In this episode of Viet History Makers, we sit down with Kevin Pham to explore the life and legacy of Phan Khôi (1887–1959)—a towering yet often underrecognized figure in modern Vietnamese intellectual history. Known as a journalist, poet, and dissident thinker, Phan Khôi stood at the intersection of literary innovation and political resistance during one of Vietnam's most turbulent eras.
Together, we unpack what "freedom" meant to Phan Khôi and how his pursuit of intellectual and political autonomy challenged colonial powers, authoritarian rule, and even the ideological currents of his time. From his role in the Nhân Văn–Giai Phẩm movement to his radical reimagining of Vietnamese identity and civil society, Phan Khôi's work asks us to reconsider what it means to speak truth in an era of fear.
This episode is a tribute to a man whose commitment to independent thought continues to resonate—especially in a time when the boundaries of freedom are still being contested.
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Kevin D. Pham is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam. His research introduces Vietnamese political thought to the academic field of political theory, showing how Vietnamese thinkers challenge and enhance conventional Western understandings of important political concepts.
He co-hosts Nam Phong Dialogues, a podcast in which he and Yen Vu have casual chats about Vietnamese history and being Vietnamese American. He is the author of The Architects of Dignity: Vietnamese Visions of Decolonization (Oxford University Press, 2024).
Kevindoanpham.com
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Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth Nguyen
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