The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen

In this episode, Ken connects with Tuyen Do, a powerhouse of the UK creative scene. Tuyen is a "multi-hyphenate" before the term was trendy—an actress, playwright, and now novelist who broke barriers as the first Vietnamese person to grace major national stages in London. We journey through the harrowing "bookends" of her family: from her eldest brother, who survived five years alo...

In this episode, Ken sits down with Duyen Ha, a culinary force whose career spans Top Chef, Chopped, and the high-octane world of NASCAR hospitality. Duyen breaks down her "2-hour student" philosophy, explaining how relentless preparation and a positive mindset allowed her to navigate the world's most stressful kitchens. We explore the "ketchup in pho" phenomenon of her childho...

In this episode, Ken sits down with poet, videographer, and cultural storyteller Kavi Vu. Born in Buôn Ma Thuột and raised in Atlanta, Kavi’s journey is a masterclass in reclaiming a "ripped out" heritage. We discuss her transition from a "pre-med" student to a professional videographer, her obsession with the legendary Nguyễn Ngọc Ngạn, and the "two jobs" of the modern art...

In this episode, Ken sits down with Carl Robinson, a man who carried a secret for over five decades that could have rewritten the history of photojournalism. Carl was a key editor for the Associated Press (AP) during the Vietnam War and is the central figure in the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary, The Stringer. We dive deep into the moment Carl was ordered by his boss to put the wrong name on t...

In this episode, Ken reunites with Bobo, an artist whose evolution over the past two years has redefined his place in the creative world. From his roots in the Bay Area’s "Haifi" movement to his current life as a high-energy rock musician in LA, Bobo breaks down the "Identity Crisis" that fuels his art. We dive into the rare story of his father, a full-time artist who gave Bobo a u...

In this episode, Ken gathers two unique perspectives on the "State of the Union" for the Vietnamese diaspora: Phúc Mập (Hurley), the Florida-based American whose viral Vietnamese videos are teaching the community their own mother tongue, and Chris, the visionary behind the Little Saigon Official brand. We explore the "shame" that often prevents second-generation Vietnamese American...

In this episode of The Vietnamese Podcast, Ken sits down with a powerhouse team: Tee Tran, a brand visionary from Montreal; his wife Bao Han, an iconic Paris by Night singer; and Michael Le, a Gen Z digital pioneer with over 50 million followers. Together, they reveal the heart behind Saigon Bonbon, a brand that is much more than a gummy company. It is a "love letter" to Vietnamese resilie...

In this episode, Ken is joined by filmmaker Khoa Ha to discuss her powerful debut documentary, YVAN: The Lost Sounds of Saigon. Khoa, a former graphic designer, spent a decade archiving the work of her grandfather—the legendary composer Y Vân—before ever picking up a film camera. Y Vân was the mastermind behind Vietnam’s most iconic anthems, from the upbeat "Sài Gòn" to the mournful "L...

In this episode, Ken sits down with the Tree Vo—content creator, theater kid, and the voice of a generation navigating "Vietlish" identity. Tree breaks down her transition from the high-stakes world of HR in Silicon Valley to the creative chaos of Los Angeles. We explore the "trauma-to-comedy" pipeline, why she thinks American bathroom habits are wrong, and the deep linguistic hist...

Mia is the founder and host of Viet Boss Babe — a media and community platform for Vietnamese women, everywhere. From the diaspora to the homeland, Viet Boss Babe exists for the women who are rewriting what it means to be Vietnamese, on their own terms. Bold, Vietlish, and unapologetic — this is the space for the stories that don't always make it to the main stage. The careers being built, the...

Upcoming Headline Show: Will is headlining his biggest show yet at Cobb’s Comedy Club in San Francisco on April 24, 2026. You can find tickets in the following link: https://willpepper.komi.io/ In this episode, Ken sits down with Will Pepper (born Will Tieu). You might know him from his viral cooking videos with his "Daddy Pepper," his work managing Jimmy O. Yang’s TikTok, or as the "l...

Kevin Quach was born and raised in the Atlanta, Georgia area to Vietnamese parents. He is an Aerospace Engineer (BSAE Georgia Tech 2014) who has worked the past 3 years for Blue Origin where he tests rockets that will bring humanity to work and live in space. Kevin has previously worked at Sikorsky (Lockheed Martin) for almost 8 years, where he tested experimental helicopters for the Marines and t...

In this episode, The Vietnamese Podcast joins forces with Little Saigon Official to ask the ultimate question: Are we too obsessed with our past to build our future? Host Kenneth Nguyen, Chris, and Dana dive deep into the "Identity Loop." We discuss why the diaspora is "addicted to angst" while Vietnam is already moving at light speed, and whether our "biological pull" to t...

Welcome to The Vietnamese Podcast, hosted by Kenneth Nguyen. In this episode, we sit down with Nguyễn Owen Tangavelou, a French-Vietnamese Formula 3 (F3) driver who is on a singular mission: to become the first person of Vietnamese descent to reach the pinnacle of motorsport—Formula 1. Owen’s journey is far from typical. Unlike most F1 stars who begin karting at age 4, Owen didn't step into a...

Welcome back to The Vietnamese Podcast. In this episode, Kenneth sit down with scholar Kevin Phan to dissect one of the most radical experiments in Vietnamese history: the Tonkin Free School (Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục). Opened in Hanoi in 1907, this school lasted only 10 months before the French colonial government shut it down—but those 300 days changed the trajectory of the nation forever. We explore...

Building a $100 million hospitality empire isn't just about good food; it’s about a relentless pursuit of "what’s next." In this episode, we sit down with Viet Nguyen, the visionary founder of KEI Concepts and a recent James Beard Award semi-finalist. From a single storefront to a portfolio of iconic brands that have redefined the Southern California dining scene, Viet has cracked the...

In this episode, we welcome back Peter from the popular channel Broke the Habit. Since we last spoke in 2024, Peter’s journey has been a whirlwind of high-stakes media jobs, intense burnout, and a profound psychological reset. Now, in 2026, he is "locking in" to content creation full-time, navigating the streets of Nha Trang and the complex emotional landscape of the Viet Kieu (Overseas Vi...

In this episode, we explore the "Stories We Carry" with a powerhouse panel of creators: Brittany Tran: Founder of Real Citrus, a film distribution company bringing diaspora stories to the big screen. Duzan Duong: Czech-Vietnamese director of Summer School 2001, sharing the unique perspective of Northern Vietnamese migration to Eastern Europe. Hien: A Hungarian-born singer-songwriter blendi...

In this episode of The Vietnamese Podcast, Kenneth sits down with Quentin J Nguyen-duy, a rising star in Hollywood known for NBC’s Hunting Party and his viral, socially conscious comedy skits. Quentin opens up about the "war of attrition" that is the acting world—revealing how he survived over 11,000 rejections across a decade by mastering a mental "Fruit Ninja" technique to slice...

From the "hoods" of Columbus, Ohio, to designing the hat LeBron James wore for his 40th birthday, Khanh Ngô has never played by the rules. In this episode, Kenneth Nguyen sits down with the founder of NGO (Nothing Goes Overnight) to discuss the grit required to make it in the cutthroat world of LA fashion. Khanh opens up about his journey through corporate giants like Levi’s and Urban Outf...

In this episode, Kenneth Nguyen sits down with actor and activist Ryan Alexander Holmes. As we navigate February 2026, Ryan shares his perspective as a "Blasian" American—the son of a Black father from the South and a Chinese immigrant mother from Taiwan. The conversation moves beyond the surface of "identity politics" to explore how race, class, and the American educational system...

In this episode, we sit down with Ethan Kelly, widely known to millions of fans as "Uc Viet". In 2026, the landscape of content creation in Vietnam is shifting, and Ethan is at the forefront of it—but his journey didn't start with likes and follows. It started with a real-life business failure in Australia and a "fate-driven" trip to a remote village in Lam Dong that turned his...

The gloves are off in this conversation between Kenneth and Dr. Thao Ha. It’s 2026, and the political climate in the United States has reached a boiling point. While many are "flooded" by the chaos of the news cycle, Dr. Ha is in the trenches, navigating the complex and often heartbreaking reality of mass deportations affecting the Vietnamese, Lao, and Cambodian communities. In this episod...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Lynda Trang Dai, for a conversation that is as vulnerable as it is refreshing. For decades, Lynda has been a household name, synonymous with provocative stage presence and the "New Wave" sound that defined a generation. But behind the racy costumes and the rockstar persona lies a grounded woman whose life is based on a surprising level of traditional...

We’re back with Whitney Da’Gail for part two of a conversation that we realized was far from over. After Kenneth and Whitney met in person in Saigon, the weight of the questions felt unanswered: What are the deep, structural similarities between Black American culture and Vietnamese culture? And why does a Black woman feel a sense of peace in a "homogenous" Asian society that she can't...