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
Commentary
Culture Shock: The Exploitation of J-1 Cultural Exchange Workers
“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
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
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
Ingroup, Outgroup, or Caught In Between?
My last post of the 2013 Lunar Year... Vietnam is a highly homogeneous society. I'm reminded of this whenever I look in the mirror and see a white guy staring back at me. For those who are not Kinh, or ethnic Vietnamese, it's pretty cut-and-dried. We look different and therefore are different. There is a … Continue reading Ingroup, Outgroup, or Caught In Between?
Vietnam: Fastest Growing Facebook Market in the World
The number of Facebook (FB) users has doubled over the past year to over 22 million, which amounts to 61% of all netizens in Vietnam. As one post pointed out, "Global brands are definitely eyeing the Vietnamese Facebook market." The implications for student recruitment are also obvious. If you want to reach out to young people, you need … Continue reading Vietnam: Fastest Growing Facebook Market in the World
The State of Vietnamese Higher Education: Point/Counterpoint
Below is a recent exchange on the Vietnam Studies Group (VSG) listserv between a Vietnamese-American professor and a young Vietnamese who recently graduated from a U.S. institution of higher education. The original post is in reference to an article by Roy J. Nirschel, president of the American University of Vietnam (AUVN), entitled "Picking Up the … Continue reading The State of Vietnamese Higher Education: Point/Counterpoint
Of Emigration, Brain Drain & Brain Gain: Some Reflections
Over the years, I’ve known and helped many young Vietnamese who have studied overseas. Some I knew in passing; others became friends. Quite a few made the decision to remain overseas either in the country in which they studied or a third country. By doing so, they slowly but surely began the transformation from Vietnamese … Continue reading Of Emigration, Brain Drain & Brain Gain: Some Reflections
“Vietnamese Americans should come and live in Vietnam full time”
Interesting, insightful and heartfelt post by Minh, a HCMC-based blogger at Tech In Asia. Introduction: I’m a Vietnamese American. I’ve been living in Vietnam for seven years now. And in that time, I’ve only come back to the States a total of four times. Each time was less than a month. In other words, I’ve been living in … Continue reading “Vietnamese Americans should come and live in Vietnam full time”
Countries as Positive & Negative Role Models: The Link Between Education and the Economy
In the spirit of comparative studies in general and comparative education in particular here is yet another example of what countries like Vietnam can learn from countries like the United States in terms of what road(s) not to take - with ap0logies to the American poet Robert Frost. The American work force has some of weakest mathematical … Continue reading Countries as Positive & Negative Role Models: The Link Between Education and the Economy
An International Educator in Vietnam 
You must be logged in to post a comment.