SAN FRANCISCO—Recently, in front a packed crowd at Duke University, former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice regretted the failure of passing the comprehensive immigration reform act and the shift in Americans’ attitude toward immigrants. Accepting and welcoming immigrants “has been at the core of our strength,” she said. “I don’t know when immigrants became the … [Read more...] about When Did Immigrants Become the Enemy?
[Event] California and Beyond: A Symposium with Vietnamese American Writers and Artists
There will be an upcoming symposium on Vietnamese American writers and artists at Stanford University's Stanford Humanities Center at the end of this month. Here's the event blurb: We have gathered together a group of the most prominent and important Vietnamese and Vietnamese American artists, poets, film-makers, and essayists for a one-day symposium. These artists are core … [Read more...] about [Event] California and Beyond: A Symposium with Vietnamese American Writers and Artists
Camp Len Duong: A Personal Experience
Got pride? This question is aimed towards all my belowed fellow Vietnamese brothers and sisters. My name is Minh-Bao Pham. The name can't get any more Vietnamese than that. Right? And the fact of the matter is, I love my name, I carry it with much cultural pride. Why? Because it reflects my culture, my origin, my ethnicity. It's who I am. I am Viet Nam and Viet Nam is I. I was … [Read more...] about Camp Len Duong: A Personal Experience
Trailer: Giap and the Last Iron Board Factory
Tony Nguyen, director of Enforcing the Silence, has a new project, and it's called "Giap and the Last Iron Board Factory." It's about a Vietnamese mother retiring from working in a factory in Indiana after more than 30 years. The trailer drew some emotions out of me. It reminded me of how tough my parents had to be to build a life here in America; how they never complained. … [Read more...] about Trailer: Giap and the Last Iron Board Factory
The Tongue-tied Misfit and the Language of Violence
NAM editor's note: Andrew Lam wrote a slightly different version of this piece in 2009 after Jiverly Wong shot and killed 13 people in a community center in Binghamton, N.Y., where immigrants had gathered to learn English, before killing himself. We felt the piece bears repeating in light of Monday’s shootings in Oakland, Calif., by a Korean immigrant that left seven dead. One … [Read more...] about The Tongue-tied Misfit and the Language of Violence