Young people living with the problems of their generation, looking to the future and at the same time looking for a connection to their parents' generation.
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There are many things that remind each of us of our Vietnamese root, such as water spinach, pottery, a commemorative room from our grandparents' time, or familiar expressions in daily life such as "uh huh".
With very unique ways, all of these are incorporated into the literary materials of Eric Nguyen, a second-generation Vietnamese writer in the US, Vu Anh Duong and Do Van Hoang, Vietnamese writers. Their materials of MY VIETNAM project “Pretty Nails” (Eric Nguyen), “The Room” (Vu Anh Duong) and “Coca, water spinach, garlic” (Do Van Hoang) share creative reflections of second-generation Vietnamese in the US and in Vietnam.
It is the story of a second-generation Vietnamese girl in the US about communicating with her traumatized mother during the war about her passions, becoming a ceramic artist and possibly working in Vietnam. It is also the story of an American overseas Vietnamese man who gave up his life in the US, learned Vietnamese and wanted to "live like a Vietnamese". And there is also the story of a young Vietnamese boy whose childhood moved with his parents and loved the game of buying coke with a coin so much that he forgot his mother told him to buy water spinach, garlic, and chili.
They are the young ones that lives with the problems of their generation, looking toward the future and at the same time on a journey to find a link with their parents' generation. The talk "
Stories of the new American-Vietnamese generation" will introduce to the public the materials of second-generation Vietnamese young writers in the US and Vietnamese writers in Vietnam, and at the same time opens a space for sharing, comparison and reflecting about stories of memory and hope for the future.
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These are documents of MY VIETNAM, a project about Vietnamese identities across borders implemented by the Goethe-Institut in collaboration with local partners. The project got financial support from the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam and other individuals. This event is one of three events being organized from May to July, 2023 to introduce project materials.
MODERATOR
Quyen Nguyen (*1984)
Quyen Nguyen is a Doctor of English literature and an independent researcher and critic.
Photo (detail): © Private
She is an English-Vietnamese translator. Her published translated works include What We Talk When We Talk Love by Raymond Carver (co-translator), Atonement by Ian McEwan, Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. She is also the co-founder of a non-profit literary website Zzz Review in Vietnam.
SPEAKERS
Dr. Phùng Hà Thanh
Photo (detail): © Privat
Dr. Phùng Hà Thanh is a lecturer at Division of International Studies, vice-dean of Faculty of Linguistics and Cultures of English-speaking Countries, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University Hanoi, where she and her colleagues are launching a new B.A program in transnational cultural and media studies. Thanh has recently been pursuing research and media projects on Vietnamese identities.
Eric Nguyen (*1988, Washington D.C.)
Photo (detail): © Tim Coburn
Eric Nguyen earned an MFA in Creative Writing from McNeese State University in Louisiana. He is the editor in chief of diaCRITICS.org. Things we lost to the Water is his debut novel.
www.ericpnguyen.com/writings.html
Do Van Hoang (*1987)
Photo (detail): © Private
Do Van Hoang is a filmmaker and writer. He graduated from Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema, major in Screenwriting in 2011. He has been working as a writer and director since then and created a number of works, including short fictions/documentaries, video art, TV series and music videos. His films were screened in Hanoi DocFest, Yamagata Film Festival, Centre Pompidou, Guangdong Times Museum, and documenta 15.
Vu Anh Duong (*1985)
Photo (detail): © Private
Vu Anh Duong is a screenwriter, film critic and lecturer in Communication and Film Studies at various universities such as Hutech, Hoa Sen, FPT. He is also a judge in several film competitions and runs a Facebook page dedicated to cinema named Vivacinema.
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