Vietnamese Diaspora: The Ongoing Journey of Conflict and Reconciliation

Half a century after the fall of Saigon, the Vietnamese diaspora carries a story of struggle and reinvention that continues to shape the world today. Join us for a panel that moves beyond familiar narratives of survival and loss to highlight the creativity, leadership, and contributions that make this one of the most dynamic diasporas in the United States and beyond.

How have generations turned inherited pain into strength? How has a community once marked by exile become a vital force in culture, technology, and civic life? And what lessons can these journeys offer for today’s conflicts and crises, where survival, resilience, and reconciliation remain urgent human questions?

Featuring four voices from South Vietnam, this rare intergenerational conversation spans fifty years of unfinished legacies and looks fifty years ahead. Combining perspectives of those who lived the war and those who inherited its legacy, this panel explores how the past continues to shape identity and belonging while charting new paths for the future.

Speakers include:

• Mai Elliott, Pulitzer Prize nominee, author of The Sacred Willow: Four Generations in the Life of a Vietnamese Family and RAND in Southeast Asia: A History of the Vietnam War Era
• Christopher Nguyen, CEO and Co-Founder of Aitomatic, former Engineering Director at Google, and an expert in Industrial AI
• Tuan T. Ton, former Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché to Vietnam and Deputy Chief of the Southeast Asia Policy Division at the U.S. Pacific Command
• Julian Tran, Former Commander of the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Mission in Hanoi and Director for Southeast Asia at Sierra Nevada Corporation
• Anthony Saich (Moderator), Director of the Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia and Daewoo Professor of International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School

Lunch will be served.

This event will kick off the Fifty Years On: New Perspectives on the Vietnam Wars-GVWSI 2025 Conference. Register for the conference here.

Event Details

Registration is required for this event. This event is in-person only and will be recorded. A recording will be made available after the event’s conclusion.

If you do not have a Harvard ID but are interested in attending, please contact GVWSI@hks.harvard.edu prior to the event.

The Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia encourages individuals with disabilities to participate in its events. Should you wish to enquire about an accommodation, please contact our events team at info@ash.harvard.edu.

Additional questions? Email the events team at info@ash.harvard.edu.