Best Tran Nguyen Podcasts (2025)

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442 - Are YOU Man Enough? Unpacking Toxic Masculinity with Chris Tran from Little Saigon Official 35:24

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9d ago35:24

35:24

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 broad…

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445- Han & Holden Nguyen - The Amazing Race Contestants Season #37 52:55

2h ago52:55

52:55

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 pressu…

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444 - Can Vietnam Ever Beat the Korean Culture Machine? Hanh Nguyen Editor at Salon.com 48:14

2d ago48:14

48:14

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. ------------------------…

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443- Did Chinese Writing "Civilize" Vietnam? The Origins of Vietnam with Professor John Phan 1:05:51

6d ago1:05:51

1:05:51

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? Togeth…

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441 - Fetish or Preference? What's the Difference and Why Does it Matter? Kaila Yu 52:45

14d ago52:45

52:45

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 Ang…

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In conversation with... Kasia Machaczek, Scott Teasdale, and Joe Firth 33:13

15d ago33:13

33:13

Kasia Machaczek, Scott Teasdale, and Joe Firth talk about their new paper on lifestyle interventions, which extends the work of a 2019 Lancet Psychiatry Commission on physical health in people with mental illness.By The Lancet

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E56: Copywriting, killer audio ads and a drone show fail — the state of advertising in Vietnam 31:08

15d ago31:08

31:08

What’s really going on in Vietnam’s advertising scene? In this episode of You Don’t Know Vietnam, we sit down with creative director Espin Hoan to unpack the fast, loud, and ever-changing world of Vietnamese advertising. We explore why copywriting rhythm matters in a tonal language like Vietnamese, why audio ads are having a golden moment, and what…

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Kasia Machaczek, Scott Teasdale, and Joe Firth on lifestyle interventions 33:13

16d ago33:13

33:13

Why is physical health so important for people with mental illness? In this episode, we talk about a new paper on lifestyle interventions for people with mental illness, covering which aspects of those interventions are beneficial for physical and mental health, and looking at key recommendations for how to implement these interventions in mental h…

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440 - Is Vietnamese Just the New Chinese Language? AMA Double Down with Prof. John Phan 1:17:59

23d ago1:17:59

1:17:59

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 lingui…

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439 - Who Were the Trưng Sisters? Viet History Makers - Kevin Pham 1:02:34

27d ago1:02:34

1:02:34

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, resistan…

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438 - Do You Regret Moving To Vietnam? Khoa Nguyen - Professor at RMIT Saigon 1:03:58

28d ago1:03:58

1:03:58

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 …

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437 - What Is Real Freedom? Phan Khoi - Viet History Makers 1:03:51

1M ago1:03:51

1:03:51

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 dur…

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E55: Can Hai Phong become Vietnam’s Shanghai? 37:01

2M ago37:01

37:01

In this episode of You Don’t Know Vietnam, Ian Paynton travels (virtually) to Hai Phong — Vietnam’s third-largest city and rising industrial powerhouse — to speak with Koen Soenens, the Sales & Marketing Director of DEEP C, the European-managed industrial zone developer that’s been helping the shape economic growth in the region for nearly 30 years…

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436 - How Are Guam and Vietnam Connected? Nam C Kim 59:20

2M ago59:20

59:20

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 explo…

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435 - Is This The United States of America You Want? Chris Tran and Kenneth Nguyen 50:44

2M ago50:44

50:44

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 …

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434- Who Are The Vietnamese British? Tuyet Van Huynh 50:38

2M ago50:38

50:38

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 cult…

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Louise Glenthøj, Ditte Lammers, and Vibeke Andersen on virtual reality-based therapy for auditory hallucinations 39:25

2M ago39:25

39:25

What if you could see the voice inside your head? Auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia are often distressing, as the voices are often malicious and unrelenting. In a new type of immersive virtual reality-based therapy, a 3D avatar of the voice is built by the patient and therapist, and it is then confronted together during the sessions. In this…

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In conversation with... Louise GlenthÃ¸j, Ditte Lammers, and Vibeke Andersen 39:25

2M ago39:25

39:25

Sophia Davis is joined by two authors and a trial participant to discuss the randomised controlled trial of a large study into a new type of immersive virtual reality-based therapy for auditory hallucinations.By The Lancet

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433 - What Would South Vietnam Look Like Without U.S. Intervention? Prof. Sean Fear 53:53

