The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen

In this episode, Ken is joined by filmmaker Khoa Ha to discuss her powerful debut documentary, YVAN: The Lost Sounds of Saigon.

Khoa, a former graphic designer, spent a decade archiving the work of her grandfather—the legendary composer Y Vân—before ever picking up a film camera. Y Vân was the mastermind behind Vietnam’s most iconic anthems, from the upbeat "Sài Gòn" to the mournful "Lòng Mẹ."

In this episode, we explore:

The "Un-Jaded" Director: How coming from a design...

In this episode, Ken sits down with the Tree Vo—content creator, theater kid, and the voice of a generation navigating "Vietlish" identity.

Tree breaks down her transition from the high-stakes world of HR in Silicon Valley to the creative chaos of Los Angeles. We explore the "trauma-to-comedy" pipeline, why she thinks American bathroom habits are wrong, and the deep linguistic history behind Vietnamese slurs.

In this episode, we explore:

The "Marble Drip" Morning: How a simple coffee run turned into a graphic lesson on...

Mia is the founder and host of Viet Boss Babe — a media and community platform for Vietnamese women, everywhere. From the diaspora to the homeland, Viet Boss Babe exists for the women who are rewriting what it means to be Vietnamese, on their own terms.

Bold, Vietlish, and unapologetic — this is the space for the stories that don't always make it to the main stage. The careers being built, the culture being carried, the conversations happening at the dinner table that never make it online.

Viet Boss Babe is wher...

Upcoming Headline Show:

Will is headlining his biggest show yet at Cobb’s Comedy Club in San Francisco on April 24, 2026. You can find tickets in the following link: https://willpepper.komi.io/

In this episode, Ken sits down with Will Pepper (born Will Tieu). You might know him from his viral cooking videos with his "Daddy Pepper," his work managing Jimmy O. Yang’s TikTok, or as the "loan shark" in Uncle Roger’s skits.

Will opens up about a life that sounds like a dark comedy script...

Kevin Quach was born and raised in the Atlanta, Georgia area to Vietnamese parents. He is an Aerospace Engineer (BSAE Georgia Tech 2014) who has worked the past 3 years for Blue Origin where he tests rockets that will bring humanity to work and live in space. Kevin has previously worked at Sikorsky (Lockheed Martin) for almost 8 years, where he tested experimental helicopters for the Marines and the Army. He currently lives in Orlando, Florida with his wife Thanh who works in the Vietnamese and American film industry. Kevin also runs a small rental property business in Florida. 

In this episode, The Vietnamese Podcast joins forces with Little Saigon Official to ask the ultimate question: Are we too obsessed with our past to build our future?

Host Kenneth Nguyen, Chris, and Dana dive deep into the "Identity Loop." We discuss why the diaspora is "addicted to angst" while Vietnam is already moving at light speed, and whether our "biological pull" to the motherland is a gift or a golden cage.

Inside this discussion:

The "Pungent" to "Fragrant" Shift: How Little Saigon successfully...

Welcome to The Vietnamese Podcast, hosted by Kenneth Nguyen. In this episode, we sit down with Nguyễn Owen Tangavelou, a French-Vietnamese Formula 3 (F3) driver who is on a singular mission: to become the first person of Vietnamese descent to reach the pinnacle of motorsport—Formula 1.

Owen’s journey is far from typical. Unlike most F1 stars who begin karting at age 4, Owen didn't step into a cockpit until he was 14. From playing F1 video games to pulling $4G$ in a real race car, Owen discusses the grit, the late-start disadvantage, and the staggering financ...

Welcome back to The Vietnamese Podcast. In this episode, Kenneth sit down with scholar Kevin Phan to dissect one of the most radical experiments in Vietnamese history: the Tonkin Free School (Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục).

Opened in Hanoi in 1907, this school lasted only 10 months before the French colonial government shut it down—but those 300 days changed the trajectory of the nation forever. We explore how a tiny group of intellectuals, inspired by Japan's Meiji Restoration, attempted to "enlighten the Vietnamese mind" by abandoning ancient Confucian rote-learning in favor of science, hygiene, and a brand...

