While protesters held banners and flags outside,Vietnamese National Assembly Ambassador Ton-Nu-Thi Ninh faced harsh questions inside a smallclassroom at De Anza College on Feb. 21.

While on the campus Ninh toured the nursingdepartment and sat in on a Asian studies class whereshe gave a brief speech and fielded questions fromstudents.

With all the seats filled and administrators andstudents alike standing around the edges, Ninh explainedthe effect of global expansion of fast foodfranchises on culture and society of Vietnam.

Ninh, conceded that the fight to maintain culturalidentity while accommodating business providedstruggles for many countries, she then went on tostress the importance of building local commerceand keeping an eye on the culture of Vietnam.

The Ambassador is nearing the end of her termand has ambitions to start a college and was at DeAnza to gain insight on higher education in Americaaccording to John Swensson, Dean of LanguageArts.

Prior to her current position, Ninh served in Vietnam’sMinistry of Foreign Affairs as a diplomat,and according to her official bio was responsible fornumerous international and humanitarian efforts includingthe 1997 summit of French-Speaking Countries.

Request for comment by Ninh’s press departmentnor Asian studies instructor Micheal Chang were notimmediately returned.