#refugee-experience

#refugee-experience

Something that often takes me by surprise is how people react to finding out I was homeless growing up. They have a picture of what homelessness should look like, and my family and I don't fit into it. But people like me hide in plain sight. They're your neighbours until suddenly they're not. They're everywhere and nowhere, all at the same time.

"My story is a story of a refugee from the rice fields to Springfield. But it's also a story that's similar to a lot of immigrants and refugees in this district."

Every Vietnamese household needs a kitchen in their backyard or garage to do the 'smelly cooking', he joked, emphasizing that charring the aromatics is key to enhancing the flavor of miến gà.

"Vuong’s life looks like a modern American fairy tale, having risen from refugee status to becoming a celebrated poet and professor, showcasing resilience and talent."