Building a $100 million hospitality empire isn't just about good food; it’s about a relentless pursuit of "what’s next."

In this episode, we sit down with Viet Nguyen, the visionary founder of KEI Concepts and a recent James Beard Award semi-finalist. From a single storefront to a portfolio of iconic brands that have redefined the Southern California dining scene, Viet has cracked the code on scaling culture without losing soul.

We’re recording on-site at his most ambitious project yet: Qua. Located in the heart of Orange County’s Little...

In this episode, we welcome back Peter from the popular channel Broke the Habit.

Since we last spoke in 2024, Peter’s journey has been a whirlwind of high-stakes media jobs, intense burnout, and a profound psychological reset. Now, in 2026, he is "locking in" to content creation full-time, navigating the streets of Nha Trang and the complex emotional landscape of the Viet Kieu (Overseas Vietnamese) experience.

In this episode, we dive into:

The Scarcity vs. Abundance Mindset: How intergenerational trauma from the refugee experience creates a...

In this episode, we explore the "Stories We Carry" with a powerhouse panel of creators:

Brittany Tran: Founder of Real Citrus, a film distribution company bringing diaspora stories to the big screen.

Duzan Duong: Czech-Vietnamese director of Summer School 2001, sharing the unique perspective of Northern Vietnamese migration to Eastern Europe.

Hien: A Hungarian-born singer-songwriter blending traditional roots with modern sounds.

What we dive into:

The North-South Divide: How the history of migration to Europe...

In this episode of The Vietnamese Podcast, Kenneth sits down with Quentin J Nguyen-duy, a rising star in Hollywood known for NBC’s Hunting Party and his viral, socially conscious comedy skits.

Quentin opens up about the "war of attrition" that is the acting world—revealing how he survived over 11,000 rejections across a decade by mastering a mental "Fruit Ninja" technique to slice through insecurity. We dive deep into his unique experience as a white-passing individual navigating the Vietnamese diaspora, moving from a childhood where he felt he had to "hide" his heritage to now...

From the "hoods" of Columbus, Ohio, to designing the hat LeBron James wore for his 40th birthday, Khanh Ngô has never played by the rules. In this episode, Kenneth Nguyen sits down with the founder of NGO (Nothing Goes Overnight) to discuss the grit required to make it in the cutthroat world of LA fashion.

Khanh opens up about his journey through corporate giants like Levi’s and Urban Outfitters, and why he famously demanded HBO recut his segment on the reality series The Hype to stop pushing "weak" Asian stereotypes.

In this episode, Kenneth Nguyen sits down with actor and activist Ryan Alexander Holmes. As we navigate February 2026, Ryan shares his perspective as a "Blasian" American—the son of a Black father from the South and a Chinese immigrant mother from Taiwan.

The conversation moves beyond the surface of "identity politics" to explore how race, class, and the American educational system shape our reality. Ryan argues that the "predator class" (the ultra-wealthy) benefits from social divisions that keep working-class communities of color from organizing for their collective interests.

Key Di...

In this episode, we sit down with Ethan Kelly, widely known to millions of fans as "Uc Viet". In 2026, the landscape of content creation in Vietnam is shifting, and Ethan is at the forefront of it—but his journey didn't start with likes and follows. It started with a real-life business failure in Australia and a "fate-driven" trip to a remote village in Lam Dong that turned his life around.

Ethan starts out addressing the "elephant in the room"—the battle of the flags—with the unique, non-biased perspective of an outsider who has lived...

The gloves are off in this conversation between Kenneth and Dr. Thao Ha. It’s 2026, and the political climate in the United States has reached a boiling point. While many are "flooded" by the chaos of the news cycle, Dr. Ha is in the trenches, navigating the complex and often heartbreaking reality of mass deportations affecting the Vietnamese, Lao, and Cambodian communities.

