Podcast Episodes

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

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 cultur…

Published on 6 hours ago

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

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 d…

Published on 4 days, 6 hours ago

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

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, …

Published on 1 week ago

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

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 Cr…

Published on 1 week, 4 days ago

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

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 audi…

Published on 3 weeks ago

439 - Who Were the Trưng Sisters? Viet History Makers - Kevin Pham

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 …

Published on 3 weeks, 3 days ago

438 - Do You Regret Moving To Vietnam? Khoa Nguyen - Professor at RMIT Saigon

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…

Published on 3 weeks, 5 days ago

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

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 intellectu…

Published on 1 month ago

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

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 Gua…

Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago

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

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 America…

Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago