Podcasts

Introducing the Vietnamese Portland podcast

Introducing Vietnamese Portland, a podcast presented by Lewis & Clark College and the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO), with funding provided by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and the Andrew Mellon Foundation. This 5-part series documents the stories of Portland's Vietnamese Americans, the largest Asian American group in Portland. This project aims to create a more inclusive history of the city by giving people of Vietnamese descent an opportunity to share their stories.

Episode 1: Coming to America (April 2020)

Members of the community share stories from the years following the end of the Vietnam War. They describe being held prisoner in Communist “reeducation camps” and risking their lives at sea to escape persecution. We learn what it was like leaving one life behind in search of another in America, and eventually Portland. Featuring: Thuy Dam, Bick Huynh, Khong Le, Stephen Nghiem, Dao Ngo, Teresa Nguyen, Man Ninh, Vu Pham, Tai Tu, Thao Tu, Thuy Tu, Minh Tran, Margaret Vu, William Vuong, and Vinh Wong.

Episode 2: Home in Portland (April 2020)

Vietnamese Americans tell us about their first experiences in Portland. They describe the communities they found in Northeast Portland, in places like the apartment complex known as Halsey Square, and the Vietnamese Catholic church, Our Lady of Lavang. We also focus on volunteer organizations like IRCO, the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, which provided social services in the face of declining federal funding. Featuring: Thuy Dam, Phil Duong, Chau Huyhn, Azen Jaffe, Thi Luong, Chi Nguyen, Jacques Nguyen, Connie Nguyen-Truong, Adele Pham, Vu Pham, Thuy Tu, and Vinh Wong.

Episode 3: Language & Education (April 2020)

Community members discuss the language and cultural barriers they faced in Portland. They also share their varied experiences navigating Portland’s school system and going to college. Parents and students discuss the difficulties of assimilating into American society while preserving their Vietnamese culture, language and traditions. Featuring: Phil Duong, Bick Huynh, Khuong Le, Thi Luong, Dao Ngo, Tommy Ngo, Chi Nguyen, Mary Nguyen, Connie Nguyen-Truong, Khan Pham, Thai Tien Nguyen, Minh Tran, Thao Tu, Thuy Tu, Vinh Wong, and Loan Ziehl.

Episode 4: Making a Living (April 2020)

We hear from Vietnamese Americans about their first experiences in the Portland job market and how they eventually found careers, often while dealing with language and cultural barriers. Portlanders discuss their involvement in the culinary and creative arts and tell us how each of their identities shape their work. Featuring: Chau Huynh, Thi Luong, Chi Nguyen, Adele Pham, Vu Pham, Minh Tran, Tai Tu, Thao Tu, Thuy Tu, Margaret Vu, William Vuong, and Vinh Wong.

Episode 5: Leadership & Activism in the Vietnamese Community (April 2020)

In our last episode of Vietnamese Portland, activists and community leaders described their advocacy work for Portland’s Vietnamese community, and other people of color. They tell us about their work in politics, urban planning and healthcare, where they strive for better representation and resources for Vietnamese-Americans. Featuring: Thuy Dam, Phil Duong, Bick Huynh, Chau Huynh, Thi Luong, Tommy Ngo, Chi Nguyen, Jacques Nguyen, Mary Nguyen, Man Ninh, Connie Nguyen-Truong, Adele Pham, Khanh Pham, Vu Pham, Minh Tran, Anthony Truong, Thao Tu, Thuy Tu, Margaret Vu, and Vinh Wong.

Episode 6: 2020 (March 2021)

In this special edition of Vietnamese Portland members of the community reflect on what it has been like to live through the monumental year of 2020. They describe how COVID-19 has changed their lives, what it has been like to live in Portland during the George Floyd protest, and how the Vietnamese community responded to the 2020 presidential election. Featuring: Khoi Dinh, Stephen Nghiem, David Ngo, Adele Pham, Thu Thuy Tran, Tina Semko.