Ava Phuong Thao Nguyen
the work
2023 Faculty of the Year Address: “Racial Triangulation: At the Intersections of Anti-Blackness &Anti-Asian Hate”
In April, I presented a talk titled "Racial Triangulation: At the Intersections of Anti-Blackness and Anti-Asian Hate," where I explored how Anti-Blackness manifests in the United States and advocated for the power of multi-racial coalitions in dismantling structural racism. I also connected with and interviewed local Black activists, gaining invaluable knowledge about their work in combating the symptoms of structural racism, such as houselessness and police violence/the carceral state. My aim was to shed light on their remarkable efforts and provide strategies and perspectives to foster intercultural relationships and promote racial justice.
Below is the video featuring my talk and the following Q&A session. To view a digital copy of the booklet provided during the talk, please click on the booklet below.
Please note that captioning is in process for this video. For an accessible transcript of my talk, please visit this link.
Workshops and Seminars | DEIB Professional Development
For an accessible PDF, please visit this link.
For inquiries regarding my work, request for samples, and/or inquiries regarding my approach, email ava.nguyen14@gmail.com.
Community Building
How something is expressed is just as important as what is said. Process is just as crucial as content. Therefore, I employ guidelines for discussion to facilitate productive, intentional, and meaningful dialogue that seeks to create brave spaces. As opposed to safe spaces, brave spaces involve calling in folks to speak and listen with courage, authenticity, and accountability. The three major pillars of my community building are: acknowledge intent and impact, practicing both/and thinking, and being mindful of process and content.
Developing Intercultural Communication Competency
Being able to not only understand, but describe our realties and identities is imperative to creating inclusive, empowering, and liberating spaces. I offer language workshops for folks new to DEIB language as well as advanced seminars for folks learning to increase their competencies. Topics range from understanding the differences between race and ethnicity to the implications of dismantling oppressive systems. My work focuses on developing these three components of intercultural communication competence:
motivation
knowledge (self-knowledge & other-knowledge)
attitude (tolerance for ambiguity, empathy, & achieving nonjudgementalism)
Self Reflection and Growth
Understanding one’s own intersectional identities is the core of strong intercultural communication. Being able to manage the myriad of ways our identifies operate in difference contexts is paramount in DEIB work, as the work cannot be done without internal motivation, tolerance for ambiguity, and intercultural attitude. My workshops apply practical strategies for self reflection and growth in order to cultivate the skills of empathy, perspective taking, and overall intercultural communication competence.
I center my approach to DEIB training using the three pillars below. The pillars seek to create change at these 4 levels:
Personal | attitudes, beliefs, opinions
Interpersonal | relationships, communication, behaviors
Organizational | systems, practices, policies
Cultural | values, norms, and expression
My multicultural approach to doing the work:
With respect and honor for the lands we gather on and the leaders before us, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the Gabrieleño-Tongva Peoples, the original stewards of these sacred and unceded homelands.
The Tongva people’s history, language(s), cultural traditions, and legacy continue to shape this region and it is crucial to recognize their continuing presence in their homelands. I commit to educating myself on Native culture, struggles, and history.
Aho! Ashe!