U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam raps a new year's message and it is just what we need
The U.S. ambassador to Vietnam released a rap video to wish the people of that country a happy Lunar New Year. The reactions have been mixed so far. Consider this story a palate cleanser after another long day in today’s politics.
Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink, a Trump appointee, is receiving both praise and criticism for his gesture of goodwill. In the video, the ambassador is shown wearing headphones and is accompanied by local music stars. They drank coffee and sample Vietnamese snacks as he raps in English with some Vietnamese sprinkled in. The holiday is called Tet, though, and that word conjures up some bad history. The video was released on the U.S. Embassy’s Facebook page.
The Tet Offensive was a part of the Vietnam war. In 1968, the North Vietnamese attacked more than 100 cities and outposts in South Vietnam to try to get the United States to push back its involvement in the war. Most historians now consider the Tet Offensive a tactical victory for the United States. The North Vietnamese gained no ground at that time. The North Vietnamese ended up with 40,000 dead Communist soldiers. The United States and the South Vietnamese suffered the loss of 3,000 Americans and South Vietnamese combined. The surprise attack took place during the Tết holiday, the Vietnamese New Year.
US ambassador to Vietnam Dan Kritenbrink just released this rap song to wish everyone in Vietnam a Happy Lunar New Year.
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