Viet Thanh Nguyen American writer Viet Thanh Nguyen was awarded the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his novel The Sympathizer (2015), which centers on a Vietnamese double agent in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. (more) Viet Thanh Nguyen American author Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Viet-Thanh-Nguyen Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by Meg Matthias Meg Matthias is Senior Video Production Manager at Encyclopædia Britannica. Meg Matthias Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Aug 22, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Quick Facts Also spelled: Việt Thanh Nguyễn (Show more) Born: February 13, 1971, Buon Me Thuot, South Vietnam [now in Vietnam] (Show more) { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is Viet Thanh Nguyen known for? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Viet Thanh Nguyen is an American writer known for his novel The Sympathizer (2015), which won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and was adapted into a television miniseries starring Hoa Xuande, Robert Downey, Jr., and Sandra Oh in 2024." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What themes does Viet Thanh Nguyenu2019s work explore? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Viet Thanh Nguyenu2019s work frequently centers on colonialism and imperialism, Asian American identities, and the legacy and trauma of the Vietnam War among the Vietnamese diaspora." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How did Viet Thanh Nguyenu2019s family move to the United States? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Viet Thanh Nguyenu2019s family fled South Vietnam (now in Vietnam) in 1975 during the North Vietnamese invasion and the Fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City). They traveled by ship to the United States and settled at a refugee camp in Pennsylvania. In 1978 he and his family moved to San Jose, California." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What political issues has Viet Thanh Nguyen been outspoken about? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Viet Thanh Nguyen has been outspoken about censorship, racial identity, the U.S. military-industrial complex, and the Israel-Hamas War." } } ] } Top Questions What is Viet Thanh Nguyen known for? Viet Thanh Nguyen is an American writer known for his novel The Sympathizer (2015), which won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and was adapted into a television miniseries starring Hoa Xuande, Robert Downey, Jr., and Sandra Oh in 2024.

　　What themes does Viet Thanh Nguyen’s work explore? Viet Thanh Nguyen’s work frequently centers on colonialism and imperialism, Asian American identities, and the legacy and trauma of the Vietnam War among the Vietnamese diaspora.

　　How did Viet Thanh Nguyen’s family move to the United States? Viet Thanh Nguyen’s family fled South Vietnam (now in Vietnam) in 1975 during the North Vietnamese invasion and the Fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City). They traveled by ship to the United States and settled at a refugee camp in Pennsylvania. In 1978 he and his family moved to San Jose, California.

　　What political issues has Viet Thanh Nguyen been outspoken about? Viet Thanh Nguyen has been outspoken about censorship, racial identity, the U.S. military-industrial complex, and the Israel-Hamas War.

　　Viet Thanh Nguyen (born February 13, 1971, Buon Me Thuot, South Vietnam [now in Vietnam]) is an American writer known for his novel The Sympathizer (2015), which won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and was adapted into a television miniseries in 2024. Nguyen’s work frequently centers on the topics of colonialism and imperialism, Asian American identities, and, in particular, the legacy and trauma of the Vietnam War (1954–75) among the Vietnamese diaspora. As Nguyen wrote in an essay in 2009: Nguyen spent his early childhood in the central highlands of the Republic of Vietnam, raised alongside his two older ...(100 of 1325 words)

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