What happened in September 2014: Socio-cultural, literary, and political news and events relating to Viet nam and to the Vietnamese diaspora.
Events
• The Archaeological Institute of America’s Art & Architecture of Vietnam & Cambodia (land tour) starts in November 2014.
Viet Kieu in the news
• 
A Plan is underway to build the $10 million plus “Overseas Bien Hoa Veterans Cemetery.”[OCR]
• Chef Charles Phan has a new cookbook, “The Slanted Door.”[TC]
• Yum! Brands, a parent company of Taco Bell, will launched a new Asian sandwich chain called Banh Shop. However, its logo caused controversy.
• Garden Grove’s T.P. Bánh Bao #2 specializes in bánh bao, especially the deep-fry steamed buns. Me hungry.
• Jimmy Pham, founder of the Know One, Teach One (KOTO) foundation, visits New Zealand to discuss social entrepreneurship and KOTO.
• Some Vietnamese living in Hong Kong support local protesters who want democracy.
News about Viet Nam
• Vo Trong Nghia, an award-winning Vietnamese architect, designs houses that can withstand harsh weather conditions for countryside residents.
• With only one arm, Huynh Van Don pulls his wagon 10km a day to sell rice husks for a living.
• Ordnance-removal Project Renew, co-founded by an American veteran, has eliminated about 27,000 pieces of ordnance.
• Vietnamese authorities have announced they will demolish a Buddhist temple and two Christian churches in order to carry out a “lucrative development scheme.”
• Math question sets off debate on reform of the education system. [SPOILER: The ship needs another captain–one who can get the remaining sheeps across safely.]
• Beekeeper Tran Xuan Phong has become successful with his family business and has provide stable jobs for many young people.
• According to the United Nations Population Division, in 2013, 2,600,000 people born in Vietnam were living in other countries and 70,000 people living in Vietnam were born in other countries. Select “Vietnam” on the map and select “OUT OF” or “INTO”.
• Vietnamese-language newswire VietnamPlus won the top award for engaging the young by “rapping the news.”
• RT documents testimonies from victims of Agent Orange and unexploded mines that were leftover from the American War against the Vietnamese people.
• Under a bilateral five-year agreement, Vietnam will supply Saudi Arabia with workers including 400 Vietnamese housemaids every month. Given the KSA’s history of mistreating Southeast Asian workers, these Vietnamese women will, in high probability, tragically be enslaved, beaten, and raped by their employers. The grass is not always greener outside Vietnam, especially in the KSA where there is no grass but lots of sand.
Other News
• Google trends of some of the most popular brands are analyzed by state in the U.S.
• Social media is reshaping news.
Special thanks to Viet Thanh Nguyen for providing many of the news items.
Peace!
RP
