02.01 - March 2005

Semi-book review of Aimee Phan’s We Should Never Meet. The limitations of cultural expectations.

The Impact of the Lack of "You" and "I" in the Vietnamese Language

What kind of 8 inch delicious and filling sandwich can you get for less than 3 bucks? And no, I am not talking about a chicken sandwich from your local fast food chain. It is the Vietnamese Sandwich “Banh Mi” of course! Vietnamese sandwiches are cheap, tasty and a quick way to feed your appetite whether it is breakfast (yes I did say breakfast), lunch, dinner, or a snack.

Is the spring roll trend here to stay? Am I the only one who has noticed one of the biggest trends right now in food is the “spring roll”? It is really funny how something that is considered a simple, common food for Vietnamese people has become such a huge hit. From happy hour to school bake sales to five star restaurants, the spring roll is the hippest item on the menu and does not show any signs of losing its popularity. Suffice it to say, I will go out on a limb and say that the spring roll is giving the burrito a run for its money. What can be found for $1 a roll or 3 for $2.50 in little Vietnamese restaurants or bakeries packaged on a foam plate and wrapped with plastic wrap, can take on a whole new look at $10 for 2 rolls sliced diagonally and places decoratively on a nice plate with some type of garnish.

I have come to observe that many Vietnamese-Americans are subjected to the “Burnt Toast Phenomenon.” What I mean by this is that we are brought up to take the “lesser” of things. Often Vietnamese parents will encourage their children not to want expensive things, to save money and not buy anything that is not needed, and not “waste”. This can be frustrating for Vietnamese-Americans because living here, in the United States, we are encouraged to shoot for the top and the media constantly entices young people with top brands, trends and luxuries. We live in a society where movie stars are envied and worshipped and “things” are always in want. But yet our parents will tell us it is ridiculous and wasteful to “want” anything that is not absolutely necessary to live. This is ironic, because a lot of times this has nothing to do with how much money the person or family has, it is the mentality that the “bare minimum” is enough and saving is always better. If the “Burnt Toast” is edible and can save us money, then we should buy that instead of the fresh baked loaf of bread. If the day-old cookies are half off, as long as they are still edible, pick those instead of the new cookies.

I am not sure how it has developed or what it is, but I call it The Asian Ambition. I define it as that special drive, ambition, and dreams Asians posses. I find that they have set high goals, pushed through and reached them.

It’s been over a week since Tet, and thanks to a huge number of loving relatives, I find myself knee high in banh tet and banh chung. There’s way too much to store or freeze, eating all of that is out of the question, I have no intention of hoarding it, and it’s a bit late for re-gifting, so I’ve been a bit at a loss as to what to do. After much thought, I’ve come up with the following list. All tradition and reverence aside, I present to you the Top Ten Things to Do With Surplus Banh Tet and Banh Chung.

My friend pointed to a CD among the many in the brightly lit store. “Here, you should buy this one.” Enclosed in the jewel case was a stirring photo of what appeared to be a young blonde woman with milky white skin and engaging brown eyes. “Thanh Hà,” I said out loud to myself. “Yeah,” my friend added, “she’s a pretty popular Vietnamese singer. Once in a while, she performs at a club here. She’s Amerasian, like you.”

A perspicacious attempt to traditionally define "hie^’u tha?o" with an acculturated stance.