
My dad would criticize how I can’t seem to describe my Vietnamese-ness in words but, frankly, it’s more of a feeling. I’ve been sitting here for half an hour thinking about what being Vietnamese means to me, but I can only think of colors, scents, tastes, and feelings. Congee means recovering from a cold. Tết (the Lunar New Year) means getting along with everyone, because it is bad luck to start the new year in conflict. Vietnam means the distinct smell of tropical fruit and the overwhelming heat that I haven’t forgotten, even…
I am in first grade. For Halloween, my parents suggest that I go to school as the Moon Goddess, a character in Vietnamese mythology. By the end of the day, I might as well have worn an alien suit, and I look with envy to the witches, the princ…