The family item I chose is a Lao rice container. The container is handmade and crafted with bamboo and typically contains a traditional Lao dish called sticky rice. Sticky rice is glutinous rice that is eaten by hand and in clumps. Sticky rice is often enjoyed with soy sauce, jao (which is a green spicy sauce) and a variety of meats. The container was brought from Laos by my grandfather around 1980 when he came to America. He traveled to America with my grandma, young mom and aunt. They rode on a boat down the Mekong river to Thailand where they were placed in a refugee camp. Afterwards they were sponsored by a local church in Newport News, Virginia and began a new life in America. Their new life was much different from their home country.  They had to learn a new language, get a job, learn how to drive.  They had few things to remind them of home, food was one of these comforts. Sticky rice is my favorite Lao food that my grandma makes and whenever I eat it it reminds me of my heritage. Whenever we enjoy sticky rice in America we often eat it in combination with American foods like fried chicken. This shows how America is a melting pot for different cultures to be shared and come together. My grandma has even cooked Lao dishes like sticky rice or egg rolls for family friends so they can enjoy Lao culture themselves. My grandparents and mom came to America with their sticky rice container around 1980 due to the Vietnam war and new leadership as a result of the Lao civil war.

– NMS

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant