What happened in July 2015: socio-cultural, literary, and political news and events relating to Viet nam and to the Vietnamese diaspora. [Note: Comments (in brackets “[ ]”) are the opinion of the poster and does not reflect the view of diaCRITICS.]
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Viet Kieu in the news
• Plum Village issues an update on Thich Nhat Hanh‘s health condition.
• Vietnamese Americans Trinh Mai, Lan Tran, and Cara “TK” Le are “using art to explore new territory.”
• Bao Phi talks about his background and his work.
• U.S. ambassador to Vietnam speaks to Vietnamese Americans about the Obama administration’s desire to strengthen relations with Vietnam.
• Ben Nguyen: “It was probably one of the best feelings getting that approval from my parents.”
• Google appoints Nguyen Phuong Anh as its new Head of Marketing, Google Asia Pacific for Vietnam.
• A short film documents refugee Tri Nguyen‘s story.
• Lynda Trang Dai: “I’m . . . a total Vietnamese traditional girl” who takes care of her family.”
• Internet piracy threatens Thúy Nga’s future.
News about Viet Nam
• A survey finds majority supports the country’s market economy.
• Vietnam uses name-and-shame strategy to make businesses pay their taxes. [They should also use this strategy to expose corrupt government officials.]
• Constraint by the VCP’s suppression of sensitive information, Vietnamese rappers still find ways to express themselves.
• Survey reveals Vietnamese parents spent around $1.8 billion In 2013 for their children’s overseas education.
• Some writers sidestep CPV dogma and publish online or in private presses.
• Former Miss Vietnam, Thuy Dung, is criticized for “wearing a dress that is ‘too Chinese’.”
• Vietnam attempts to “transform itself into a more technically savvy hub of innovation.”
• Chinese ships continue to attack Vietnamese fishing boats.
• Vietnamese teachers continue using alternative teaching method.
• Saigon “is voraciously capitalistic [and] seems firmly planted in the present.”
Other News
• Writer/artist LeRon L. Barton discusses his participation in the “Wake ‘Em Up! Explorations of Asian Pacific Islander Solidarity in the #BlackLivesMatter Movement” event.
• “This novel is not so much about finding oneself but about the many ways of being lost.”
• A study published in JAMA Psychiatry finds former soldiers of the Vietnam War suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental ill health.
• US President Barack Obama held historic talks with Vietnam’s Communist Party leader, Nguyen Phu Trong.
• The Australian government is urged to provide information concerning the Vietnamese asylum seekers.
• The World Bank reports on its International Development Association’s project in the cities of Dong Hoi, Quy Nhon and Nha Trang.
Special thanks to Viet Thanh Nguyen for providing many of the news items.
Peace!
RP
