Nguyễn is the most common last name in Vietnam, the 12th most common in
Australia, and the 38th most common in America. The mass displacement of
Vietnamese bodies as a result of the nation’s multiple bouts of colonial struggle
throughout history has led to Nguyễn’s evolution as a word, becoming a cultural
signifier connoting a monolithic set of people of Vietnamese ethnicity. Then, once
added the common female middle name, Thị, “Nguyễn Thị" becomes a phrase that
denotes the subset of femme-bodied Vietnamese.
Our publication, ✿ ⋆ ̊。⋆୨୧ ̊ NGUYỄN THỊ 4EVER ⋆ ̊。⋆୨୧ ̊ ✿, functions as a dress-up
game, a diary exchange between two best friends, an individual reflection on existing
as + ̊⊹♡ Nguyễn Thịs + ̊⊹♡ in a world where their experience is constantly being
questioned and diminished, and, at its core, a reframing of the Viet trans narrative as
something that is beautiful, frivolously fun, and unabashedly filled with shimmers and
sparkles!