2M ago53:53

53:53

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 off…

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E54: Why slow is better in speedy Vietnam – with kombucha entrepreneur Faya Nguyen 27:04

2M ago27:04

27:04

In Vietnam’s fast-paced F&B landscape, where trends explode and vanish overnight, kombucha entrepreneur Faya Nguyen chose a different path — and it’s working. In this episode, Faya shares how she grew her brand Cultra Brewery from her parents’ garage into a premium kombucha supplier trusted by top hotels, restaurants, and wellness-minded consumers …

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432 - Was Ancient Vietnamese Just the New Chinese Language? Ancient Vietnam with Prof. John Phan 1:01:56

2M ago1:01:56

1:01:56

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 relationsh…

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431 - Can You Fight Destiny? Viet History Makers - Kevin Pham 55:46

2M ago55:46

55:46

In this episode of Viet History Makers, co-hosts Kenneth Nguyen and Kevin Pham explore the history of The Tale of Kieu (Truyện Kiều), the seminal poetic masterpiece by Nguyễn Du, expanding the historical context surrounding its creation and the impact it had on Vietnamese culture and identity. Written in the early 19th century during a period of in…

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E53: Meet the stand-up comedian who made Durex Vietnam hilariously hyper local 35:32

2M ago35:32

35:32

Meet Ankita Ghosh, a creative director and stand up comedian who is based in Ho Chi Minh City and runs Saigon International Comedy. In this episode of You Don't Know Vietnam, she talks about the state of stand up comedy in Vietnam right now, what you can joke about and what you can't, and how the comedy scene changes from north to south. She explai…

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430 - Are We Learning Anything From Past Wars? Dr. Andrew Wells Dang from the U.S. Institute of Peace 58:07

3M ago58:07

58:07

We sit down with Dr. Andrew Wells-Dang, a senior expert at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), for a conversation about Vietnam, geopolitics, and lessons from war. We start by exploring how Dr. Wells-Dang found his way to working in Vietnam, and the unexpected connection between his last name and Vietnamese culture. This episode discussed …

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429 - How is Language the Key to Who We Are? John Phan - Linguist 1:02:09

3M ago1:02:09

1:02:09

John D. Phan is an Associate Professor of Vietnamese Humanities at Columbia University, based in the Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures and the Weatherhead East Asian Institute. He focuses on the linguistic history of Vietnam and its cultural context. .His first book, The Lost Tongues of the Red River: Annamese Middle Chinese & the Origi…

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Katrina Kennedy and Rose Pollard Kaptchuk on health-care responses for trans and gender diverse people after interpersonal violence 33:25

3M ago33:25

33:25

Transgender and gender diverse people experience disproportionately high levels of interpersonal violence, but they also face multiple barriers to receiving quality post-violence care, with knock-on effects for their mental health. Katrina Kennedy and Rose Pollard Kaptchuk talk with Sophia Davis about the values and preferences of trans and gender …

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In conversation with... Katrina Kennedy and Rose Pollard Kaptchuk 33:25

3M ago33:25

33:25

Katrina Kennedy and Rose Pollard Kaptchuk talk with Sophia Davis about the values and preferences of trans and gender diverse people around post-violence health sector responses. Their review on this topic will inform new WHO guidelines on the health of trans and gender diverse peopleBy The Lancet

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E52: Is Vietnam's richest demographic being ignored by brands? 26:07

3M ago26:07

26:07

Vietnam’s Gen Z may get all the attention but there’s another demographic with deep pockets and untapped potential. In this episode, Ian Paynton speaks with Lai Tien Manh, Managing Director of market research and branding agency MiBrand to uncover what global brands often miss when entering Vietnam. From the rise of local brands and the north–south…

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428 - Is All Propaganda Harmful? Viet History Makers - Nguyễn Khắc Viện 1:11:24

3M ago1:11:24

1:11:24

In this episode of Viet History Makers, co-hosts Kevin Pham and Kenneth Nguyen look into the life of Nguyễn Khắc Viện — a revolutionary intellectual, physician and cultural critic who helped shape modern Vietnamese identity. Born in 1913 in Ha Tinh, Nguyễn Khắc Viện studied medicine in France, where he became deeply involved in anti-colonial activi…

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427 - Can We Still Create Without Trauma? 1:22:58