In this episode, we move past the "professional hats" to discuss the raw reality of identity, integrity, and the "Let Them" approach to life. Dr. Ha reveals the inner workings of her no...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Lynda Trang Dai, for a conversation that is as vulnerable as it is refreshing. For decades, Lynda has been a household name, synonymous with provocative stage presence and the "New Wave" sound that defined a generation. But behind the racy costumes and the rockstar persona lies a grounded woman whose life is based on a surprising level of traditionalism and deep-rooted faith.

Lynda sets the record straight on the headline-grabbing Gucci store incident in Orlando, Florida. She walks us through the petty misunderstanding involving a $330 AirPods case...

We’re back with Whitney Da’Gail for part two of a conversation that we realized was far from over. After Kenneth and Whitney met in person in Saigon, the weight of the questions felt unanswered: What are the deep, structural similarities between Black American culture and Vietnamese culture? And why does a Black woman feel a sense of peace in a "homogenous" Asian society that she can't find in her own backyard?

In this episode, we dive into the "American Science Fair Project"—the ongoing experiment of identity, language, and power. Whitney shares her ra...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Kathy Uyen Nguyen, film industry veteran, acting directing, producing and and now the founder of Vietnam’s acting academy.

Kathy breaks down the psychological breakdown of charisma, explaining why "The It Factor" isn't a genetic lottery but a state of being that anyone can develop, if they can navigate the cultural "rào cản" (obstacles) that hold them back. They dive deep into the differences between the Western "equality-based" mindset and the Vietnamese hierarchy of respect, and how these dynamics shape the way we express our true...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Dr. Lu Le, a Navy veteran and psychiatrist who bridges a massive gap in the Vietnamese community. From serving in the military to embarking on medical missions in Vietnam, Dr. Lu offers a unique, bilingual perspective on why we struggle to talk about our feelings and how we can finally start healing.

Whether you are curious about the mechanics of psychiatric medication or wondering why your kids can't put down their phones, this conversation explores the "hardware" and "software" of the human mind.

Have you ever wondered why Vietnamese is written with a Romanized alphabet while its neighbors, China, Japan, and Korea, historically used character-based systems?

In this episode, Kenneth and Professor John Phan discuss the "startup age" of the Vietnamese script. We journey back to the 17th century to discover that Chữ Quốc ngữ wasn't just a colonial imposition, but a complex collaboration involving Portuguese pioneers, Italian linguists, and forgotten local consultants.

What We Explore:

The "Hip-Hop" Age of Nôm: How the 17th-century explosion of vernacular literature set the stage for a new way of...

Life does not follow a single set of rules, and the “truths” shaped by personal experience do not always align with what most people believe. Some lessons only become clear after facing real-life challenges.

In episode 375 of the Vietnam Innovators podcast, stepping away from its usual focus on economics, markets, and innovation, host Hao Tran speaks with podcaster Kenneth Nguyen in an open conversation about 15 life “truths” drawn from lived experience—perspectives that not everyone will easily agree with.

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Many of you still have the c...

We explore a perspective rarely captured in the mainstream narrative of Southeast Asia. Join Kenneth as he sits down with Whitney Da’Gail, a Louisiana native and MBA graduate from the University of Michigan, who moved to Vietnam and discovered a world that was both shockingly foreign and deeply familiar.

Whitney opens up about her journey as a Black woman navigating the streets of Hanoi and Saigon. From the overwhelming "celebrity" treatment in rural villages to the challenging moments of colorism in local shops, Whitney provides a raw and honest look at what it me...

Join Kenneth and political theorist Kevin as they unpack Kevin's research on "Buddhist Political Theory." Was Thich Tri Quang a peace-loving monk, a communist agent, or, as Time Magazine once called him, a "Vietnamese Machiavelli"?

We explore the uncomfortable contradictions of history: Why would a Buddhist monk advocate for a high-intensity American bombing campaign? How did his belief in spiritual "flourishing" drive him to participate in the downfall of the Ngo Dinh Diem government? And why did the American media find him so elusive?

