Commentary

“Deported by Biden: a Vietnamese refugee separated from his family after decades in US”

Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary , , ,

Tien Pham, 38, who fled violence in Vietnam as a child, was sent back to an unfamiliar country due to teenage conviction: ‘America is my home’ Image courtesy of The Guardian This 3 May 2021 Guardian article jumped off my screen. This poor guy goes from one frying pan into another. It reminded me the … Continue reading “Deported by Biden: a Vietnamese refugee separated from his family after decades in US”

The Environment as Communal Trash Can

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As seen recently in Hanoi traffic. Last cigarette. What to do with the empty pack? Toss it out the window, of course. Aside from being a crime against nature, littering, including cigarette butts, is against the law in Viet Nam, but it's rarely, if ever, enforced. (Check out this March 2021 post about smoking in … Continue reading The Environment as Communal Trash Can

Taking the Pulse of F-1 Issuances in Viet Nam: A Year of Recovery & Challenges

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As the end of April approaches, I thought I'd check on the number of US student visas issued since the beginning of the 2021 fiscal year and compare it with last year in the (mostly) pre-COVID era. Yes, I know this is the low season for F-1 issuances, the high season lasting from May through … Continue reading Taking the Pulse of F-1 Issuances in Viet Nam: A Year of Recovery & Challenges

Hội An Visit a Bittersweet Experience

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Photos by MAA Strolling around Hội An on a recent sunny afternoon, classical music playing softly on the omnipresent speakers, the tropical breeze wafting through the trees and alleys, was both a sad and peaceful experience. For the uninitiated, this charming little town, a short drive south of Danang in central Viet Nam, is a … Continue reading Hội An Visit a Bittersweet Experience

RocketReach Falls Short

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I was recently searching for something online and came across this RocketReach (RR) profile of Capstone Vietnam. (Full disclosure/reminder: I'm managing director and co-founder.) RR is a web-based tool that mines data to create profiles of companies that include website addresses, social media channels, and email addresses, among other information. The results illustrate the current … Continue reading RocketReach Falls Short

Requiem for the ‘American Century’

Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary , , , ,

It's not often that I simply post an article but this essay by Andrew J. Bacevich, which originally appeared on TomDispatch, is worth reading. 9/11 tribute. (David Z from Pixabay) Only when Americans openly acknowledge their imperial transgressions will genuine repentance become possible. And only with repentance will avoiding further occasions to sin become a habit. … Continue reading Requiem for the ‘American Century’

“‘Lady Gaga of Vietnam’ finds a home in Pittsburgh”

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

Image from Mai Khoi's Facebook Page This article, which appeared in one of my Viet Nam-related Google Alerts, jumped off my screen. It was bittersweet news, a loss for Viet Nam and a gain for the USA. As an artist, Mai Khoi will have to find new sources of inspiration and material. I have no … Continue reading “‘Lady Gaga of Vietnam’ finds a home in Pittsburgh”

Phạm Lực: Painter Par Excellence

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Mr. Lực was kind enough to sketch me during a fall 2018 visit to his studio. (Cảm ơn đồng chí!) Phạm Lực, who lives in Hanoi, is one of my all-time favorite painters not just in Viet Nam but in any country and any period of history. He is a brilliant artist, an adjective I … Continue reading Phạm Lực: Painter Par Excellence