Like many of you who have been to Vietnam, the first thing I noticed when I first stepped off the plane was the seemingly infinite little problems that exist here relative to a developed country like the US. As an entrepreneur, I naturally saw each and every problem as an opportunity. I first arrived in 2006, and almost six years later, and despite my best intentions and the … [Read more...] about Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Opportunities in Vietnam
Featured
Why Jeremy Lin Matters: Asian Male Image in the Media
Since he burst into the national consciousness just a week ago, basketball sensation and New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin has proved that he’s just not any old underdog story. His is a very specific one. It leads me to a scene in the film “White Men Can’t Jump” where Wesley Snipes tells Woody Harrelson, “You can listen to Jimi (Hendrix), but you can't hear him.” Because to … [Read more...] about Why Jeremy Lin Matters: Asian Male Image in the Media
URGENT: Leukemia Patient Janet Liang Turns to YouTube for Help
“I’m afraid of dying. It feels like I don’t have much time. I’m afraid of dying mainly cause I’m afraid of what I’m leaving behind.” These are the words of 23-year old Chinese American, Janet Liang, who recently uploaded a video on YouTube pleading for her audience to help save her life. She has two months to live and find a bone marrow match. About Janet Janet was … [Read more...] about URGENT: Leukemia Patient Janet Liang Turns to YouTube for Help
“Say No to Envelopes” Campaign: Putting an End to Medical Bribery
Amongst the Vietnamese population, medical professionals and paraprofessionals are traditionally regarded as caring individuals, a belief captured in the age-old expression, “thay thuoc nhu me hien” (“medical doctors are like gentle mothers”). These medical providers, whether in an office, clinical, or hospital setting, are expected to wholeheartedly diagnose, treat, and … [Read more...] about “Say No to Envelopes” Campaign: Putting an End to Medical Bribery
Inside Human Trafficking: The Stories of a Girl
This post first appeared on the Pacific Link Foundation's ADAPT: Stop Human Trafficking blog on July 11. The original post and a Vietnamese translation can be found here. For the past three weeks, I’ve been living and working at Pacific Links’ reintegration shelter for trafficking survivors in northern Vietnam. There are twelve girls, ages thirteen to twenty-two, from five … [Read more...] about Inside Human Trafficking: The Stories of a Girl