Year: 2014

Briefing for 2014 International Leadership Mission from Washington State

Mark A. Ashwill Updates , , , ,

I was invited to speak to a delegation from Washington state that was here under the auspices of the 2014 International Leadership Mission to Vietnam.  My audience consisted of representatives from the public, private and nonprofit sectors, including Associates in Cultural Exchange, Boeing, Cascadia Consulting Group, Highline Community College, Microsoft, Seattle Central Community College, Seattle … Continue reading Briefing for 2014 International Leadership Mission from Washington State

U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Moving On To Greener Pastures

Mark A. Ashwill Updates , ,

How time flies!  After two and a half years on the job (the normal term for an ambassador is three years), David Shear, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, has been tapped by President Obama to be the next Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs (APSA) in the Department of Defense.  (This job change has already … Continue reading U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Moving On To Greener Pastures

Jumping on the Vietnam War Commemoration Bandwagon: The Vain Search for Honor

Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary , , , , ,

Overcoming the Past? The good news is that while most of America continues to indulge in this national charade, and refuses to come to terms with its bloody past and prevent the "past" from becoming "prologue" again and again, the tiny S-shaped country upon which the U.S. military visited so much death and destruction has … Continue reading Jumping on the Vietnam War Commemoration Bandwagon: The Vain Search for Honor

Helping Academic Dreams Come True in Vietnam: A Little Goes a Long Way

Mark A. Ashwill Programs , , ,

Fact #1:  In Vietnam, about one million students finish secondary school (i.e., junior high school) every year but public high schools can only accommodate 80% of that number. Fact #2:  An estimated 200,000 students who failed one single high school entry exam have no other choice but to enroll in private schools. For students with economic difficulties, … Continue reading Helping Academic Dreams Come True in Vietnam: A Little Goes a Long Way

Culture Shock: The Exploitation of J-1 Cultural Exchange Workers

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Reports , , , ,

“Employers, sponsors, and overseas recruiting agencies have hijacked the cultural exchange program, turning it into a low-wage guest worker program that benefits their bottom lines at the expense of these workers and the United States’ reputation.  Each year that the State Department and Congress fail to reform this program is another year thousands of young … Continue reading Culture Shock: The Exploitation of J-1 Cultural Exchange Workers

Nonimmigrant B Visa Adjusted Refusal Rates: Vietnam’s Stock Is Rising

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates, vietnam , ,

While B visas are not F1 (i.e., student) visas, a look at issuance statistics since 2006 reveals a positive trend for Vietnamese traveling to the U.S. on business or on holiday.  (B-1 visas are for tourism, pleasure or visiting, while B-2 visas are a combination of both purposes.) In Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 20.3% of … Continue reading Nonimmigrant B Visa Adjusted Refusal Rates: Vietnam’s Stock Is Rising

An Anti-Ode to Security Guards

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary , , ,

They are legion and ubiquitous, these.. dispensers of disdain, guardians of the gutter, helpers of the haves, keepers of the gate, monitors of the masses, movers of the motorbikes, protectors of the pavement, rulers of the realm, supervisors of the street, takers of the tickets. You know who - the bane of many people's existence, the guys … Continue reading An Anti-Ode to Security Guards