3M ago1:22:58

1:22:58

In this roundtable discussion Kenneth Nguyen, we bring together four artists in Vietnamese literature, art, and academia to reflect on creativity, memory, and healing, 50 years after the end of the Vietnam War. Christina Vo is the author of My Vietnam, Your Vietnam, a memoir that weaves together the stories of two generations navigating identity an…

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426 - Why Should We Have More Vietnamese Podcasts? Mia Nguyen - Viet Boss Babes 59:25

3M ago59:25

59:25

Mia Nguyen is a Vietnamese community builder and the founder of Viet Boss Babes - a Vietlish podcast and media platform sharing Vietnamese culture, identity and ambition with the world. Born and raised in Hanoi and currently living in Toronto, Mia’s work bridges the diaspora experience with global conversations. By day, she leads marketing strategi…

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Andrew Ahn on The Wedding Banquet, Twink Death & Gaysian Community 1:00:57

3M ago1:00:57

1:00:57

BONUS EPISODE: Filmmaker Andrew Ahn joins us to talk about The Wedding Banquet — his hilarious, heartfelt new film about queer Asian identity that had us SOBBING 😭! We get into everything: working with Bowen Yang, LA’s 321 parties, Millennial indecision, chosen vs. biological family, Korean spa culture, and why queer theory’s kind of a buzzkill. Wh…

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425 - Tony Bui - How Did The Vietnamese American Film Industry Begin? 1:15:35

3M ago1:15:35

1:15:35

In this episode of The Vietnamese podcast, host Anderson Le sits down with Tony Bui, a pioneer in the Vietnamese American independent cinema space. Tony is a Sundance award-winning writer, director, and producer. He is currently Artist-in-Residence at Columbia University’s Weatherhead East Asian Institute and teaches in Columbia’s School of the Art…

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E51: Redefining "Made in Vietnam" with the rise of homegrown innovation 34:20

3M ago34:20

34:20

Thomas Binh Do is the Director for Global Business and Cooperation at VINASA, the Vietnam Software and IT Services Association. Using his experience working with more than 600 of Vietnam's tech companies, Thomas explains why Vietnam is so well positioned to become a tech and innovation hub in the region, and the country's vision to redefine the mea…

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In conversation with... Andrea Iaboni 31:18

4M ago31:18

31:18

Andrea Iaboni talks with Sophia Davis about her group's review of medications for anxiety in older adults, discussing the evidence base to inform patients and clinicians on antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and other medications.By The Lancet

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Andrea Iaboni on medications for anxiety in older adults 31:18

4M ago31:18

31:18

Which medications should be the first choice for prescribing for anxiety in older adults? Anxiety is common in older adults, but a lot of research on medication for anxiety is done in younger adults and doesn't take into account the different needs of and side-effects risks for older adults. Andrea Iaboni talks with Sophia Davis about her group's r…

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424- Can The Japanese Internment Camps Happen Again? - Author Kevin Nguyen 56:02

4M ago56:02

56:02

Can The Japanese Internment Camps Happen Again? In this episode, we sit with Kevin Nguyen, author of the new novel Mỹ Documents, a chilling and satirical reimagining of American history. Kevin is the features editor at The Verge, formerly a senior editor at GQ, and the author of New Waves. We talk about his latest book, which imagines a near-future…

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When Does The WAR End For Us? 4:22

4M ago4:22

4:22

On the 50th anniversary of April 30, 1975 — the official end of the Vietnam War — I sat in silence at home and thought about what a few of us have been thinking for a long time: it’s time to think about the next 50 years of what the Vietnamese all over the world can do together. Not to forget, not to erase, but to release. We’ve all carried the wei…

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423 - Does Academic Freedom Kill Freedom? Viet History Makers - Dao Duy Anh 1:10:56

4M ago1:10:56

1:10:56

In this episode of Viet History Makers, host Kenneth Nguyen and co-host Kevin Pham explore the life and legacy of Đào Duy Anh (1904–1988), a pioneering figure in Vietnam's intellectual history. As a historian, lexicographer, and cultural scholar, Đào Duy Anh laid the groundwork for modern Vietnamese social sciences. His seminal works, including the…

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E50: Patriotism and PR disasters: What global brands MUST know about Vietnam 33:11

4M ago33:11

33:11

On the 50th episode of You Don't Know Vietnam, we talk to PR expert Minh Duc, who shares why 2025 is such a big year for Vietnam's PR and media sector. He reveals what you need to know about Vietnamese patriotism as a global brand and how you can avoid a big, ugly PR scandal. He also talks about how "social seeding" can be used to shift the online …

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422- What Does April 30 Mean To You? Andrew Lam - Author and Journalist 55:22

4M ago55:22

55:22

Andrew Lam is a Vietnamese American author and journalist known for his insightful and humorous explorations of the Vietnamese diaspora and immigrant identity. Born Lâm Quang Dũng in 1964 in South Vietnam, he is the son of General Lâm Quang Thi of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. At the age of 11, during the fall of Saigon in April 1975, Lam an…

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421 - Timothy Linh Bui - How Did We Get Those Films Off The Ground? 51:29

4M ago51:29

51:29

In this episode of The Vietnamese, we sit down with veteran director/producer Timothy Linh Bui to explore his journey in the film business from Hollywood to Vietnam. Starting from his formative years at Columbia College in Los Angeles, Timothy shares insights into his early works, including Three Seasons and Green Dragon, and his collaborations wit…

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420 - Đoan Hoàng Curtis - Netflix Series Producer - Turning Point: The Vietnam War 1:07:17

4M ago1:07:17

1:07:17

In this episode of The Vietnamese Podcast, we’re joined by Đoan Hoàng Curtis, a director and producer, to discuss her journey in the world of documentary filmmaking. Doan shares her behind-the-scenes experience working on the new Netflix series Turning Point: The Vietnam War, where she played a pivotal role in shedding light on the complexities of …

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E49: Vietnam’s digital shake-up: Threads, Facebook's fightback and the banking app boom 32:42

4M ago32:42

32:42

Ho Thuy Tien and Thue Quist Thomassen from market research agency Decision Lab return to You Don’t Know Vietnam to break down their latest Connected Consumer Report — and what it means for brands. We dive into why Threads is exploding among Gen Z, how brands should approach audio platforms and live commerce, and why Vietnam’s ride-hailing and digit…

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419 - Is It Worth Living After Defeat? The Last 5 Generals 1:06:24

4M ago1:06:24

1:06:24

Join host Kenneth Nguyen and series co-host Kevin Pham, author of The Architects of Dignity: Vietnamese Visions of Decolonization (Oxford University Press, 2024), in this sub-series of the podcast, where they explore the key figures and pivotal moments in Vietnamese history. In this episode of Viet History Makers, Kenneth and Kevin dive into one of…

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418 - Viet Cinema Canon - Duong Dieu Linh - 1:14:17

4M ago1:14:17

1:14:17

In this episode of The Vietnamese podcast, host Anderson Le sits down with Duong Dieu Linh, a distinctive voice in Vietnam’s new wave of independent cinema. Known for her quirky, layered storytelling and bold visual style, Duong shares her perspective on filmmaking in Vietnam and the unique path she’s carved out as a director. The conversation open…

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In conversation with... Philip Klein 39:33

5M ago39:33

39:33

Sophia Davis, senior editor at The Lancet Psychiatry, discusses research on a new digital therapy for borderline personality disorder with Philip Klein from the University of Lubeck, Germany.By The Lancet

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Philipp Klein on a digital intervention for borderline personality disorder 39:33

4M ago39:33

39:33

Sophia Davis, senior editor at The Lancet Psychiatry, discusses research on a new digital therapy for borderline personality disorder with Philipp Klein from the University of Lubeck, Germany. This episode delves into the core experiences of borderline personality disorder, the innovative schema therapy-based digital intervention, and the results f…

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417 - Can Our Past Be Reconciled? Alex-Thai Dinh Vo 1:15:14

5M ago1:15:14

1:15:14

Alex-Thai Dinh Vo is Research Assistant Professor at the Vietnam Center & Archive (VNCA), Texas Tech University. He is a historian of modern Vietnam and East and Southeast Asia, specializing in Cold War politics and the Vietnam Wars. He oversees the VNCA Vietnam War MIAs and Legacies Research Project and the VNCA Vietnamese Oral History Project. He…

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416 - What Happened to the Fate of Vietnam’s POW's and MIA's - Dr. Jay Veith 58:06

5M ago58:06

58:06

We sit in conversation with historian Dr. Jay Veith to uncover the forgotten and often overlooked story of how the United States worked to recover POWs and MIAs from Vietnam—efforts that began long before the lifting of the U.S. embargo. Dr. Veith shares powerful insights into the challenges, politics, and perseverance behind these missions. We the…