Kevin and Yen respond to an important query on Vietnamese identity. We unpack questions like "Who counts as Vietnamese?" and "What does it mean to be Vietnamese?" with the technical answers as well as the personal answers.
A special book discussion where we talk about national shame, 20th century Vietnamese Enlightenment and the writing process, in Kevin's new book, The Architects of Dignity: Vietnamese Visions of Decolonization (Oxford University Press, 2024)!
Picking up this season where we last left off, we share stories about our fathers and how actively working on our relationships with our fathers is like actively working on our relationship with Vietnam.
For the last episode of this season, Yen and Kevin recount and discuss a set of stories around two women, Kim and Huyen, and their respective postwar journeys after the April 30, 1975. If you enjoy this episode, please consider sharing it with 2 friends! You can also donate to us: https://donorbox.org/support-nam-phong-dialogues. All of your support counts!
In event of the HBO series adaptation, Kevin and Yen finally discuss Viet Thanh Nguyen's The Sympathizer, what it means to be a spy in a culture and the politics of representing a Vietnamese perspective of the Vietnam War.
Following the last episode on living abroad, Kevin & Yen review a recent book in Vietnamese history about the Indochinese living abroad in France by Charles Keith, "Subjects and Sojourners: A History of Indochinese in France" (Univ. of California Press, 2024).
In this episode, Kevin and Yen get personal and share experiences about living abroad in Vietnam and Amsterdam, how decisions were made to move, and whether this means fulfilling or disrupting our parents' American dreams.
Wrapping up the series, Kevin and Yen talk about two familiar ideas of democracy and communism and pose the questions: Are they opposites? Which is the truer definition of freedom?
Continuing the series on ideas of freedom, Kevin & Yen cover a crucial period in 20th century Vietnamese history that addresses freedom of expression around two journals, Nhân Văn (Humanities) & Giai Phẩm (Fine Works), and how they affect the cultural and political spheres in Vietnam.
Yen & Kevin kick off a new series on ideas of freedom with a discussion on liberal arts education in Vietnam. We'll share what that looks like at Fulbright and VinUniversity and share what more you can expect in this series!
Back for another season, Kevin & Yen review two different perspectives of Saigon at the peak of wartime Vietnam through discussion of films The Purple Horizon (Chân Trời Tím, 1971) and Saigon Secret Agents (Biệt Động Sàigòn, 1986).
Closing out the season, join Yen & Kevin for this fireside chat amongst friends. You'll laugh, you'll cry, as we share facts and personal stories, all relating to being Vietnamese American. Kevin Q&A: 3:00 Yen Q&A: 15:29 Kevin's story, "The Book Scandal": 27:43 Yen's story, "The Escalator": 44:33
Join Kevin and Yen for a chat with special guests Quan Ha and Cab Tran, the translators of Bao Ninh’s latest publication in English, Hanoi at Midnight. We talk about the messy process of translation, the literary genius of this Vietnamese writer, and what readers can take from this new collection of Vietnamese short stories.
In light of April 30, Kevin and Yen bring personal and political history together in this timely episode on what nationalism looked like in South Vietnam.
Kevin & Yen share anecdotes, advice, and observations about life in academia as young scholars. Tune in if you're interested in pursuing academia, or are looking for best practices to secure a career as a scholar.
Bringing back the book review with a new novel by Phong Nguyen "Bronze Drum" (Grand Central Publishing, 2022), we talk about one of the oldest legends in Vietnamese history regarding Hai Ba Trung. (Bronze Drum excerpts are from Gregory Beyer's composition "Five Ponds," 2012)
In Part 2 of this Tonkin Free School-related episode, we fill you in on encountering national heroes and their legacies as well as what being a liberal society actually means.
What was the Tonkin Free School (Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc) and was it truly the first iteration of a liberal arts education model in Vietnam? We dive into the history and legacy of such an important icon in 20th century Vietnamese history.
To kick off the new season, Kevin & Yen reflect on experiences of Vietnam a decade apart and consider what the changes mean in terms of "progress."
Kevin & Yen share reflections and news as the season wraps up. Tune in again in September for fresh episodes & have a great summer!