CNN anchor Betty Nguyen will visit the UT campus Oct. 28 to speak about her experiences in broadcasting and issues within the Asian American community.

Nguyen was born in Saigon, Vietnam and following the Vietnam War, her family immigrated to the United States when Nguyen was a year old. In her speech, "From Saigon to CNN," Nguyen will discuss her road from poverty to a successful career in broadcast journalism.

Nguyen currently anchors the weekend morning edition of CNN Newsroom. Since joining in 2004, Nguyen has covered stories all over the world. In 2008, she went undercover in Myanmar reporting how several villages lacked aid nearly two months after the destruction of Cyclone Nargis.

This event is sponsored by the Asian American Association (AAA) at UT, an organization which strives to spread Asian American awareness and diversity issues to campus.

According to junior Monica Diep, AAA Secretary, sharing Betty Nguyen's experiences will expand students' eyes beyond the United States.

"The reason we have AAA is to bring awareness of Asian culture, because it is different from the American culture we live in," Diep said. "It is important to have an understanding of other cultures, because the United States is an ever-changing country."

I think [Nguyen's] speech will make an impact, break some stereotypes of Vietnamese people and show that hard work and determination in any culture can lead to success.Monica Diep, Asian American Association secretary

In 2007, the Smithsonian Institute recognized Nguyen as the first Vietnamese-American to anchor a nationally televised broadcast in the United States. Since then, Nguyen has received numerous awards including a regional Emmy Award, the Legacy of Women Award and a place in the Philanthropy Texas Hall of Fame.

"While Betty Nguyen is not representative of all Vietnamese people, her story is similar to many people from Vietnam who have immigrated to America," Diep said. "I think her speech will make an impact, break some stereotypes of Vietnamese people and show that hard work and determination in any culture can lead to success."

In 2000, Betty Nguyen and her family co-founded Help The Hungry (HTH), a non-profit organization which poverty stricken families in rural areas of Vietnam. According to its Web site, HTH began after Nguyen first traveled to Vietnam and witnessed the destruction of the country's annual monsoons.

Nguyen's speech will be held in Room 27 of the Alumni Memorial Building at 7 p.m. After the speech, there will be a Q & A session.

This event is free for students and the general public. Other co-sponsors include the Women's Coordinating Council, Ready for the World and United Residence Halls Council (URHC).