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Thờ Mẫu: Vietnam’s Worship of Mother Goddess of Three Realms recognized by UNESCO World Heritage in

Trami Nguyen Cron

Sep 6, 2017

Thờ Mẫu: Vietnam’s Worship of Mother Goddess of Three Realms recognized by UNESCO World Heritage in

This story has been republished from VietnamEazy.com As a kid in Saigon I remember my grandmother taking me to watch Lên Đồng, or Spirit Possession Rituals, in the evenings after dinner has been served. She dressed up and took me down alley ways somewhere in our neighborhood to someone's house. The home is packed with people sitting or standing around a small stage. It is large enough for about five people, 4 were attendants and the person who is designated as the receiver of

Vietnamese Pop, Is There Such a Thing?

Jun 9, 2017

Vietnamese Pop, Is There Such a Thing?

It is undeniable Vietnamese American youths enjoy American pop culture. They also gravitate toward Japanese anime, Korean pop music, and Chinese Hong Kong movies and dramas. But what is V-Pop? Vietnamese Americans do not yet have our own unique form of modern day cultural pastime. Therefore, we look to other cultures for entertainment. However, if you are Vietnamese, you would have heard of “Paris By Night.” This variety show began exclusively in Paris then later moved their

Framing A Vietnamese Identity

Jason R. Nguyen

Mar 22, 2017

Framing A Vietnamese Identity

As a researcher of the cultural life of Vietnamese living overseas, one of the major lenses through which I analyze their world is semiotics: the study of symbols and meaning. Because of the many overseas Vietnamese who left their homeland in the late 20th century, I often think about what being Vietnamese means to people who feel disconnected from the geographic symbol of Vietnam. When someone says, "Tôi là người Việt Nam" (I am a Vietnamese person), what other concepts of s

Pretty Girls Get Married and Boys Need to Provide: Patriarchy in Vietnamese Culture

Mar 15, 2017

Pretty Girls Get Married and Boys Need to Provide: Patriarchy in Vietnamese Culture

When I was a kid, I played outside every day. Often I came home with scrapes and bruises. "You are going to get a scar and nobody will want to marry you," my mom would scold me. "Con gái phải xinh đẹp. Girls have to be pretty. Stop playing outside." Her words terrified me. Playing so hard that I occasionally hurt myself could decrease my marriage value, and I would be considered a creature unworthy of matrimony—a failure. For a long time, I wanted badly to be a boy, so I coul