26

Kenneth Nguyen sits down with Hanh Nguyen, Executive Editor of Salon.com, to talk about Vietnam’s cultural rivalry with Korea, the power of K-pop and Korean dramas, and what defines meaningful culture. They also get into F1 the Movie, Brad Pitt as the ultimate leading man, and why Vietnam still lacks a star of that stature.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own

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65:51

443- Did Chinese Writing "Civilize" Vietnam? The...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/08/22

In this episode of The Origins of Vietnam, Kenneth sits down with Professor John Phan of Columbia University to explore the complex story of how the Vietnamese language took shape. While Vietnamese did not emerge genealogically from Chinese, its history is deeply entangled with centuries of Chinese influence. So where did it truly come from? Together, we trace the twists, turns, and unexpected developments in the evolution of the Vietnamese writing system—and consider what this history reveals about

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35:24

442 - Are YOU Man Enough? Unpacking Toxic Masculinity...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/08/19

In this episode, Kenneth Nguyen sits down with Chris Tran from Little Saigon Official to unpack a challenging but necessary topic: toxic masculinity in the Vietnamese community and culture.Together, they explore how toxic masculinity shows up, how it shows up in our family lives, and the ways it impacts not only men but also families and the broader community. This is a conversation meant to spark reflection and invite dialogue—how do we recognize it, and what can we do about it?This episode is just

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52:45

441 - Fetish or Preference? What's the Difference and...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/08/15

Kaila Yu is an author based in Los Angeles. Her debut memoir, ‘Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty,’ will be published on August 19th, 2025, with Penguin Random House’s Crown Publishing.She is also a luxury travel, food, and culture writer and on-camera correspondent based in Los Angeles, who has written for The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic, and more. She’s a certified PADI scuba diver, freediver, and

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77:59

440 - Is Vietnamese Just the New Chinese Language?...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/08/05

In this second episode of Ancient Vietnam, we return to the world of early Vietnamese history—this time loosely based on an AMA (Ask Me Anything) version shaped by the voices and comments of our audience. Building on the foundational themes of the first episode of the series Ancient Vietnam, co-host John Phan joins us to dive deeper into the linguistic and cultural mysteries that sparked so much joy, conversation and curiosity.Early in this episode, John introduces the concept of language shift

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62:34

439 - Who Were the Trưng Sisters? Viet History Makers...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/08/02

In this episode of Viet History Makers, Kenneth Nguyen and co-host Kevin Pham discuss the powerful and enduring legacy of the Hai Bà Trưng sisters—Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị—two warrior queens who led a monumental uprising against Chinese Han rule in 40 CE. Revered as national heroines, their story has long stood at the crossroads of legend, resistance, and identity.Together, we unpack the complex cultural and political landscape in which the sisters rose to power, exploring the matriarchal traditions

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63:58

438 - Do You Regret Moving To Vietnam? Khoa Nguyen -...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/07/31

Twenty years ago, one of my best friends, Khoa Trong Nguyen moved to Vietnam to start a new life in Vietnam and a career in the new Vietnamese film industry. Today, Khoa and many Vietnamese Americans are living out their dreams in modern Vietnam.While box office success has eluded him, Khoa has forged a new path in academia as head of the Digital Film and Video Program at RMIT in Ho Chi Minh City, where he has established strong roots and a solid theoretical foundation to enhance his screenwriting

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63:51

437 - What Is Real Freedom? Phan Khoi - Viet History...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/07/21

In this episode of Viet History Makers, we sit down with Kevin Pham to explore the life and legacy of Phan Khôi (1887–1959)—a towering yet often underrecognized figure in modern Vietnamese intellectual history. Known as a journalist, poet, and dissident thinker, Phan Khôi stood at the intersection of literary innovation and political resistance during one of Vietnam's most turbulent eras.Together, we unpack what "freedom" meant to Phan Khôi and how his pursuit of intellectual and

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59:20

436 - Nam C Kim - Guam

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/07/08

In this episode, we return with Dr. Nam C. Kim, an anthropologist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to reflect on the 50th anniversary of the arrival of Vietnamese refugees to Guam in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Dr. Kim shares details about a new project launching in 2025, supported by the Henry Luce Foundation, that explores the legacies of Operation New Life—the massive humanitarian effort that temporarily housed tens of thousands of Vietnamese evacuees on Guam in 1975.We

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50:44

435 - Is This The United States of America You Want?...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/07/04

In this special July 4th episode, I sit in conversation with Chris Tran from Little Saigon Official to discuss a topic close to our hearts: the importance of solidarity between the Vietnamese American community and other immigrant groups in the U.S. today. In light of the ongoing ICE raids around us, we explore why the Vietnamese American diaspora must stand in support of immigrants, even as the struggles of today’s newcomers echo the hardships once faced by our parents' generation.Chris and I

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50:38

434- Who Are The Vietnamese British? Tuyet Van Huynh

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/07/03

Tuyet Van Huynh specializes in Film, Immersive Film, Theatre and Multi Disciplinary work. She is an advocate in amplifying and championing underrepresented voices in the arts and as a British Vietnamese-Chinese Creative, she is always looking at different ways in how to raise the profile of East & Southeast Asian arts and artists within the UK cultural industry and increase this voice and representation within the UK’s cultural discourse. Tuyet founded Star Nhà Ease: Vietnamese Cinema that

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53:53

433 - What Would South Vietnam Look Like Without U.S....

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/07/01

Historian and professor Sean Fear joins Kenneth to discuss the complexities of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and how it shaped the war’s outcome. Together, they revisit moments and ask a provocative question: What if South Vietnam had been better funded, structured, and supported? Could history have unfolded differently? This conversation offers a nuanced take on counterfactual history, American foreign policy, and the often-overlooked perspectives of Vietnamese actors in a war too often told

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61:56

432 - Was Ancient Vietnamese Just the New Chinese...

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen ·

2025/06/27

Welcome to the first episode of our sub-series, Ancient Vietnam, where we explore the depths of Vietnam's early history through language, culture, and forgotten stories. In this inaugural conversation, co-host John Phan—linguistic historian at Columbia University and author of Lost Tongues of the Red River—guides us through the intricate relationship between ancient Vietnam's spoken languages, literary traditions, and writing systems.Together, we'll unpack how linguistic clues offer

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461 results

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