Rebecca Chacon

Fifty years after the fall of Saigon (or its liberation, depending on whom you ask), Vietnam has transformed from a war-torn battleground to one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies — and now finds itself caught between two superpowers. Ian Bremmer breaks down how Vietnam went from devastation in the wake of the Vietnam War to become a regional economic powerhouse.

It's been fifty years since Saigon fell or was liberated, depending on whom you ask. Two Vietnamese Americans with personal ties to the war reflect on the milestone anniversary. Viet Thanh Nguyen is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Sympathizer," now an HBO TV series, and Mai Elliott is the author of "The Sacred Willow" about a Vietnamese family over four generations.

Thursday, July 3, 2025 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream now with the PBS app. A visit to the Steam and Gas Engine Museum at Vista. Remembering the Clermont Hotel and the days when a part of San Diego was known as "The Harlem of the West." Things viewers have sent in.

A visit to the Steam and Gas Engine Museum at Vista.

What started as a low-key folk set behind a desk in a newsroom has become one of music's most iconic stages. This year, NPR's Tiny Desk Contest drew a record-breaking nearly 7,500 entries. Among them were 75 hopefuls from San Diego, all dreaming of a breakthrough moment.

In the latest episode of the Finest podcast, meet Aleah Discavage, whose raw, autobiographical ballad is rooted in personal healing.

Hear more at kpbs.org/thefinest

The revolutionary artist Yolanda López was born in San Diego and grew up in Barrio Logan. As an art student at UC San Diego in the 1970s, she dreamed up a new and highly influential version of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Hear more about her story and the power and complexity of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the latest episode of The Finest podcast — available wherever you get your podcasts.

Photos courtesy of Alexa Treviño, Las Maestras Center UCSB, Yolanda López, Susan Mogul and MCASD.