Ok… My turn 🙂

One of my earliest memories that contributed to who I am as an Asian American today is sitting next to a boy in second grade, who pointed at my snack and screamed, “EWWW!!” I didn’t give a second thought to pulling out a pack of dried seaweed my mom had packed, a snack I was really familiar with as a child in Taiwan. Having only been back in the States for about six months, my English vocabulary did not allow me to explain to the boy, it’s actually pretty good. Instead, I denied that the snack was even seaweed. Looking back on it now, I wish I could go back and tell  seven year old me, “Embrace your different look, culture, and food. What the little boy finds disgusting now, America will one day accept  as exotic.”  To me the American Dream is finding success and joy in individuality, taking risks and daring to be different. The Dump Pho King Truck is my American Dream.

Growing up, my parents strategically raised me to be some type of doctor, lawyer, or even what I studied in college -an engineer.  I am forever grateful for my parents, and till today, I cannot fully take credit for any of the accomplishments I’ve had in life. I owe it to all the opportunities my parents gave me with their sacrifices. Their American dream was to provide a comfortable and safe lifestyle for my brother and I, so that eventually, we can provide the same lifestyle for ourselves and our own families. There are many parallels to my parent’s American Dream and mine, but the biggest difference may be the way we define family. The reason I dare to step out to dream of running the Dump Pho King Truck is because of the love I have for my new extended family, my city. I have lived in a total of 10 cities in my entire life, and had never called one city my home, until Raleigh, NC.  It is here where I grew to accept and embrace my identity as a Southern, second generation, Asian-American.  This is what I hope to bring to the truck. Not just one character that defines who I am, but all of me.

Love,
Sunny