Author: maavn

Freedom of speech according to the gospel of Koch

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Image: iStock This is my latest essay for University World News (UWN). I wrote it in response to a 3 July op-ed piece by Jonathan Zimmerman, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. UWN usually doesn't publish essays this long; I'm pleased they made an exception. As always, I welcome your comments either here or … Continue reading Freedom of speech according to the gospel of Koch

Number of US-Bound Vietnamese Students Continues to Inch Upward

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As of June 2021, there were 25,816 Vietnamese students in the US, most enrolled in the nation's colleges and universities, according to the latest SEVIS update. That's an increase of 5.23% over March 2021. There are now nearly as many as there were last September, a positive sign. If you add language training (802) to … Continue reading Number of US-Bound Vietnamese Students Continues to Inch Upward

Short-Term Profit Trumps Long-Term Sustainable Development

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Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder Image from NovaWorld Phan Thiết Have a good look at this image of a new $5 billion development in the beach town of Phan Thiết in southern Viet Nam, about a four-hour drive from HCMC, that's being built by a well-known Vietnamese real estate company. Does it … Continue reading Short-Term Profit Trumps Long-Term Sustainable Development

13 Gold Star Mothers, 13 Sons Killed In Viet Nam

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These reflections are from Mike Hastie. a veteran of the US war in Viet Nam, retired emergency room nurse, writer, and peace photographer. Thank you, Mike, for sharing and continuing to bear witness to the horrors and injustices of the past and the present. Shalom (שלום), MAA This picture was of course taken at the Viet … Continue reading 13 Gold Star Mothers, 13 Sons Killed In Viet Nam

Global citizenship is about more than intercultural skills

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Here's my latest essay for University World News. It's a long-awaited follow-up to a 2016 article about US nationalism. Below is the unedited version. Shalom (שלום), MAA Intercultural Competence and Global Citizenship: Expanding the Debate The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion. -Thomas Paine The international … Continue reading Global citizenship is about more than intercultural skills

Miracles in Our Midst: An Ode to the Trees of Hanoi

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This expanded version of an essay I wrote last month was published by Soha.vn in its new WOW VIETNAM series. The translation of the title, 'Niềm tự hào Ấn Độ' trên vỉa hè Hà Nội is 'Pride of India' on the sidewalks of Hanoi. Here's the teaser: All a tree requires is that we create … Continue reading Miracles in Our Midst: An Ode to the Trees of Hanoi

An Excerpt from “Then The Americans Came”

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Then The Americans Came: Voices from Vietnam is a 1994 book written by Martha Hess that consists of over 100 interviews conducted by the author in Viet Nam during 1990-91 involving atrocities committed by US forces above and below the 17th parallel. The eyewitness report below is about Khâm Thiên Street in the Đống Đa … Continue reading An Excerpt from “Then The Americans Came”