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Saigon Sentinel · All articles
Browse every article we've published, from the latest news to long-form analysis and practical guides.
- Guides
Vietnamese Cuisine in America: How to Preserve the Soul of the Family Kitchen Across Generations
Vietnamese cuisine in America faces a critical decline as younger generations lose their connection to traditional language and cooking techniques. Moving beyond relying on fading memories, the systematic documentation o…
- Houston
Texas Supreme Court Opens Door to Lawsuit Against DSHS but Leaves Delta-8 in Legal Gray Zone — a Blow to the 8 Billion Dollar Hemp Industry
The Texas Supreme Court's ruling is more than a legal dispute; it is a direct blow to the livelihoods of thousands of small business owners in Houston. By validating administrative website notices, the court has set a da…
- Guides
Property Tax in the US: Understand Correctly, Appeal Correctly, Vietnamese Homeowners Can Save Thousands of Dollars Every Year
US property assessment systems often rely on mass-appraisal formulas that frequently overvalue homes. Vietnamese homeowners should proactively audit their tax notices and leverage specific exemptions to avoid overpaying …
- Politics
California tightens protections for immigrant workers: When deportation fear becomes an employer's tool
Assembly Bill 2495 targets not just explicit threats but the psychological 'gray zone' where employers weaponize deportation fears to silence workers. The legislation aims to break a cycle of exploitation that currently …
- Guides
Real Estate Investment in the United States: Where Vietnamese People Should Start and What Risks to Know
Beyond the cultural mindset that 'land never loses value,' Vietnamese investors must navigate specific U.S. legal and tax complexities. This guide outlines the essential financial groundwork and risk-mitigation strategie…
- SoCal
120 Billion Gallons of Rainwater and the Quiet Shift in Southern California's Water Strategy
The record capture of 120 billion gallons of rainwater is more than an infrastructure victory; it is a stress test for Southern California's water autonomy. For the Vietnamese community, this shift is a critical factor t…
- Guides
Online safety for Vietnamese children: Practical guide to protecting kids from online threats
Banning internet access is no longer a viable solution in the digital age. This guide provides a framework for creating a 'digital family contract' and identifies specific cultural and technical risks that Vietnamese-Ame…
- Politics
Math screening from first grade: California's battle over educational gaps that the Vietnamese American community cannot ignore
Aggregate data often masks the real struggles of Vietnamese American students from working-class families. Early math screening is not just a pedagogical issue, but a necessary tool for the community to demand equitable …
- Guides
Scholarships without high GPA: A real opportunity for Vietnamese students with special talents
GPA is not everything. Thousands of scholarships in the United States each year do not require high grades — instead, they seek artistic talent, leadership skills, athletic achievements, community spirit, or exceptional …
- World
Laundering vegetable origins through Vietnam: A new trade battlefront between Taiwan and China
NT$13,000 — roughly 410 USD — is the price that legislator Chiu Yi-ying from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) stated at a Taiwan parliamentary hearing on Wednesday is sufficient to purchase a forged certificate of …
- Guides
Protecting Your Money in the Digital Age: A Practical Guide for Vietnamese People
Every year, millions of Americans lose money to online scams — and the Vietnamese community is no exception. According to the U.S.…
- Vietnam
HCMC Electronic Court: Real Reform or Just Another Layer of Digitization on an Old System
When Chief Judge of the Supreme People's Court Nguyễn Văn Quảng stood at the headquarters of the Regional People's Court 1 in Saigon on April 29, 2026 and announced plans to expand the electronic court model across HCMC …
- Guides
Soft skills in the American workplace: Insights from Vietnamese professionals who came before
Being good at your job is not enough to succeed in America. Many Vietnamese people who come here with advanced degrees and strong expertise still get passed over by less experienced colleagues — simply because they lack …
- Vietnam
Fatal accident on Tien River: When Mekong Delta waterway tourism operates outside the law
The tour boat carrying 12 people on the Tien River on the afternoon of April 18, 2026 was not a legally licensed passenger transport vessel.…
- Guides
Building Personal Brand for Vietnamese Business Owners: The Secret to Customers Remembering Your Face, Trusting You, and Coming Back
Personal brand is not something reserved only for celebrities or CEOs of large corporations. If you are running a nail salon in Orange County, opening a pho restaurant in Houston, or selling insurance to the Vietnamese c…
- SoCal
Vanguard University appoints new CFO amid financial challenges facing small Christian universities in Southern California
When Vanguard University — a private Christian university with approximately 2,000 students located in Costa Mesa, Orange County — officially appointed Mwayi Kanjadza to the position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) afte…
- Guides
Mental health in the Vietnamese community: Understanding it correctly, letting go of prejudice, and knowing where to seek help
Mental health is an inseparable part of overall health — just like the heart, liver, or kidneys. Yet in the Vietnamese community, this topic remains shrouded in silence, embarrassment, and no small amount of prejudice.…
- Politics
Texas pursues Roblox: Investigation into game simulating Uvalde massacre and the children's content moderation crisis
144 million users under 13 years old daily — that is the scale of Roblox as of 2025, according to figures disclosed by the company and cited in a statement from the Texas House.…
- Guides
Mental health in the Vietnamese community: It's time to speak up
Depression is not "weakness." Anxiety is not "overthinking." And seeing a mental health professional does not mean you are "crazy." These are things that millions of Vietnamese people — both in Vietnam and in the United …
- Manual Deep Dive
Supreme Court Secret Memo: How Five Days in 2016 Reshaped Presidential Power in America
On the evening of February 2016, just after 6 p.m., the U.S. Supreme Court issued an order that was exactly one paragraph long—without reasoning, without explanation—blocking Clean Power Plan, the signature climate initi…
- Guides
Passive Investing for Beginners: How to Build Safe Wealth for Vietnamese Families
Passive investing is a method many Vietnamese families in the U.S. are using to build wealth without having to constantly monitor the market every day.…
- US
Sacramento, the Bonta Bill and the Right-Wing Information Machine: When an Address Privacy Law Becomes a Culture War Battleground
Assembly Bill 2624 by Assemblywoman Mia Bonta — in essence — is merely an expansion of the Safe at Home program that has existed for 25 years in California, which allows victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to…
- Guides
Ancestor Veneration Day in Vietnamese Families in America: Significance, Practice, and Tips for Preserving Tradition Across Generations
Ancestor veneration day is one of the most sacred customs of Vietnamese people — and for many Vietnamese families in America, it is also one of the greatest challenges when living far from home.…
- Politics
Medical Cannabis Downscheduled to Schedule III: Trump's Policy Pivot and the Calculations Behind It
On April 23, 2026, the acting U.S. Attorney General signed an executive order moving medical cannabis from Schedule I — the most strictly prohibited category, on par with heroin and LSD — down to Schedule III, the same c…
- Guides
Credit Score in America: Understand It Correctly, Build It Right, and Optimize It for a Easier Life
A credit score is one of the most important numbers in your financial life in America — yet it's something many Vietnamese people aren't taught when they first arrive.…