The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen

Loan Le is a Senior Editor at Atria Books. She began her publishing career at Gallery Books and Scout Press in 2014, then joined Atria in 2016. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Fairfield University in 2014, where she later earned her MFA in fiction.Her titles include Scott Alexander Howard’s The Other Valley, Luke Dumas’s USA Today bestseller The Paleontologist, Carolyn Huynh’s The Fortunes of Jaded Women (a GMA Book Club Pick), and Jess Kidd’s The Night Ship, Sarah Langan’s Good Neighbors (both B&N Book Club Picks).Loan is eager to acquire dark, character-driven, and atmospheric upmarket and “literary plus” fiction—literary fiction with propulsive genre elements like folklore, horror, speculative, mystery, suspense, and/or thriller. The eerier the story, the more likely she’ll like it! Loan loves genre-bending works; if a novel can be pitched as “Part X, Part Y, and Part Z,” then it’s probably meant for her. She acquires select multicultural family fiction.Loan is also the author of YA novels A Pho Love Story (2021) and Solving for the Unknown (Spring 2025). Follow her on Instagram, and look out for her expanded manuscript wish list, which can be requested here.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth NguyenVisit vietnamstorybank.com today for more information!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Triet Tran, also known as Tee, was born in Vietnam but raised and currently reside in Houston, Texas. He is a content creator who focuses on making comedic short skits on Instagram and TikTok where he usually has a towel wrapped around his head imitating Vietnamese moms or a baseball cap to imitate our Vietnamese dads.Outside of the realm of content creating, you can find him figure skating or begging his mom to make bò kho.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth NguyenVisit vietnamstorybank.com today for more information!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Kayli Tran is an American actor who’s made waves with her major breakout role in the critically acclaimed A24/HBO show The Sympathizer. Helmed by visionary director Park Chan-Wook and acting opposite Academy Award winner Robert Downey Jr. Kayli delivered a mesmerizing performance as a secret communist spy showcasing her depth and range as an actress. Through her portrayal, she skillfully navigated the complexities of identity, loyalty, and betrayal, leaving viewers spellbound by her raw emotions and authenticity.With a natural talent for immersing herself into diverse roles, Kayli is also the starring lead in the award winning SnapchatTV original series Dead of Night, executive produced by Timur Bekmambetov of Bazelevs Entertainment. With over 16 million viewers, her remarkable performance in the two-season series earned her a spot on the 2020 Emmy Awards Nomination ballot for "Outstanding Actress In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series," competing against major actresses such as Sophie Turner and Anna Kendrick.An exceptionally talented actress whose versatile performances have captivated audiences worldwide, Kayli can also be seen on screen working alongside industry heavy hitters including Jake Gyllenhaal in Michael Bay's major blockbuster "Ambulance," Neal McDonough in the sci-fi thriller "Monsters of Man," Issa Rae in the comedy series "BSU: Black Student Union," and Ryan Phillippe in USA Network's hit show "Shooter". Kayli has even expanded her talents into the world of voiceover and motion capture for video games including Activision's "Call of Duty" and Sony's "The Last of Us”.With a passion for storytelling and dedication to her craft, Kayli Tran is a force to be reckoned with as she continues to push boundaries and redefine the landscape of Hollywood cinema.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth NguyenVisit vietnamstorybank.com today for more information!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Fred Le is a comedian and filmmaker based in LA. He, along with fellow comic Andy Van co-created the all-Vietnamese comedy show Embarrassed by Night which continues to tour the West Coast, with its upcoming show #10 in Los Angeles on September 13th, 2024. Begun in 2022, Embarrassed by Night has received multiple write-ups on Metro Silicon Valley, been featured on Little Saigon TV, and showcased at San Francisco Sketchfest.He is currently wrapping up post-production on his first feature documentary The Empathizer, an exploration of wartime trauma told through stories from second-generation Vietnamese immigrants who made the choice to move back to the country that their parents had fled. The film features beats by fellow Vietnamese Podcast alumnus Nodey as well as appearances by several former guests of the show.The hour-long documentary will premiere at an independently-produced red carpet event in Los Angeles on September 21st, 2024 before it makes its festival debut at the Viet Film Fest on October 12th.You can learn more about The Empathizer at www.empathizerdoc.com and keep up to date by following along on Instagram @empathizerdoc.The Vietnamese Podcast listeners are invited to RSVP to the exclusive LA premiere on 9/21/24 for a limited time, by following the link : www.empathizerdoc.com/event-details/rsvp . Spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis, but we respectfully ask that you RSVP only if you are certain to attend the event.Tickets to the Tet Trung Thu in LA edition of the Embarrassed by Night comedy show on 9/13/24 can be found at http://embarrassedbynight.eventbrite.com.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth NguyenVisit vietnamstorybank.com today for more information!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join K. T. Nguyen, a former magazine editor whose features have graced the pages of Glamour, Shape, and Fitness, as she shares stories from her life spent navigating the bustling cities of New York, Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai, San Francisco and working through debilitating OCD.“You Know What You Did” is her debut novel that was just released in April 2024. Now settled just outside Washington, D.C., K. T. reflects on her journey as a writer, the lessons learned along the way, and the adventures still to come—all with a cup of coffee in hand and her adopted terrier, Alice, by her side.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth NguyenVisit vietnamstorybank.com today for more information!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Andrew Lam is the author of Perfume Dreams: Reflections on the Vietnamese Diaspora, which won the 2006 PEN Open Book Award, and East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres. Lam is an editor and cofounder of New America Media, an association of over two thousand ethnic media outlets in America.He was a regular commentator on NPR’s All Things Considered for many years, and was the subject of a 2004 PBS documentary called My Journey Home. His essays have appeared in newspapers and magazines such as the New York Times, The LA Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Baltimore Sun, The Atlanta Journal, the Chicago Tribune, Mother Jones, and The Nation, among many others. His short stories have been widely taught and anthologized. Birds of Paradise Lost is his first story collection and due out by Red Hen Press in the spring of 2013. He lives in San Francisco.Andrew's latest work, Stories from the Edge of the Sea, will be out March 25, 2025.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth NguyenVisit vietnamstorybank.com today for more information!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Lan Ho is a Vietnamese American who made a bold career change from pharmacist to coffee entrepreneur after being furloughed during the pandemic. She pivoted to pursue her dream and successfully launched Fat Miilk - Chicago's first Vietnamese Robusta-centric coffee company.The brand saw instant global recognition when Bon Appetit listed Fat Miilk on their "Highly Recommend" list. The brand can be seen in publications, including Eater, TimeOut, Thrillest, Roast Magazine, and more. Lan was recently a finalist on Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars on FOX network, where she represented her brand, leadership, and entrepreneurial story. @iamLanHo@fatmiilk --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth NguyenVisit vietnamstorybank.com today for more information!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Hồng Thanh Phương Thảo (She/Her/Hers) is a Senior Program Officer supporting advocacy for the Digital Public Infrastructure and Inclusive Financial Systems teams at the Gates Foundation. Thảo previously held positions in commercial aircraft sales, brand marketing, and international strategy at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Prior to joining the private sector, Thảo was a Foreign Service Officer focusing on economic issues in East Asia at the State Department, serving overseas as a Vice Consul in Shanghai and Taipei.Thảo briefly served under the Obama administration in her role as the Director of Trade Policy for the United States Trade Representative’s Office.  She attained her B.B.A. in Finance and a Certificate of International Studies in business at the University of Washington and completed the Advanced Economic Studies Program at the Foreign Service Institute. She is fluent in Chinese and Vietnamese.Thảo serves as a member of the board of trustees of the World Affairs Council, volunteers her time mentoring Foster Business School students, and champions women’s financial inclusion and capacity building.  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth NguyenVisit vietnamstorybank.com today for more information!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Stefan was born as Nam Le Thanh in Saigon in the early 70s of war-torn Vietnam. He was stricken by polio at the age of two, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Due to this debilitating disease, he was soon after abandoned by his parents. He was later discovered sitting on the streets and taken to an orphanage where he was further neglected with little to no medical care. On April 6, 1975, as Saigon burned in the background, his future was forever changed with Operation Babylift- a humanitarian war effort to rescue Vietnamese orphans and unite them to adoptive parents in America. Stefan has vague memories of that day; frantic staff grabbing orphans and their personal effects and loading them onto waiting planes. In the commotion, Stefan’s bags were loaded on the first plane and he was accidentally redirected onto the second plane. This mistake proved critical, because the first plane crashed 12 minutes after take-off killing 141 of the 149 orphans on board. This would be one of many examples where Stefan would see, “the finger prints of God on his life.”Stefan escaped the war, but different obstacles awaited him in the US. At 4 years old, he was thrust into the foster care system and placed with the Beans who would eventually adopt him. Despite adoption officials’ warnings of Stefan’s health condition and recent trauma, the Beans adopted Stefan without hesitation. He would be one of 12 children; 2 biological and 10 international adoptees, in the Bean family. From day one his parents encouraged Stefan to be independent and refused to see him as any less than any of their other children. Those early years proved difficult as Stefan grappled with English, adapted to a new life, and adjusted to normalcy after seeing unspeakable things during the war. If that wasn’t enough, he underwent multiple surgeries including muscle transplants on his legs and stomach. He also had pulmonary issues and most of his teeth were abscessed which required extensive dental procedures. But with the unconditional love and support of his adoptive parents he not only survived but thrived.  In his early years, Stefan was enrolled in public school, but when he wasn’t getting the support he needed, his parents transferred him to private school where he began to excel. Despite his physical limitations, he availed himself to things he could do in sports and extracurricular activities. Instead of being frustrated that he couldn’t play basketball or baseball like others, he would umpire sandlot baseball games and join student council and develop his public speaking. He was a straight A student, elected as sixth-grade class president and his eloquent speaking skills earned him an opportunity to make a speech in Washington D.C. advocating for the disadvantaged. After high school graduation, he would receive a full scholarship from USC where he earned a BA in business administration.  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth NguyenVisit vietnamstorybank.com today for more information!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Vietnamese podcast goes on the road in person at Chef Nguyen Bui's Buivette, a series of steakhouse dinners in the intimate setting of his loft in the Arts District. Chef Bui, formerly of Rustic Canyon, is joined by two other guests, Minh Phan and Gustavo Arellano.Minh Phan is an art practitioner, chef, founder, and creative director of Michelin Star (2021, 2022) and 2021 LA Times Restaurant of the Year PHENAKITE, lauded porridge + puffs, and multi-disciplinary PKite Studio.Gustavo Arellano is an American writer and journalist. He is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times and the former editor of Orange County's alternative weekly OC Weekly.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth NguyenVisit vietnamstorybank.com today for more information!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy