Not Really Strangers
Discover just how connected the refugee experience is to our everyday lives, and to the social issues that matter to us most. Join host Suzanne Ehlers, Executive Director and CEO of USA for UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, as she and her eclectic guests share personal stories and frontline insights. We’re more connected than we may think.
Not Really Strangers
Home in Many Places: Thao Nguyen on Heritage, Art and Connection
Musician Thao Nguyen joins Suzanne this week on Not Really Strangers for a heartfelt conversation about family, heritage and the power of art to process identity and loss. Thao shares her parents’ remarkable journey as Vietnamese refugees, the emotional experience of returning to Vietnam with her mother decades later, and how her albums A Man Alive and Temple became tools for self-discovery and liberation. They explore what it means to call multiple places “home,” the role of language as a personal and artistic currency, and the unique way live performance connects strangers in moments of shared humanity. This episode is a moving reflection on belonging, bearing witness and the stories that shape who we are.
Topics
- Thao’s childhood in Falls Church, Virginia, growing up in a close-knit Vietnamese refugee community
- Thao’s parents’ story of leaving Vietnam, meeting in a refugee camp, and building a new life in the U.S
- How returning to Vietnam with her mother reshaped her understanding of home, loss, and heritage
- The role of music, specifically her albums A Man Alive and Temple, in helping Thao process identity, grief, and self-love
- Why words and language became Thao’s most valuable tools for expression
- How performance creates space for authentic connection between strangers
Episode Resources
- Linda Gowler-Blunt + The Black Women's Health Imperative
- Jess Mack
- Prospect New Orleans
- Song Exploder Podcast
Resources: