What do a Cold War coffee crisis, contract labor, and bánh mì have in common?

They’re all part of the untold story of how two very different Vietnamese communities came to call Berlin home.

In this episode, we trace the complex history of Vietnamese migration to Germany—starting in the classrooms and factories of East Germany, through the refugee policies of the West, and into the uncertain years after reunification.

From political ideology to personal survival, we unpack how Cold War dynamics shaped everyday life—and how today, Berlin’s Vietnamese communities continue to thrive, adapt, and feed the city with heart and flavor.

Get ready for history, identity, resilience… and some seriously good food.

SHOWNOTES (and more resources):

A paper on the Vietnamese diaspora in Germany

Contract Worker in the GDR

New Voices in a New World—Media Portrayal of the Experiences of German Reunification in 1990 by Vietnamese Contract Workers in East Germany (free chapter)

DW's 20 Years Later, East Germany's Vietnamese Have Moved on

The Cap Anamur Story

Vietnamese coffee imports to Germany

DDR Coffee Crisis

Coffee Consumption in Germany (2022)

Dong Xuan Center

Cold War Migration