In this episode, we discuss:<...

In April 1975, the world watched as South Vietnam collapsed. But for those on the deck of the USNS Kimbro, it was a desperate, chaotic, and human struggle for survival.

In this episode, we bring together two sides of history that were separated for half a century. Kenneth and co-host Nam C. Kim are joined by John Irwin and Robbie Parsley, two U.S. Marines who served as security forces during Operation New Life.

This conversation explores:

The myth of the “bloodbath” after 1975

<...

What really happened after April 30, 1975?

In this reflective episode, Kenneth sits down with Claudia Krich, author of Those Who Stayed: A Vietnam Diary, one of the very few Americans, and perhaps the only white woman, who chose to remain in Vietnam after the fall of Saigon.

Through firsthand diary accounts and lived experience, Claudia challenges one of the most enduring narratives of the Vietnam War: the myth of an immediate bloodbath. She recounts the days, weeks, and months after the war ended—when tanks rolled in, soldiers walked the st...

In this episode of Viet History Makers, Kenneth Nguyen sits down with Professor Kevin Pham to examine the life and times of Madame Nhu (Trần Lệ Xuân) one of the most controversial and influential figures in 20th-century Vietnamese history. Through their conversation, the episode unpacks Madame Nhu not only as the de facto First Lady of South Vietnam, but as a complex symbol of power, gender, and political authority during the Cold War.

Kenneth and Kevin explore Madame Nhu’s background, political rise, and outspoken public persona, situating her within the turbulent landsca...

If you joined us last time for the episode "What Is Chữ Nôm? Premodern Vietnamese Hip Hop? " we are here to answer your questions on this AMA based on the questions we got from the last podcast with Professor John Phan from Columbia University.

We’ve gathered some of the most thoughtful questions from our last episode from the listeners, and I’m excited to dive deeper into the topics we touched on in the last episode, clarify some points, and explore a few new ideas that came up. 

...

In this episode, we sit down with Quang X. Pham — a Vietnamese American leader whose life story reveals stories of resilience, service, and reinvention. Born in Saigon and arriving in the United States as a refugee at just ten years old, Quang’s early years were shaped by language barriers, new cultures, and the emotional burden of a father left behind in post-war Vietnam.

From there, he charted an extraordinary path: earning an economics degree from UCLA, answering the call to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps, and becoming the first Vietnamese American Marine Corps aviator, flyi...

In this episode, we sit down with Cathy Linh Che—a poet and filmmaker who grew up in Los Angeles, and the producer of the short documentary We Were The Scenery. Through an intimate conversation, Cathy shares her upbringing and how growing up between cultures shaped the way she sees the world. We dive into the making of We Were The Scenery, unpacking its emotional core and why telling stories like this matters—especially in a time when representation, memory, and identity continue to be overlooked.

You can find out more information and watch the documentary here: http...

Mai Whelan is a Vietnamese American woman who became the Season 1 winner of Squid Game: The Challenge. Mai shares her life story, beginning as a young refugee who fled Vietnam at eight years old after the fall of Saigon, to becoming a U.S. Navy service member at just eighteen. She went on to serve two decades in the Navy before continuing her public service career as a visa interview adjudicator for the U.S. government.

Her journey is defined by resilience, sacrifice, and a determination to rebuild life from the ground up — the same strength she la...

Director Bao Nguyen sits with Kenneth to discuss his latest documentary, The Stringer, which premiered on Netflix on November 28, 2025. The film undertakes a meticulous investigation into the true authorship of the iconic “Napalm Girl” photograph, long attributed to Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Nick Ut. Through exhaustive research, rare archival materials, and gripping interviews, The Stringer reopens a decades-old question that challenges our understanding of historical truth.

Beyond its central mystery, the documentary offers viewers a deeper look into journalistic ethics, the politics of wartime reporting, and the fragile nature of historical memory. It’s a must-watch for anyone...

