To Vietnam, With Love Beyond the ethereal temples and idyllic forests of Vietnam lies a separate reality that contradicts the romanticized perspective I had of my home country. I expected to see the neon lights of Hoi An or the majestic mountains of Ninh Bình featured in the film Kong: Skull Island. Instead, as I peered out the window of a taxi on my first day in Vietnam, my eyes fixed upon a far different scene. Outside of a...

As the Thalassemia patient walked by, condescending whispers about her facial deformities arose. This prompted me to approach her, and I apologized on behalf of the bystanders. In fragmented speech, she revealed her husband left her for the same reason the onlookers acted in that way — fear and a lack of understanding. Moments before, I attended the hospital’s Thalassemia consultation for patients, potential gene carriers, and, like me, those curious about the disorder. The obvious faces of disgust as...

As I seek to explore East Asian studies and languages, I find myself drawn to new perspectives that continuously enrich my studies. After speaking with Thalassemia patients in Vietnam who experienced discrimination due to their facial deformities, I received new insights on the importance of spreading awareness and the perils of misinformation. My aspirations continued through linguistic and cultural exchanges at home with Vietnamese exchange students my family hosts, whose insight prompted me to eliminate racial biases by fostering mutual...

Brown provides what I lack at home in Nebraska: a vibrant hub for cultural exchange, opportunity, and discovery. As someone who grew up in a homogenous community, I crave the multidimensional environment that Brown fosters through its diverse student body and cultural exchange, and I will devote myself to furthering that spirit of interconnectedness. I see myself hosting workshops and initiating community discussions to empower the Asian community in Providence as part of the Asian / American Political Alliance, and motivated...

The band I play in is one like no other. There’s an astrology loving violinist, a Rubik’s cube genius as a trumpeter, a guitarist with artistic sleeping positions, a succulent enthusiast for a pianist, and me, a self-taught Chinese dizi flute player. This band doesn’t have the right blend of instruments nor the experience of the marching band section I lead, yet I eagerly await our attempts to harmonize during the holidays. I take pride in being...

Pachinko (Min Jin Lee) The Awakening (Kate Chopin) Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) My Brilliant Friend (Elena Ferrante) A Farewell to Arms (Ernest Hemingway) Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston) Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck) Macbeth (William Shakespeare) Long Way Down (Jason Reynolds) Into the Wild (Jon Krakauer) My Sister’s Keeper (Jodi Picoult)

Fiction: The Sympathizer (Viet Thanh Nguyen) ; Kafka on the Shore (Haruki Murakami) Dumb Luck (Vu Trong Phung) ; The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde) ; Watership Down (Richard Adams) Poetry: Night Sky With Exit Wounds (Ocean Vuong) Short Stories: Nine stories (J.D. Salinger) ; 55 Short Stories from the New Yorker Nonfiction: Last Night I Dreamed of Peace: The Diary of Dang Thuy Tram ; We Should All Be Feminists (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie) ; Who Rules the World? (Noam Chomsky) ; Homo Deus: A History...

Publications: The New Yorker, Humans of New York, Weekly Shonen Jump, VnExpress Websites: Southeast Asia Globe, Reddit (r/explainlikeimfive, r/Vietnam), Association for Asian Studies (member), XKCD - A Webcomic of Romance, Sarcasm, Math, and Language; The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows Journals: Asymptote Journal (Journal for the translated works of the world), The Journal of Vietnamese Studies (University of California Press), Journal of Southeast Asian Studies (Cambridge) Podcasts: Freakonomics, Ted Talks Daily, Talk To Me In Korean

Movies: The Post, Perfect Blue, Parasite, Your Name, Spirited Away, The Vietnam War (Ken Burns and Lynn novick) , The West (Ken Burns and Stephen Ives), The Civil War (Ken Burns) Albums: You Never Walk Alone (BTS), The Album (Blackpink), Reflection (V.K), Eye of the Storm (ONE OK ROCK) Shows: Banana Fish, The Office, Demon Slayer, Pinocchio (Kdrama), Great Pretender, My Brilliant Friend, Hunter x Hunter Museums: Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, University of Nebraska State Museum - Morrill Hall, Sheldon...

It was past midnight when I heard a faint knocking on my door. I had been practicing my speeches for the upcoming NSDA National Tournament but quickly halted, believing my voice had caused a disturbance. To my pleasant surprise, it was only Anna, one of the Vietnamese exchange students my family was hosting. She wanted to listen to my speeches. She was also awake, practicing her own presentations for school. She informed me that in Vietnam, high schools rarely offered...

I seek in Columbia what I lack at home in Nebraska: a vibrant hub for cultural exchange, opportunity, and discovery. As someone who grew up in a homogenous community, I crave the multidimensional environment that Columbia fosters through its diverse student body and cultural immersion. Columbia’s Arts Initiative would provide me with tickets to museums in the bustling metropolis that is New York City, and its Vietnamese Students Association would allow me to use my voice to preserve my...

For my patient diary project in Vietnam, I sat side by side with patients and listened to their stories. I was fascinated and enlightened with their traditions, and I sympathized with them when they expressed their worries. However, I had a uniform response to every story: I simply nodded along. I was frustrated by my broken Vietnamese, as my dinner table level fluency with my parents in Nebraska was clearly proving insufficient. Thus, I enhanced my language capabilities through Vietnamese...

My engagement with Asian culture and language continuously leads me to new topics of scholarly interest. For my patient diary project in Vietnam, I sat side by side with patients and listened intently to their stories and concerns. However, I had a uniform response to every story: I simply nodded along. The activist inside me was frustrated by the language barrier I had encountered and my inability to speak proper Vietnamese - my dinner table level fluency with my parents...

Duke provides what I lack at home in Nebraska: a vibrant hub for cultural exchange, opportunity, and discovery. With my interests in East Asian and global studies, I crave the multidimensional environment Duke fosters through its diverse student body and cultural immersion. I see myself collaborating with international communities to address societal issues through DukeEngage, and motivated by my own experiences immigrating to America, I see myself working with passionate individuals to uphold immigrant rights through the Duke Immigrant and...

The band I play in is one like no other. There’s an astrology loving violinist, a Rubik’s cube genius as a trumpeter, a guitarist with artistic sleeping positions, a succulent enthusiast for a pianist, and me, a self-taught Chinese dizi flute player. This band doesn’t have the right blend of instruments nor the experience of the marching band section I lead, yet I eagerly await our attempts to harmonize during the holidays. I take pride in being...

Growing up in a homogenous community in the Midwest, my perspective of Vietnam was molded by world history textbooks and western stereotypes. Thus, when my family decided to host foreign exchange students from Vietnam, I became a stranger in my own home. Our cultures were simply too disparate, and the result was silence. To end this placidness, I aimed to foster cultural exchange through speech culture, which wasn’t prevalent in Vietnam. Every week, students would present a topic concerning...

Hi roomie! I am so excited to meet you! You’re probably wondering what that fishy smell is, but that fried, banana shaped thing attached to this note is Cá Com Chiên Giòn. I would’ve given it to you in person, but I’m rarely home. You can find me at local museums sketching out antiques, teaching English nearby, or at the ice skating rink covered in bruises. I’ll pick up your favorite boba when I...

As the Thalassemia patient walked by, condescending whispers about her facial deformities arose. This prompted me to approach her, and I apologized on behalf of the bystanders. In fragmented speech, she revealed her husband left her for the same reason the onlookers acted in that way — fear and a lack of understanding. Moments before, I attended the hospital’s Thalassemia consultation for patients, potential gene carriers, and, like me, those curious about the disorder. The obvious faces of disgust as...

I take pride in being a host sister for Vietnamese exchange students and cherish the responsibilities that come with it. For the younger students, I help polish their English skills while teaching them how to read music in preparation for middle school band, an activity unavailable in Vietnam. For the older students, I introduced them to high school speech and debate. In the beginning, they came with slides and prepared speeches I would help them construct, but their rehearsed presentations...

“You speak English well.” This was the remark of the airline agent who welcomed passengers back to the U.S. as we disembarked from a long international flight. To the agent, my one sentence answer to how my day went was sufficient enough for him to deduce my English ability. To me, his comment was a rebuke of my American identity, as he clearly viewed me as just a foreigner coming in from Vietnam. As I stood at the border...

As I seek to explore East Asian studies and languages, I find myself drawn to new perspectives that continuously enrich my studies. After witnessing discrimination towards Thalassemia patients with facial deformities in Vietnam, I conducted a survey that revealed that the inefficiency of Thalassemia information sessions led to a lack of understanding that instigates discrimination. Hence, I presented these findings to the Thalassemia department head to improve the sessions. Recognizing the harm of damaging stereotypes, I devoted myself to fostering...

As I seek to explore Asian studies and international relations, I find myself drawn to new perspectives that incessantly enrich my studies. After witnessing discrimination towards Thalassemia patients with facial deformities in Vietnam, I conducted a survey that revealed the inefficiency of Thalassemia information sessions led to a lack of understanding that instigates discrimination. Hence, I presented these findings to the Thalassemia department head to improve the sessions. My aspirations continued through cultural exchanges at home with Vietnamese exchange students,...

I seek engagement and connection with my audience. Whether it’s a slight nod from my judges after a debate or a comment on a newspaper article I wrote, I pay attention to the slightest reactions and respond with the biggest smile.

Microaggressions induce discrimination, cementing the differences in our skin color and culture. Its ramifications, however, are most efficiently mitigated through conversation. After listening and speaking to the other minorities at my school for an article I wrote on implicit discrimination, I felt empowered to speak out, and they did too.

My Aunt, a teacher in rural Vietnam, taught impoverished students for free while battling with cancer. Although she lost her fight, her altruistic acts compel me to actively seek ways to contribute to my community and to “think of others before myself.”

Thin and crispy waffle fries make the perfect Saturday night snack, oozing an essence of delicacy regardless of the occasion.

“Daydream” by J-Hope of BTS; Besides being my most played song of the year on Spotify, it reflects my tendency to revel in my imagination. Regardless of how far-fetched my ambitions may be, it’s my desire to turn those daydreams into reality that motivates me every day.

The band I play in is like no other. There’s an astrology loving violinist, a Rubik’s cube genius as a trumpeter, a guitarist with artistic sleeping positions, a succulent enthusiast for a pianist, and me, a self-taught dizi player. This band lacks the right blend of instruments and expertise, yet I eagerly await our attempts to harmonize during the holidays. I take pride in being a host sister for Vietnamese exchange students. I teach English and how to...

As someone who grew up in a homogenous community, I crave the multidimensional environment that Pomona fosters through its diverse student body and cultural exchange. Thus, I will devote myself to furthering the spirit of interconnectedness by utilizing the same values I championed in Nebraska: empowerment and mutual understanding. I see myself hosting workshops and initiating community discussions to empower the Asian community in Claremont as part of the Asian American Resource Center, and motivated by my own experiences immigrating...

I seek in Princeton what I lack at home in Nebraska: a vibrant hub for cultural exchange, opportunity, and discovery. In this environment that champions interconnectedness, I plan on pursuing an East Asian Studies major while exploring my interest in international affairs and global health in order to emerge as a more insightful and perceptive scholar. The Department of East Asian Studies’s emphasis on research challenges me to actively apply my knowledge beyond the classroom with its various study...

As the Thalassemia patient walked by, condescending whispers about her facial deformities soon arose. Their harsh treatment of the patient prompted me to approach her, and I apologized on behalf of the bystanders. In a soft voice, she revealed her husband left her for the same reason the onlookers acted in that way — fear and a lack of understanding. Moments before, I attended the hospital’s Thalassemia consultation for potential gene carriers and, like me, those wanting to know more...

“You speak English well.” This was the remark of the airline agent who welcomed passengers back to the U.S. as we disembarked from a long international flight. To the agent, my one sentence answer to how my day went was sufficient enough for him to deduce my English ability. To me, his comment was a rebuke of my American identity, as he clearly viewed me as a foreigner coming in from Vietnam. As I stood at the border of...

The band I play in is one like no other. There’s an astrology loving violinist, a Rubik’s cube genius as a trumpeter, a guitarist with artistic sleeping positions, a succulent enthusiast for a pianist, and me, a self-taught Chinese dizi flute player. This band doesn’t have the right blend of instruments nor the experience of the marching band section I lead, yet I eagerly await our attempts to harmonize during the holidays. My story started in Vietnam...

Japanese Noh Theatre performances incessantly fascinate me, and the seductive portrayal of love in the Tale of Genji enchanted me even through a screen. Through Princeton’s Performing Arts Council, I am excited to try acting on a stage and seeing my debate voice take on a more expressive form.

I seek engagement and connection with my audience. Whether it’s a slight nod from my judges after a debate or a comment on a newspaper article I wrote, I pay attention to the slightest reactions and respond with the biggest smile.

“Daydream” by J-Hope of BTS; Besides being my most played song of the year on Spotify, it reflects my tendency to revel in my imagination. Regardless of how far-fetched my ambitions may be, it’s my desire to turn those daydreams into reality that motivates me every day.

Too often, people are quick to judge but reluctant to listen. This leads to a lack of understanding that induces discrimination, cementing the differences in our skin color and culture. Willful ignorance prevents progress. We must learn from each other, respect one another, and most importantly, listen.

- Conducted research in Vietnam, led cultural exchanges (ConnectUS), sold artwork, and saved jellyfish on a Vietnamese shore - Completed social science research at Bethel College, taught international students debate through zoom, competed at NSDA Debate Nationals, learned Korean with my penpal, and developed an obsession with weasel poop coffee

“Don't burn this. It has fire in it already.” During the Vietnam War, physician Dang Thuy Tram’s wartime diary eluded incineration after a South Vietnamese interpreter uttered these lines to Frederick Whitehurst, an American soldier tasked with burning enemy documents. I desire to see this moment where humanity transcends hatred.

After speaking with Thalassemia patients who experienced discrimination due to their facial deformities, I felt compelled to act. My survey found that the inefficiency of the hospital’s Thalassemia information sessions led to a lack of understanding, instigating discrimination. I presented these findings to the Thalassemia department to improve the sessions.

Japanese Noh Theatre performances incessantly fascinate me, and the seductive portrayal of love in the Tale of Genji enchanted me even through a screen. As part of Stanford’s Asian American Theater Project, I am excited to try acting and seeing my debate voice take on a more expressive form.

My engagement with Vietnamese culture and language continuously leads me to new topics of scholarly interest. For my patient diary project in Vietnam, I sat side by side with patients and listened intently to their stories and concerns. However, I had a uniform response to every story: I simply nodded along. The activist inside me was frustrated by the language barrier I had encountered and my inability to speak proper Vietnamese - my dinner table level fluency with my parents...

Hi roomie! I am beyond excited to meet you! I love to talk, whether it’s to myself when I’m learning Korean, to the wall when I’m practicing my speeches, or when I’m sleeping (in Vietnamese)! Our late night study sessions, rants, and inside jokes will certainly be memorable. I have so much to ask you, and you probably have lots of questions for me too! Thus, I’ll get some out of the way for you. ...

“You speak English well.” To the airline agent, my one sentence answer to how my day went was sufficient enough for him to deduce my English ability. To me, his comment was a rebuke of my American identity, as he clearly viewed me as a foreigner coming in from Vietnam. As I stood at the border of the nation that raised me, I felt isolated and excluded after a single remark. Eager to expose microaggressions like this one, I interviewed...

Amidst the graceful rolling hills and the tranquil rice fields of rural Vietnam, a dirt road is concealed. The pleasant view embodies all the spectrums of romance and fantasy, from the fairy-like flowers to the tinted clouds floating above. Dull and direct, the road is seemingly unsuitable for the scenery, yet it is essential for the balance. Beyond a means for transportation, it is the line of symmetry necessary to distinguish between rhetoric and reality. It is a book without...

UChicago provides what I lack at home in Nebraska: a vibrant hub for cultural exchange, opportunity, and discovery. In this environment that champions interconnectedness and individuality, I plan on pursuing an East Asian Civilizations major while exploring my interest in global studies in order to emerge as a more insightful and perceptive scholar. As someone who grew up in a homogenous community, I crave the multidimensional environment that UChicago fosters through its diverse student body, cultural exchange, and absence of...

The band I play in is one like no other. There’s an astrology loving violinist, a Rubik’s cube genius as a trumpeter, a guitarist with artistic sleeping positions, a succulent enthusiast for a pianist, and me, a self-taught Chinese dizi flute player. This band doesn’t have the right blend of instruments nor the experience of the marching band section I lead, yet I eagerly await our attempts to harmonize during the holidays. I take pride in being...

As I seek to explore Asian studies and languages, I find myself drawn to new perspectives that continuously enrich my studies. After speaking with Thalassemia patients in Vietnam who experienced discrimination due to their facial deformities, I felt compelled to act. My survey found that the inefficiency of the hospital’s Thalassemia information sessions led to a lack of understanding, instigating discrimination, and I presented these findings to the Thalassemia department head to improve the sessions. My aspirations continued through...

The band I play in is one like no other. There’s an astrology loving violinist, a Rubik’s cube genius as a trumpeter, a guitarist with artistic sleeping positions, a succulent enthusiast for a pianist, and me, a self-taught Chinese dizi flute player. This band doesn’t have the right blend of instruments nor the experience of the marching band section I lead, yet I eagerly await our attempts to harmonize during the holidays. I take pride in being...

“You speak English well.” To the airline agent, my one sentence answer to how my day went was sufficient enough for him to deduce my English ability. To me, his comment was a rebuke of my American identity, as he clearly viewed me as a foreigner coming in from Vietnam. As I stood at the border of the nation that raised me, I felt isolated and excluded after a single remark. Eager to expose microaggressions like this one, I interviewed...

For my patient diary project in Vietnam, I sat side by side with patients and listened intently to their stories and concerns. However, I had a uniform response to every story: I simply nodded along. I was frustrated by the language barrier I had encountered and my inability to speak proper Vietnamese - my dinner table level fluency with my parents in Nebraska was clearly proving insufficient. Hence, I looked to my grandfather’s Vietnamese poetry collection to enhance my...

Penn provides what I lack at home in Nebraska: a vibrant hub for cultural exchange, opportunity, and discovery. As someone who grew up in a homogenous community, I crave the multidimensional environment that Penn fosters through its diverse student body and cultural exchange. Through the Vietnamese Students’ Association, I can use my voice to preserve my country’s history and tradition, and as part of SPEC-TRUM, I see myself hosting concerts and planning socials to represent other minority groups on...

For my patient diary project in Vietnam, I sat side by side with patients and listened intently to their stories. I was fascinated by their traditions, and I sympathized with them when they voiced their financial concerns or contempt over government apathy. However, I had a uniform response to every story: I simply nodded along. The activist inside me was frustrated by the language barrier I had encountered and my inability to speak proper Vietnamese - my dinner table level...

I seek in USC what I lack at home in Nebraska: a vibrant hub for cultural exchange, opportunity, and discovery. In this environment that champions interconnectedness, I plan on exploring the intersection between East Asian linguistics, history, and tradition in order to emerge as a more open minded and perceptive scholar. Being Vietnamese, I wish to study the historical connections with China, whose history has been intertwined with Vietnam since before the Common Era. With courses like China in International...

Describe yourself in three words: Evolving, Animated, Balanced What is your favorite snack? Home grown mung beans Best movie of all time: Perfect Blue, but anything else by Satoshi Kon would suffice Dream job: If I had time, manga artist; I’d continue the rough drafts I have at home If your life had a theme song, what would it be? It’s my life by Bon Jovi Dream trip: Flying to Japan to attend Noh plays in person, starting...

“You speak English well.” To the passenger service agent, my one sentence answer to how my day went was sufficient enough for him to deduce my English ability. To me, his one sentence reply was able to shatter my confidence and the perception I had of my own language capabilities. As I stood at the border of the nation that raised me, I felt isolated and excluded after a single remark. I dwelled on those feelings when I returned home,...

The band I play in is one like no other. There’s an astrology loving violinist, a Rubik’s cube genius as a trumpeter, a guitarist with artistic sleeping positions, a succulent enthusiast for a pianist, and me, a self-taught dizi player. This band certainly doesn’t have the right blend of instruments nor the experience of the low reeds section I lead in marching band, yet our attempt to harmonize every holiday is what brings me the most gratification. ...

My engagement with Vietnamese culture and language continuously leads me to new topics of scholarly interest. For my patient diary project in Vietnam, I sat side by side with patients and listened intently to their stories and concerns. However, I had a uniform response to every story: I simply nodded along. The activist inside me was frustrated by the language barrier I had encountered and my inability to speak proper Vietnamese - my dinner table level fluency with my parents...

After witnessing discrimination towards Thalassemia patients with facial deformities in Vietnam, I conducted a survey that revealed that the inefficiency of Thalassemia information sessions led to a lack of understanding that instigates discrimination. Hence, I presented these findings to the Thalassemia department head to improve the sessions. Recognizing the harm of damaging stereotypes, I devoted myself to fostering a more interconnected society with a global mindset. My aspirations continued through cultural exchanges at home with Vietnamese exchange students, whose insight...

Yale provides what I lack at home in Nebraska: a vibrant hub for cultural exchange, opportunity, and discovery. From its residential-college system to the cultural immersion and research opportunities the Council on East Asian Studies offers, Yale embodies the value of interconnectedness by encouraging the synergistic interaction of different individuals. Pursuing interdisciplinary study, I also plan on taking full advantage of Yale’s extensive course offerings taught by world-class professors, including classes on ancient China, whose history has been intertwined...

My Aunt, a teacher in rural Vietnam, taught impoverished students for free while battling with cancer. Although she lost her fight, her altruism compels me to actively seek ways to help others.

For writer Vu Trong Phung: “Dumb Luck” mocks Vietnamese obsession with Europeanization during the time of French colonization. Did you expect this attitude to still be prevalent in the 21st century?

East Asian Horror Literature, with guest speaker Junji Ito. Utilizing literary elements to expose societal issues in East Asia, horror fiction sheds light on a darker side of humanity.

I’m the spontaneous party planner who hosts karaoke nights, decorates our suite with origami, and makes cultural dishes at midnight to share the next day. I hope my suitemates share their recipes too!

My engagement with Vietnamese culture and language continuously leads me to new topics of scholarly interest. For my patient diary project in Vietnam, I sat side by side with patients and listened intently to their stories and concerns. However, I had a uniform response to every story: I simply nodded along. The activist inside me was frustrated by the language barrier I had encountered and my inability to speak proper Vietnamese - my dinner table level fluency with my parents...

The band I play in is one like no other. There’s an astrology loving violinist, a Rubik’s cube genius as a trumpeter, a guitarist with artistic sleeping positions, a succulent enthusiast for a pianist, and me, a self-taught Chinese dizi flute player. This band doesn’t have the right blend of instruments nor the experience of the marching band section I lead, yet I eagerly await our attempts to harmonize during the holidays. I take pride in being...