Happy Birthday to Us

Two years ago, on Oct 10, 2018 I published my first podcast episode 'Prelude', a ten minute soliloquy of what it was like growing up in America as a refugee child, the financial and emotional struggles, the resiliency I observed in my parents and the disconnect between my family's past and my children's present. It was in this introduction that a personal journey began, and the mission of Vietnamese Boat People podcast and nonprofit was born. 

Today, I am extremely humbled that VBP has reached two years. When I started this journey, I didn't know where the podcast would go and had no expectations on outcomes. What I did have and still today, is commitment and passion from a team of volunteers that believe the stories of our community are inspiring, important and deserve to be heard and preserved. Together, we are so honored that this simple message has resonated with thousands of supporters and listeners, helping us grow and reach our potential. And this is just the beginning.

Since 2018, we have published 23 episodes across three seasons. We have participated in community events to raise awareness of the stories of the Vietnamese diaspora and supported the work of other organizations on Asian American narratives and current refugee stories. We’ve also recorded stories for families outside of our podcast and launched the first Mỹ (American) Việt (Vietnamese) Story Slam.

Our work has been recognized by notable organizations in the humanities space, proving that what we do is not just important for the legacy of the Vietnamese community, but also for current issues on refugee and immigrant experiences, suppression of marginalized voices and growing racial biases. We want to thank Asian Women Giving Circle, New Jersey Council for the Humanities and Asian Women in Business for their support these past two years. And to PRX / Google for selecting us as 1 of 20, out of thousands of applicants for their 2021 Podcast Creators program, to help us take our podcast to the next level.

We ended Season 3 this year with 'Second Gen' an episode that forces us to have the dialogue on how the past has influenced our present, the impact of family trauma for generations to come, and the strength it takes of the younger generations to break the silence. With all that is going on in our world, the rest of 2020 will be about encouraging our community to focus on mental health and the importance of supporting family, friends, colleagues and communities during these challenging times. 

We are working hard at planning for 2021, a new year and hopefully one that will bring an end to the pandemic and a deeper connection to mother nature and mankind. In the next few months we will share with you details on Season 4, Story Slam 2021, VBP Conversation Kit and our vision for growing VBP globally and creating a lasting digital footprint. 

We could not have done any of this without you. We know your days are filled with other priorities and we are so grateful that you make time to listen to our stories, follow our social media and contribute to the narrative. Thank you for joining us and staying with us throughout this journey.