Born in Biên Hòa under the name Trần Trọng Đạt, Richard Streitmatter-Tran—now a faculty member in the Art and Media Studies program at Fulbright University Vietnam—spent his early childhood in an orphanage before being adopted and raised in the United States. His journey back to Vietnam has been an emotional path of rediscovery and personal affirmation.
Since his first visit to Ho Chi Minh City in 2000, Richard has chosen to make Vietnam his home, dedicating himself both as an artist and a university lecturer. Now teaching at Fulbright, he views education as a meaningful way to give back to the country where he has found a deep sense of belonging.
“Teaching is a wonderful profession, and I’m proud of the generations of students I’ve had the honor to guide. I’m grateful to have been part of their lives… I didn’t just come back—I chose to contribute to Vietnam by becoming a teacher,” he shared.
Read the full article in Vietnamese here
