I was born in Vietnam and around the age of two I came to the US. As a very young immigrant living in America, life was very hard. Going to school when I didn't know an ounce of English made fitting in very difficult. Something that I always enjoyed when coming back from school was my mom's cooking. Even when we are across the ocean from our place of origin, she would still try to cook as many Vietnamese dishes that she can so I can hold onto my culture. I will always prefer my mom's bowl of pho over a restaurant's bowl because it gives me a more personal connection to my family. I know of some Asian families that have allowed their offspring to become way too engrossed in American culture to the point where they've lost their original culture. However, my mom never wanted me to get too connected to American culture, so she tried to make me holding onto my original culture in any way possible. The easiest way she found out to make me hold onto my culture was through food. Even now, I still try to never stray from my original Vietnamese culture and try to be connected to it as much as I can. 

– KT

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant