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EXPERIENCE

• 1972-present
  Expert on Vietnamese and Vietnamese American issues - participation in many conferences and seminars on current issues.

• 1972-present
  Musician - Ðàn Tranh (Vietnamese traditional 16-string zither).
  — 2008-present   Teaching đàn tranh, Vietnamese 16-string zither, for 10 Grade 3-5 students and 10 Grade 6-8 students at Folk Arts - Cultural Treasure Charter School, Philadelphia.
  — Performances at
  • Regular private and public benefit performances.
  • Muse on Đàn tranh, or flyer in English, at the Long Island Children's Museum (Garden City, New York), Tết Trung Thu Festival, Saturday, November 5, and Sunday, November 6, 2011, 12:00 - 1:45 pm & 3:00 - 4:00 pm.
  • Muse on Vietnamese folk songs with the Đàn Tranh zither at the Chatham University Global Focus: Year of Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Welker Room, James Laughlin Music Center, Chatham University (Pittsburgh, PA), 10:30-11:30 AM, October 26, 2011.
  • Đàn Tranh performance at the 16th Annual Mid-Autumn Festival, September 10, 2011, organized by Asian American United and Folk Arts–Cultural Treasures Charter School, 10th & Arch Street, Philadelphia
  • 1:00 PM and 4:30 PM programs on Vietnamese Quan họ Mời nước mời trầu [Offering Tea and Betel] and Đàn tranh solo Lưu thuỷ Hành vân [Flowing water & Fleeting cloud] with Artist Mme. Lê Hoài Hương at the Third Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration, May 14, 2011 at the SUNY Stony Brook Charles B. Wang Center Theater. See APAHM leaflet.
  • Vietnamese Night with Keynote Dr. Ngô Thanh Nhàn, Saturday, February 5, 2011, 6:00 PM, Flow Theater, St. Cloud State University, MN.
  • Mầm Non Troupe's Cultural Performance for the Lễ Vu Lan Vesak Day by the Mid New Jersey Vietnamese American Buddhist Community, Sunday, August 22, 2010 at the U.S. Auto Worker Hall, 56 Vineyard Road, Edison, NJ 08817.
  • Ngo Thanh Nhan: scholar, musician, activist. By Elizabeth Sayre, in Works In Progress, magazine of the Philadelphia Folklore Project, Volume 23: 1-2, 2010 Spring, pp. 6-9, 20-21, 29. Click here for the same copy.
  • "Amitabha Mantra of Rebirth in Pureland" chant with Vietnamese ceremonial music Lưu thuỷ and Kim tiền, and the southern folksong, Song of the Starling, on the Vietnamese đàn tranh at the International Recognition of the Day of Vesak, United Nations, co-ordinated by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Nations, ECOSOC Chamber, May 21, 2010.
  • Vietnam Cultural Show: A Journey Through Vietnam, organized by Temple Vietnamese Student Association, at Temple Student Center Underground, 1:00 - 4:00 pm, April 25, 2010, Item #10, "Đàn Tranh". Sponsored by the Center for Vietnamese Philosophy, Culture & Society.
  • "Amitabha Mantra of Rebirth in Pureland" chant with Vietnamese ceremonial music Lưu thuỷ and Kim tiền on the Vietnamese đàn tranh at the International Recognition of the Day of Vesak, United Nations, ECOSOC Chamber, May 15, 2009.
  • Playing đàn tranh in Sacrifice: Meditations on the Vietnam Experience with Billy Bang and Yusef Komunyakaa and the Columbia/Harlem Jazz Project, 7:30 pm April 1, 2009 at the Harlem Stage Gatehouse, New York. See Season announcement and Program.
  • Playing đàn tranh in Sketches of Vietnam with Billy Bang's Jazz Aftermath Band at Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, Pittsburgh (PA), November 8, 2008 at 8:00 pm. See Press Release and post card.
  • Solo đàn tranh performance at the 13th Annual Mid-Autumn Festival organized by Asian American United, Chinatown, Philadelphia, September 13, 2008
  • Vietnamese music and poetry in Global Temple Live! at Rock Hall Auditorium, Temple University, Philadelphia (PA), 7:30 PM, November 16, 2006.
  • Vietnamese poetry and music at Northeast Cultural Coop Meeting House, Amherst (NH), 7:00 PM, July 25, 2006
  • Spring Essence — Poetry of Hồ Xuân Hương at Wright Hall Auditorium, Smith College, Northampton (MA), 7:30 PM, March 14, 2006
  • Spring Essence — Poetry of Hồ Xuân Hương at Kalamazoo Air Zoo, Smithsonian Exhibit Grand Opening (MI), 7:00 PM, February 20, 2006
  • Spring Essence — Poetry of Ho Xuan Huong at Tyler-Tallman Recital Hall, Davidson College (NC), September 6, 2005
  • Vision X Jazz Festival with Billy Bang Quartet, Shoji Hano and Todd Nicholson at Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts (NY), June 18, 2005
  • Vietnam Reflections—CD Release Concert with Billy Bang's Jazz Aftermath Band at Jazz Standard (NY), May 10-11, 2005
  • Spring Essence — Poetry of Ho Xuan Huong at Lotus Leaf Café (NC), April 17, 2005
  • The Vietnamese Chu Nôm Script — Poetry and Preservation at Johnson State College (VT), Julian Scott Memorial Gallery, March 8, 2005
  • Spring Essence — Poetry of Ho Xuan Huong at Vassar University (NY), February 24, 2005
  • The Vietnamese Chu Nôm Script — Poetry and Preservation at Temple University (PA), February 18, 2005, see pictures
  • The Vietnamese Chu Nôm Script — Poetry and Preservation at Villanova University (PA), February 17, 2005
  • Vietnam Reflections II with Billy Bang's Jazz Aftermath Band at Théâtre Jean-Vilar, Vitry-sur-Seine, Paris (France), February 5, 2005
  • Spring Essence — Poetry of Ho Xuan Huong at the Library of Congress LJ 119 (DC), December 2, 2004
  • Spring Essence — Poetry and Preservation at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena (CA), April 11, 2004
  • Spring Essence — Poetry and Preservation at the American Museum of Natural History (NY), April 13, 2003
  • Spring Essence — The poetry of Ho Xuan Huong at National Humanities Center, Research Triangle Park (NC), November 22, 2002
  • Spring Essence — The poetry of Ho Xuan Huong at Enoch Pratt Free Library, Wheeler Auditorium (Baltimore, MD), April 6, 2002
  • Spring Essence — The poetry of Ho Xuan Huong at Casadessus Hall, SUNY Binghampton University (NY), November 7, 2001
  • Spring Essence — The poetry of Ho Xuan Huong at Weyerhauser Chapel, MacAlester College, St Paul (MN), September 29, 2001 (cf. John Habich's Xuân Huong's Way, Star Tribune, Sept 28, 2001, Variety)
  • Spring Essence — The poetry of Ho Xuan Huong at Urness Recital Hall, St Olaf College, Northfield (MN), September 28, 2001
  • World Music Festival: Spring Essence Music Workshop and World of Words Literary Reading, Field Museum, Chicago (IL), September 27, 2001.
  • The New Hampshire Community Council Out of Asia: Vietnamese Cultural Celebration, July 8, 2001, Strawberry Farm, East Alstead (NH). Spring Essence — The poetry of Ho Xuan Huong
  • Voices from Vietnam by Elizabeth Farnsworth, in a NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Jume 27, 2001
  • San José Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Main Library (CA), May 23, 2001, Spring Essence — The poetry of Ho Xuan Huong
  • Koret Auditorium, San Francisco Public Library (CA), May 22, 2001, Spring Essence — The poetry of Ho Xuan Huong
  • KQED Public Radio Forum with Michael Krasny (CA), 10:00 AM, May 21, 2001
  • Seattle Asian Art Museum (WA), March 15, 2001, Spring Essence — The poetry of Ho Xuan Huong
  • Harley U Center, Adelphi University (NY), November 18, 2000, Institute for Vietnamese Culture and Education: Founding Celebration
  • Freer Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution (DC), November 9, 2000, Spring Essence — The poetry of Ho Xuan Huong
  • Francis Martin Regional Library (Bronx, NY), sponsored by the New York Public Library and the National Book Foundation, May 18, 1998
  • the annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival at Lincoln Center, May 1980-1985, Union Square May 3, 1998
  • American Literary Translators Association Annual Conference at the University of Texas at Dallas, November 1, 1997
  • The Puffin Room's Building Bridges (NYC), February 7, 1997
  • Drew University (NJ), November 5, 1996
  • University of Texas at El Paso, March 30, 1996
  • Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, May 8, 1994
  • Asia Society, April 28, 1993
  • Joseph Papp Public Theater (NYC), April 1991

• Dec 1995-present
  performing artist with Peeling and formerly Peeling the Banana - Asian American performing arts collective:
  • Bowery Poetry Club (NYC), November 18, 2007, Sulu Series hosted by Regie Cabico, curated by Taiyo Na, with music by D.J.Boo, of the Sulu Artist Network.
  • Joseph Papp Public Theater (NYC), May 8, 1996, A benefit performance for the South Asian Youth Action! June 23, 1998
  • The Asian American Writers' Workshop (NYC), April 5-7, August 8-10, 1996, March 21-24, May 17-18, 1997, and (with CSWA May Day) May 1, 1998, November 30 to December 2, 2000
  • New Dance Alliance (NYC), May 12, 1997
  • Wesleyan University, April 13, 1996, April 19, 1997, April 30, 1999
  • Van der Mehden Theater (University of Connecticut), October 19, 1996
  • Drew University (NJ), April 5, 1997, February 20, 1998
  • Vassar University (NY), Vassar Asian American Conference, April 11, 1997, April 17-18, 1998
  • New York University, April 29, 1997 at Loeb Students Center, Asian American Javahouse April 8, 1999 at Tisch Common
  • Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival at Union Square (NY), May 4, 1997
  • Highways Performance Space, Santa Monica (CA), October 30 and 31, November 1 and 2, 1997
  • SUNY Stonybrook (NY), November 5, 1997
  • Smith College (MA), November 8, 1997
  • East Coast Asian Students Union Conference, Cornell University (NY), February 21, 1998
  • Puffin Room Gallery (NYC), March 7, May 16, 1998, Addictions October 15-17, 1999, June 7-8, 2000
  • In Our Own Write, Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center (NYC), March 26, 1998
  • Rutgers University (PA), March 28, 1998
  • Columbia University (NY), April 19, 1998
  • Second Stage Theater (NYC), April 27, May 4 and May 11, 1998
  • The Gashouse, Brecht Forum (NYC), October 10, 1998
  • A Festival of Resistance — Dia de la Raza, by NY Zapatistas, Theater for the New City (NYC), October 12, 1998
  • Stories from a Nail Salon, Club O'Noodles at EarthDance, MA, February 1-7, 1999
  • Mumia 911, The Brecht Forum (NYC), September 11, 1999
  • 25th Anniversary Celebration, The Brecht Forum (NYC), December 3, 2000
  • Reading of New Works: Revenge of the Headless Cobra, Dixon Place (NYC), October 31, 2001
  • Sins Redux: Idli by Sesh Mudumbai, Conelia Street Café (NYC), November 15, 2001
  • Bia ôm — Hugging Beer Bar (one-act play), Peeling Café, Nightingale Lounge (NYC), March 18, 2003, Under the Skin:A Festival of One-Act Plays, directed by Erwin Falcon, Pelican Studio Theater (NYC), July 18, 20, 24 & 26, 2003.
  • The First (2), Peeling Café, Nightingale Lounge (NYC), April 15, 2003, Peel This! at Webster Studio 3 of Amherst College (MA), April 19, 2003, and at Swayduck Auditorium of The New School University (NY), April 21, 2003
  • Acting as Sir in Endings and Perry in Oriental Playas, Under the Skin: A Festival of One-Act Plays, Pelican Studio Theater (NYC), July 10, 12, 24-27, 2003.

• 1998-present
  Films
  • Conversation with Dad, directed by Alfonso Nam, July 1998
  • Morning Calm, directed by Helen Lee, March 1999.
  • Little Nicky, November 1999. See also Trailer.
  • Afternoon, by Kim Spurlock, released April 2004. See clip.
  • Translator for Among Our Kin, a film by Pearl J. Park, preview July 19 2006 at the New York City Asian American Film Festival at Tribeca Cinema.

• 1998-1999
  performing artist in American Tien, a play promoted by the CSWA National Mobilization Against Sweatshops (NY) — Alexis Rehrmann (Producer & Director), Rafael M Burga (Producer & Playwright):
  • Puffin Room Gallery (NYC), May 8 and May 17, 1998
  • The Third Annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts at Theater for the New City (NYC), May 31, 1998
  • Asian American Extravaganza by ROCA Revere Project Peace (MA), July 25, 1998
  • Sharing Histories - A Lower East Side Cultural Festival, organized by Downtown Community TV and Paper Tiger Television at the Sara Roosevelt Park (NY), October 4, 1998
  • Our Stories North Star Fund: 20th Anniversary Festival (NY), October 17, 1998, Frederick Douglass Awards April 19, 1999 at Martin Luther King, Jr High School
  • First Annual Anti-Sweatshop Conference, Katherine Cornell Theater, University at Buffalo, February 6, 1999
  • Theatre for the New City, April 15-18, 22-25, 1999.

• 1983-1985
  Assistant Editor of Vietnam Culture Journal, New York.