Dr. Jay Veith, a longtime researcher of the Vietnam War and POW/MIA history take a deep look at the more than $85 million the U.S. government has spent over the past decade to work with the Vietnamese government in searching for remaining American POW/MIA personnel.

We explore a central question: Is the return on investment (ROI) worth it? Does continued U.S. spending on this effort truly deliver value—whether humanitarian, diplomatic, or strategic—or is it primarily a way to keep relations with the Vietnamese government running smoothly after all these years?

Dr...

In this episode, we sit down once again with branding expert Chris Do for a powerful and honest conversation about creativity, culture, and the future of Vietnam. We explore why Vietnam has yet to produce globally recognized brands, exploring the structural, cultural, and economic challenges that hold creators back—along with the incredible potential waiting to be unlocked.

Chris reflects on the unwavering dedication of Japanese craftsmen, whose mastery comes from generations of focus, discipline, and intention. Together, we examine what Vietnam can learn from this mindset, and how intentional craft could reshape the country’s creative iden...

As we honor Veterans Day in the United States today, join Kenneth for a conversation with Tino Dinh and Thomas Nguyen — two Vietnamese American veterans who have proudly served on the board of the Vietnamese American Uniformed Services Association (VAUSA).

The Vietnamese American Uniformed Services Association is a truly unique organization, distinguished by its rich heritage and vibrant culture. United by a shared commitment to public service, Vietnamese American military members work together to uphold the legacy of their ancestors’ courage and devotion. Through their service in uniform, they continue to exemplify compassion, respect, and a deep sens...

In this episode of the Vietnamese, Kenneth welcomes Tony Lam (Lâm Quang Thống) a trailblazer, community leader, and the first Vietnamese American ever elected to public office in the United States.

Tony recounts his journey from his early life in Vietnam, through the turbulence of war, to the heartbreaking days following the fall of Saigon in 1975. Like thousands of others, he fled as a refugee and began again in Orange County, California, helping resettle the newly arrived Vietnamese community and laying the foundation for what would become Little Saigon.

In 1992, Tony made history by...

In this episode, archaeologist Nam C. Kim and language historian John D. Phan join host Kenneth Nguyen for an exploration of how Vietnam’s ancient past continues to shape its modern identity. The conversation takes us into the space where myth, politics, linguistics and archaeology meet.

Together, they unravel how iconic women, The Trung Sisters, once dismissed as rebels and “savages” in early Han and medieval Vietnamese records were later reborn as symbols of courage, independence, and identity. Kim and Phan reveal how these shifting portrayals weren’t accidental but reflected the evolving needs of different eras and rule...

Dam Van Huynh graduated from the renown Boston Conservatory at Berklee (USA) and has worked as a performer with various internationally recognized premiere dance companies and choreographers including The Nevada Ballet (USA), Merce Cunningham (USA), Portugal’s Companhia de Dança Contemporânea – CeDeCe (Portugal), Richard Alston (UK) and Phoenix Dance Theatre (UK). He regularly creates works for other companies and delivers workshops on his methodology around the world. He has been noted as one of the most cutting-edge international artists currently working in the field of Contemporary Dance. He is in high demand for his creative contribution to the dan...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Czech-Vietnamese filmmaker Duzan Duong to explore the creative and personal journey behind his debut feature film, Summer School 2001 — a project that took 8 years to make and 6 years to write.

We discuss what it takes to navigate European film financing structures, how he approached casting and directing actors, and where the emotional core of the film came from. Duzan opens up about the personal and cultural themes that shaped the story, and gives us a glimpse into what’s next on his creative horizon.

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Many of you...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Eric Nong, the Artistic Director of the Viet Film Fest, to explore this year’s film selections and the evolving landscape of Vietnamese cinema.

From the exciting rise of animated Vietnamese films to the behind-the-scenes process of how films are chosen, the conversation also touches on how AI might shape the future of curation and storytelling in film. Eric also discusses what kinds of films are selected this year.

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Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own fa...