502 - Does Staying "Politically Correct" Ruin Your Relationship With Your Elders? - Van Tran Nguyen

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen · Jun 2, 2026 · 1h · transcript

In this episode, Ken sits down with artist, filmmaker, and Georgetown University Professor Van Tran Nguyen to talk about her highly anticipated film, The Mother Lode.

Van breaks down the profound sense memories that anchor the diaspora—from sitting encapsulated under a poncho on a rainy Saigon scooter during Tết, to watching parents release generational trauma by "wailing" banned, deeply emotional music over hot pot steam in suburban basements. As a young woman of color navigating the elite, deeply political structures of academia in Washington, D.C., Van pulls no punches. She…