381 - Nam Phong Dialogues - Kevin Pham and Yen Vu

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen

On this episode of the Vietnamese podcast, Kevin and Yen delve into their academic backgrounds, the inception of their podcast 'Nam Phong Dialogues', and the complexities of cultural identity and post-colonial influences. They discuss the importance of curiosity in travel and the podcasting process, emphasizing the need for community engagement and listener feedback.

The dialogue highlights the significance of exploring Vietnamese culture through an academic lens while fostering a sense of connection among listeners. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the complexities of education and academic freedom in Vietnam, particularly at Fulbright University.

They discuss the impact of a recent disinformation campaign against the institution, the role of Confucianism in Vietnamese governance, and the evolving identity of Vietnamese youth. The dialogue also highlights contemporary Vietnamese heroes and the cultural influences shaping modern Vietnam.

Yen Vu is a faculty member at Fulbright University Vietnam, where she teaches modern Vietnamese literature. Her research focuses on 20th century Vietnamese and French intellectual politics as well as Southeast Asian ecocriticism. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, Environmental Humanities, and elsewhere. She also co-hosts a mainstay podcast for the Vietnam studies and Vietnamese American community, called Nam Phong Dialogues.

Kevin Pham is an Assistant Professor of Political Theory at the University of Amsterdam. He is the author of The Architects of Dignity: Vietnamese Visions of Decolonization (Oxford University Press, 2024), the first book to bring Vietnamese political thought into the academic field of political theory. He co-hosts a podcast called Nam Phong Dialogues: Casual Chats on Vietnamese History.

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Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth Nguyen

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