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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.
- World
Strait of Hormuz Open or Closed: Vietnamese American Community Faces New Oil and Interest Rate Shock
The US-Iran agreement remains uncertain, Israel continues striking Lebanon, and the Strait of Hormuz — the shipping route for 20% of the world's crude oil — remains blockaded. For the Vietnamese American community in the…
- Politics
Medical records of transgender children receive temporary protection: What does the Vietnamese American community need to understand?
A federal court temporarily blocks the DOJ from accessing medical records of transgender children in California — but the legal mechanism behind this case, from the grand jury to the criminal subpoena, raises bigger ques…
- Guides
Navigating Current U.S. Immigration Policy: A Practical Guide for the Vietnamese-American Community
From sponsoring parents to your right to remain silent when meeting with immigration officials — the U.S. immigration system has many layers that not everyone fully understands. This article breaks down each legal status…
- Guides
What Is an Immigration Hearing — and Your Rights Before Immigration Court
Receiving a summons to immigration court does not mean the end of the road. But if you don't know what rights you have — the right to remain silent, the right to appeal, the right to a free interpreter — it's very easy t…
- NorCal
Mega Master Hearings and Deportation Risk Due to Absence: How the Immigration System Is Changing the Rules of the Game
One morning, hundreds of immigrants are summoned to the same courtroom — not to have their individual cases heard, but simply to confirm their presence at a proceeding known as a "mega master hearing." This is not a typi…
- Guides
Alzheimer's Disease: Recognizing Early Signs and How Vietnamese Families Can Support Their Loved Ones
From language barriers in diagnosis to the concept that "family matters should not be discussed outside the home" — there are unique challenges that Vietnamese families in America face when caring for loved ones with Alz…
- Guides
What Are U.S. Import Tariffs — and What Do Vietnamese-American Businesses Need to Know to Avoid Losses?
Many Vietnamese shop owners and importers are paying customs tariffs without knowing they can claim part of it back — or are paying the wrong amount because they don't understand commodity codes. These are things you nee…
- US
166 billion USD in tariff refunds awaiting return — but who is permitted to apply remains an unsettled legal battle
166 billion USD. That is the amount that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) estimates it collected from importing businesses before the Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump's broad tariff policy was …
- Guides
Protecting Family Health After Wildfires: A Practical Guide for Vietnamese Americans in Southern California
When the fire goes out, many families think the danger is over — but the EPA has found lead, arsenic, and cancer-causing substances in dust and soil at cleanup areas after the Los Angeles fires. Here's what you need to k…
- US
California Construction Workers Get $28 Wage Increase: Why Are Labor Unions Leading the Opposition?
An hourly wage of $28 — nearly double California's current minimum wage — should be good news for construction workers. Yet according to KQED's reporting, this is the most controversial provision in a housing bill that h…
- SoCal
3.3 million people breathed in cancer-causing substance after Los Angeles wildfire: When disaster does not end when flames are extinguished
Eight months after the fires in Palisades and Altadena were extinguished, the air around cleanup areas still contained a cancer-causing substance at levels hundreds of times higher than normal — and more than 3.3 million…
- US
When anti-ICE protests become a legal weapon: The 'Broadview Six' case and the collapse of a repression blueprint
Over one million dollars in legal fees, months of sleeplessness and isolation, a prosecution notice still hanging on a government website — that is the price six protesters in Illinois paid for a case that the federal go…
- Guides
America's Green Card Is Changing: A Guide for Vietnamese People Not to Get Lost in the Immigration Maze
Immigration policy news changes constantly — but what matters more is knowing how to read and respond correctly, rather than panicking with every news story. This article shows you how to monitor the Visa Bulletin, under…
- US
Trump's New Green Card Policy: How the Legal Mechanism is Dismantling the Foundation of Legal Immigration
About half of the green cards issued each year in the United States go to people already living on American soil — not people waiting from abroad.[1] That figure, according to the U.S.…
- Guides
Keeping Your Home Cool and Saving Electricity When Air Conditioning Parts Are Scarce: A Practical Guide for This Summer
Air conditioning breaks down but parts are unavailable — that is the reality many families are facing this summer. But with a few simple adjustments inside your home, you can reduce perceived temperature and significantl…
- World
Hegseth's 3.5% GDP Defense Spending Demand: The Strategic Trap Washington Is Setting for Itself in Southeast Asia
A single figure has exposed all the contradictions in Washington's Asia strategy: 3.5% GDP. This is the level of defense spending that U.S.…
- Politics
Ken Paxton Uses Legal Battle Against Latino Voter Mobilization Groups to Build Senate Campaign
Attorney General Ken Paxton’s push to dissolve Latino civil rights groups is less about election integrity and more about branding his U.S. Senate campaign. This legal strategy sets a dangerous precedent that could event…
- Guides
Grandparents in Vietnamese American families: More than babysitters, they are the foundation of an entire generation
Childcare in California can cost up to 2,500 USD per month — but for many Vietnamese families, the solution has been in place for a long time: grandparents at home. Their role is far greater than childcare, and understan…
- NorCal
Cutting 6,800 child care slots: Budget mechanics are pushing tens of thousands of California families into an inescapable situation
California increased its proposed cut to subsidized child care slots from 4,200 to 6,800 — even as revenue from the AI industry is surging. The real mechanism: the waiting list is a fiscal deficit absorption buffer, and …
- US
California 2026: When Mail-in Ballots Flip the Script, The Governor's Race Remains Wide Open
California's preliminary election results from June 3, 2026 failed to determine a winner — not because votes are close, but because voters have changed how they cast ballots in ways no one could have predicted. This shif…
- NorCal
Immunity for Engineered Stone Manufacturers: When Legal Loopholes Bury Dying Workers
At least 31 people have died in California since 2019 from a completely preventable disease — silicosis (silica dust lung disease) — according to reporting by KQED.…
- Guides
Why Do U.S. Election Results Take Weeks to Finalize? A Complete Guide for Vietnamese Voters
A candidate leading at 11 p.m. on election night can lose two weeks later — and that is completely normal. This is why millions of ballots in California only begin being counted after polling places close, and why Vietna…
- Politics
Three Studies Underpinning RFK Jr.'s Vaccine Policy Are Crumbling One Piece at a Time
For more than a decade, the anti-vaccine movement in America has not relied solely on belief or emotion — it has relied on paper.…
- Guides
How New U.S. Tariffs Will Affect Vietnamese-American Businesses and Consumers
It's not the exporting country that pays the tariff — it's the U.S. importer who pays, and ultimately consumers feel it most clearly. From nail salons to Asian markets, here's what the Vietnamese-American community needs…
- World
US Tariffs on 'Forced Labor': When Washington Rearmed Trade Policy with the Oldest Clause in the 1974 Trade Act
In 1995, the World Trade Organization (WTO) formally began operations with a promise that free trade would naturally lead to labor improvements.…