Bánh mì – a Vietnamese sandwich. An iconic symbol of Vietnam these days thanks to some foodie hipsters all around the world. It’s a symbol of Vietnam like sushi is to Japan. Easily accessible to everyone, regionally defined and dam good to eat!

I am an immigrant from Vietnam. My family came to the US in 1978, by way of a daring escape by a group of people in the dark of night, on a cargo ship, on the high seas, to a refugee camp on an uninhabited island in Malaysia, to Hong Kong, to New York, and to Olympia, Washington.

Like so many immigrants we are defined both by the culture we came from (no matter how long ago) and the new home that embraced us. We straddle the fence on how much to keep from the motherland to how much we can let go and assimilate. Do you keep speaking your native tongue, keep your hard to pronounce name, or shed it all?

This is my banh mi chronicle growing up in America as a GENXer immigrant looking for inspiration in life through culture, food, family and love. Come on this journey with me. I’ll share my story and recipes from my childhood.