The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Kathy Uyen Nguyen, film industry veteran, acting directing, producing and and now the founder of Vietnam’s acting academy. Kathy breaks down the psychological breakdown of charisma, explaining why "The It Factor" isn't a genetic lottery but a state of being that anyone can develop, if they can navigate the cultural "rào cản" (obstacles) t...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Dr. Lu Le, a Navy veteran and psychiatrist who bridges a massive gap in the Vietnamese community. From serving in the military to embarking on medical missions in Vietnam, Dr. Lu offers a unique, bilingual perspective on why we struggle to talk about our feelings and how we can finally start healing. Whether you are curious about the mechanics of psychiatric...

Have you ever wondered why Vietnamese is written with a Romanized alphabet while its neighbors, China, Japan, and Korea, historically used character-based systems? In this episode, Kenneth and Professor John Phan discuss the "startup age" of the Vietnamese script. We journey back to the 17th century to discover that Chữ Quốc ngữ wasn't just a colonial imposition, but a complex collabor...

Life does not follow a single set of rules, and the “truths” shaped by personal experience do not always align with what most people believe. Some lessons only become clear after facing real-life challenges. In episode 375 of the Vietnam Innovators podcast, stepping away from its usual focus on economics, markets, and innovation, host Hao Tran speaks with podcaster Kenneth Nguyen in an open conver...

We explore a perspective rarely captured in the mainstream narrative of Southeast Asia. Join Kenneth as he sits down with Whitney Da’Gail, a Louisiana native and MBA graduate from the University of Michigan, who moved to Vietnam and discovered a world that was both shockingly foreign and deeply familiar. Whitney opens up about her journey as a Black woman navigating the streets of Hanoi and Saigon...

Join Kenneth and political theorist Kevin as they unpack Kevin's research on "Buddhist Political Theory." Was Thich Tri Quang a peace-loving monk, a communist agent, or, as Time Magazine once called him, a "Vietnamese Machiavelli"? We explore the uncomfortable contradictions of history: Why would a Buddhist monk advocate for a high-intensity American bombing campaign? How did h...

In April 1975, the world watched as South Vietnam collapsed. But for those on the deck of the USNS Kimbro, it was a desperate, chaotic, and human struggle for survival. In this episode, we bring together two sides of history that were separated for half a century. Kenneth and co-host Nam C. Kim are joined by John Irwin and Robbie Parsley, two U.S. Marines who served as security forces during Opera...

What really happened after April 30, 1975? In this reflective episode, Kenneth sits down with Claudia Krich, author of Those Who Stayed: A Vietnam Diary, one of the very few Americans, and perhaps the only white woman, who chose to remain in Vietnam after the fall of Saigon. Through firsthand diary accounts and lived experience, Claudia challenges one of the most enduring narratives of the Vietnam...

In this episode of Viet History Makers, Kenneth Nguyen sits down with Professor Kevin Pham to examine the life and times of Madame Nhu (Trần Lệ Xuân) one of the most controversial and influential figures in 20th-century Vietnamese history. Through their conversation, the episode unpacks Madame Nhu not only as the de facto First Lady of South Vietnam, but as a complex symbol of power, gender, and p...

If you joined us last time for the episode "What Is Chữ Nôm? Premodern Vietnamese Hip Hop? " we are here to answer your questions on this AMA based on the questions we got from the last podcast with Professor John Phan from Columbia University. We’ve gathered some of the most thoughtful questions from our last episode from the listeners, and I’m excited to dive deeper into the topics we to...

In this episode, we sit down with Quang X. Pham — a Vietnamese American leader whose life story reveals stories of resilience, service, and reinvention. Born in Saigon and arriving in the United States as a refugee at just ten years old, Quang’s early years were shaped by language barriers, new cultures, and the emotional burden of a father left behind in post-war Vietnam. From there, he charted a...

In this episode, we sit down with Cathy Linh Che—a poet and filmmaker who grew up in Los Angeles, and the producer of the short documentary We Were The Scenery. Through an intimate conversation, Cathy shares her upbringing and how growing up between cultures shaped the way she sees the world. We dive into the making of We Were The Scenery, unpacking its emotional core and why telling stories like...

Mai Whelan is a Vietnamese American woman who became the Season 1 winner of Squid Game: The Challenge. Mai shares her life story, beginning as a young refugee who fled Vietnam at eight years old after the fall of Saigon, to becoming a U.S. Navy service member at just eighteen. She went on to serve two decades in the Navy before continuing her public service career as a visa interview adjudicator f...

Director Bao Nguyen sits with Kenneth to discuss his latest documentary, The Stringer , which premiered on Netflix on November 28, 2025 . The film undertakes a meticulous investigation into the true authorship of the iconic “Napalm Girl” photograph, long attributed to Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Nick Ut. Through exhaustive research, rare archival materials, and gripping interviews, The Str...

Dr. Jay Veith, a longtime researcher of the Vietnam War and POW/MIA history take a deep look at the more than $85 million the U.S. government has spent over the past decade to work with the Vietnamese government in searching for remaining American POW/MIA personnel. We explore a central question: Is the return on investment (ROI) worth it? Does continued U.S. spending on this effort truly deliver...

In this episode, we sit down once again with branding expert Chris Do for a powerful and honest conversation about creativity, culture, and the future of Vietnam. We explore why Vietnam has yet to produce globally recognized brands, exploring the structural, cultural, and economic challenges that hold creators back—along with the incredible potential waiting to be unlocked. Chris reflects on the u...

As we honor Veterans Day in the United States today, join Kenneth for a conversation with Tino Dinh and Thomas Nguyen — two Vietnamese American veterans who have proudly served on the board of the Vietnamese American Uniformed Services Association (VAUSA). The Vietnamese American Uniformed Services Association is a truly unique organization, distinguished by its rich heritage and vibrant culture....

In this episode of the Vietnamese, Kenneth welcomes Tony Lam (Lâm Quang Thống) a trailblazer, community leader, and the first Vietnamese American ever elected to public office in the United States. Tony recounts his journey from his early life in Vietnam, through the turbulence of war, to the heartbreaking days following the fall of Saigon in 1975. Like thousands of others, he fled as a refugee an...

In this episode, archaeologist Nam C. Kim and language historian John D. Phan join host Kenneth Nguyen for an exploration of how Vietnam’s ancient past continues to shape its modern identity. The conversation takes us into the space where myth, politics, linguistics and archaeology meet. Together, they unravel how iconic women, The Trung Sisters, once dismissed as rebels and “savages” in early Han...

Dam Van Huynh graduated from the renown Boston Conservatory at Berklee (USA) and has worked as a performer with various internationally recognized premiere dance companies and choreographers including The Nevada Ballet (USA), Merce Cunningham (USA), Portugal’s Companhia de Dança Contemporânea – CeDeCe (Portugal), Richard Alston (UK) and Phoenix Dance Theatre (UK). He regularly creates works for ot...

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...

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...

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...

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 medi...

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...