WHAT IS YOUR IMMIGRATION STORY?
So my mom is from a district in Thailand called Sattahip. It's a small fishing town by the sea and it translates to ""seven barriers"" because of the seven islands that protect its coast. When she was around 22, she left Thailand to go live in Germany with her aunt. And then several years later she met a strapping young man, my dad, and they fell in love. And then my dad had to leave Germany. So they decided to get married. They eloped in Denmark. He went to Florida, and when the papers and documents were official, she moved to Florida. They had me and then they moved to Japan when I was 6 months. We were there for four years and then we went to Guam where we were for another four years. But it was there in Guam that my mom reannounced her Thai citizenship and applied for her US citizenship. She took the test, did the interview, and got her citizenship with no hiccups. And then we went to Thailand, where she's from, and lived there for three years, which was an intense amazing experience. Then we went to Missouri and now she lives in Panama City, Florida with my dad.
WHAT DOES YOUR CURRENT JOURNEY LOOK LIKE?
My parents are still in Florida. There's a Thai temple right down the street that my mom volunteers at. It's a full-time job for her, but she doesn't get paid. And it's just her and a bunch of Thai ladies, and they run a food court every Sunday to make money for the temple. It's really cute because I've helped out a few times and they start early in the morning and they're talking and they're laughing and bantering in Thai and they're working with their hands constantly all day long, but they're doing it happily. I think it reflects the culture; in Thailand, community is very village minded. It's not really like one person in their own bubble, everyone's always looking out for one another. I'm in New Orleans and I love it here, but I'm not from here. But I'm also here to be next to family and people that I prioritize.
REFLECTIONS
What are your hopes for the future?
I was thinking about how a lot of people of color share a sense of pride for where they're from and they relish in what makes them different and what makes their culture special. And the pride kind of burns within us a fire. kind of like a flame. And so, my mom handed me this flame right when I was born and I carry that with me. And when my daughter was born, I handed her the torch and so it's amazing that we get to carry this metaphoric relic with us. And it reminds me of how beautiful and unique our heritage is, how we get to share this love and appreciation with our friends and significant others, which is always really a gift. And Thailand's a magical place. And I'm so grateful every hour of every day, to carry its legacy with me.