AFFILIATION

• 2005-present: Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign, Co-coordinator and Board member, co-founder.
• 2000-present: Institute for Vietnamese Culture and Education
• 1999-4/3/2007: The Vietnamese Nôm Preservation Foundation [FL non-profit], director. [NY non-profit], Board of Directors.
• 1998-present: The Connie Hogarth Center for Social Action at Manhattanville College, Board of Directors, Manhattanville College, Purchase, NY.
• 1998-2006: The Brecht Forum [NY educational non-profit], Board of Directors
• 1994-3/24/1998: Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence - Racial Justice Committee [NY community-based non-profit]
• 1991-Jan 2000: The Vietnamese Heritage Institute [CA non-profit], Director
• 1990-1995: American Friends Service Committee, Asia Panel

RESEARCH PAPERS

1. The quest for justice for Agent Orange/Dioxin victims, at the Chatham University Global Focus: Year of Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Sanger Hall, Chatham University (Pittsburgh, PA), 6:30-9:30 PM, October 25, 2011.

2. A report on Agent Orange campaign in the United States and the Vietnamese American community, paper presented at Panel: Body, the Agent Orange: Landscape, Body, Image conference and art exhibit, May 7-9, 2009, organized by the University of California, Riverside, California Museum of Photography, Riverside.

3. A report on Agent Orange campaign in the United States, presentation at the Agent Orange Evening by the Vietnamese Students Association, Ohio Wesleyan University, Hamilton-Williams Center, April 13, 2009.

4. Global issues in Vietnamese Nôm Preservation in Panel 4, Vietnamese Philosophy, Culture & Society, Global Temple Conference, Room 217D, 10:10 AM, November 13, 2007, Temple University.

5. Xung quanh từ "xã hội hoá" trong Dự thảo Báo cáo chính trị tại Ðại hội X Ðảng Cộng sản Việt Nam (On the term "socialization" in the Draft Report at the Tenth Congress of the Vietnam Communist Party). March 2006.

6. The First (2) in Tokens? The NYC Asian American experience on stage, ed. by Alvin Eng. New York: The Asian American Writers' Workshop. 1999. Pp. 200-202. Distributed by the Temple University Press.

7. Mumia: Con Rồng và Nhà tù (Mumia: The dragon and the prison). In: In defense of Mumia, eds. S.E. Anderson and Tony Medina. Writers & Readers Publishing Inc. New York. 1996. Pp. 228-232.

8. Some thoughts on US-Viet Nam diplomatic normalization and changes in the politics of the Vietnamese-American community. Paper presented at the Asians in America Conference, New York University, March 22 & 23, 1996.

9. Contemporary Vietnam and the Legacy of the U.S. War: Tradition, Transformation & Challenges. In The Vietnam War: Its History, Literature and Music, ed. by Kenton J. Clymer. From the Conference on the History, Literature and Music of the Vietnam War. University of Texas at El Paso, Texas. March 24-31, 1996. Texas Western Press. Pp. 53-70.

10. Vài ý nghĩ về vấn đề cải tổ giáo dục đại học Việt Nam, [Some issues in the Reform of Higher Education in Vietnam] with Nguyễn Dung. Paper presented at the Consultant Conference on Higher Education Reform in Vietnam: Policy and Program Strategy, by the Ministry of Education and Training and Ban Việt Kiều Trung ương. February 17-19, 1994. Hồ Chí Minh City, Việt Nam.

11. Preserving Vietnamese culture in a changing society. Paper presented at the Asia Society Conference on Future of the Past II: Viet Nam and Laos. New York. December 3-4, 1993.

12. Vài suy nghĩ đóng góp vào việc tiến tới một phương hướng xây dựng và phát triển ngành công nghiệp tin hoc Việt Nam [Some thought on the direction of building and developing a Vietnamese information technology], with Nguyễn Hoàng and James Ðỗ. Paper presented at the Third National Informatic Week (IW'92), Hanoi, July 6-10, 1992. Excerpts in Tin hoc và đời sống 4.1992(4/1993):10-13,18.

13. Thử tìm hiểu khía cạnh kinh tế của hoạt động nghệ thuật và giáo dục và vai trò của các hoạt động không vụ lợi trong một nền kinh tế thị trường [A study on cultural and educational activities and the role of non-profit activities in a market economy], with Dr Vũ Quang Việt, Diễn Ðàn Người Việt 6-7 (5/1992):35-40. Montreal, Canada. Also appear in Diễn Ðàn, France. Also HTML version.

14. Some problems of Vietnamese students in American schools, presented at the 1986 Asian American Heritage Seminar, Teachers College, Columbia University. May 5, 1986.

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