Going Home Again – The Vietnamese overseas return

06/10/2020 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary overseas study, overseas vietnamese, viet kieu, viet nam, vietnam, vietnamese identity, Vietnamese students

Source images: Bitexco Financial Tower, in Ho Chi Minh City © Kevin Miller/Alamy; vendors in Hoi An © John Milligan/Alamy; Tra On, in the Mekong Delta region © Robert Harding/Alamy; Mekong Delta © Jason Langley/Alamy Here's an interesting take on Viet Nam, overseas Vietnamese, and related identity issues that appeared in the June 2020 issue … Continue reading Going Home Again – The Vietnamese overseas return

RE: Racist Aspects of the Recent DHS Proposed Rule to Eliminate F & J Visas Duration of Status (D/S)

05/10/2020 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Letter black lives matter, racism, us department of homeland security, white nationalism, xenophobia

Below is letter sent to one of the international education listservs of which I'm a member by a frequent contributor, Boston-based immigration attorney Richard L. Iandoli. (The italics are mine.) He mentions the three white nationalist musketeers. Drop them a line, if the spirit moves you. Stephen Miller, Senior Policy Adviser to the President and … Continue reading RE: Racist Aspects of the Recent DHS Proposed Rule to Eliminate F & J Visas Duration of Status (D/S)

“I can’t be a pessimist because I am alive.”

03/10/2020 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary james baldwin, optimism, pessimism

Photo courtesy of the New York Times Warm Mid-Autumn greetings from Viet Nam! How many of you are familiar with this quote from the great James Baldwin? I can't be a pessimist because I am alive. To be a pessimist means that you have agreed that human life is an academic matter. So, I am … Continue reading “I can’t be a pessimist because I am alive.”

The Battle of the Coffee Chains in Viet Nam

29/09/2020 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary coffee chains, highlands, phuc long, starbucks, the coffee house, viet nam, vietnam

Inside a Phuc Long tea and coffee outlet in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Tuan Tu. In this November 2019 blog post My Starbucks Story: Made in Viet Nam I told the story about how I reached out to Starbucks in 2005-06 to offer some unsolicited (and free!) advice about entering the Viet Nam market. Fast forward … Continue reading The Battle of the Coffee Chains in Viet Nam

“Learning English at school, a mandatory chore that leads nowhere”

21/09/2020 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary English proficiency, English teaching, viet nam, vietnam

High-school seniors listen as an inspector informs them with regulations before taking a test of the national high school graduation exam at a school in HCMC, August 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. An excellent article about the status of English instruction in Viet Nam in which I'm quoted. Here's my 8.9.20 article about this issue: … Continue reading “Learning English at school, a mandatory chore that leads nowhere”

Balancing Solidarity & Individualism in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond: a View from Vietnam

19/09/2020 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary COVID-19, global citizenship, individualism, nationalism, patriotism, social solidarity, USA, viet nam, vietnam

Image courtesy of Zing By contrast, Vietnam is well-positioned with a younger generation that is more individualistic than that of its parents because of their country’s integration into the global community, the Internet, and the fact that they are growing up in a time of peace with no (physical) external enemies, yet still possesses a … Continue reading Balancing Solidarity & Individualism in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond: a View from Vietnam

9-11: The Day the Chickens Came Home to Roost

13/09/2020 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary 9-11, afghanistan war, costs of war, COVID-19, iraq war, nationalism, racism, trump, war on terror, xenophobia

Photo by MAA (2019) I was sitting at my desk, cup of coffee in hand, when I heard the news and watched it on CNN. Some of my memories include the crisp late summer weather punctuated by a deep blue sky, the messages of concern from colleagues around the world that arrived in my inbox, … Continue reading 9-11: The Day the Chickens Came Home to Roost

Resetting the Debate About English Instruction in Viet Nam

08/09/2020 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary english exam, English proficiency, foreign language instruction, viet nam, vietnam

My latest essay for VNExpress International about the subpar results of the August national high school graduation exam for English. Think of it as a reality check on what is generally a favorable situation in comparative perspective. One of my key suggestions is that foreign language study be made optional at the K-12 level. An … Continue reading Resetting the Debate About English Instruction in Viet Nam

Patriotism: The tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime/Lòng yêu nước

02/09/202002/09/2020 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary 2 september 1945, ho chi minh, patriotism, viet nam national day

In honor of Viet Nam's National Day on 2 September here's an article of mine that appeared in English and Vietnamese last year in VNExpress International and VNExpress. Patriotism: The tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime (2.9.19) Lòng yêu nước (1.9.19) Source: Nhân Dân 75 years ago today in Hanoi's Ba Đình Square Ho … Continue reading Patriotism: The tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime/Lòng yêu nước

An International Educator in Vietnam

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