The stories we share on Vietnamese Boat People are often harrowing tales of people surviving adversities and finding strength and resilience to move forward. Diving into their family histories and trauma, our interviewees can all be described as brave and introspective. And the same can also be said about our listeners. Over the years, listeners have reached out to us sharing how the podcast has given them a newfound connection with the culture. Our desire to bring people together to share stories and experiences, along with inspiration from podcasting colleagues Self Evident and PRX, led us to organize the first VBP listening party (kinda like a book club!).  Several members of the VBP team met up virtually to listen to and discuss episode 31: The Escape. It was our first time doing this as a group, and the experience was recorded in order to serve as a guide for anyone who wishes to do something similar. Our conversation became a deep dive into one of the most intricate stories we’ve featured, as well as a behind-the-scenes discussion about how the episode came together. We hope this inspires you to host your own listening party with students, communities or just with friends and families.   Featuring: Tracey Nguyen Mang, Saoli Nguyen, Matt Young, Bella Nguyen, Anthony Nguyen, and Brandon Nguyen The video version of this episode can be found on the VBP YouTube channel and on our videocast page. Episode Credits:Associate Producer: Saoli NguyenVBP theme music: Clarity, Paulina VoOther music: Hop In (Instrumental Version): Iso Indies