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I was born in Cái Dầu Châu Đốc, An Giang, Vietnam in 1990. Before migrating to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, I was a child refugee in the Philippines with my parents and older sister. Growing up in a small town, it was difficult to ‘fit in’ at school and within my Vietnamese community. When I reflect on my childhood, I remember being deeply rooted yet distant in my Vietnamese culture as we assimilated to a new way of life.
I grappled with feeling a sense of belonging and acceptance by my peers. Growing up a multilingual learner, I often would feel self-conscious about reading and literacy. Which affected my relationship with books and reading. Moreover, I didn’t see characters that looked like me in children’s books or characters that went through similar experiences as I did. Or celebrate their culture and heritage with pride.
For these reasons, I wanted to create a book that would celebrate my cultural identities but also highlight the special bond between a father and daughter.
It was truly important to me to reclaim the narrative around the complex relationship between fathers and daughters especially immigrant/refugee families. It was a healing experience for me to use my book as a way to celebrate diversity and family.
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I have a very special bond with my father. He has been one of my greatest sources of wisdom. The vibrant colors in my personality are shades borrowed from his light. My dad, Den, was raised in Vietnam by my grandmother who became a single mother after the Vietnam War. After the fall of Saigon, they were forced to relocate back to the rural countryside. Throughout his childhood and early adulthood in Vietnam, he faced significant financial disadvantages as a direct result of economic depreciation post-Vietnam War. My dad shared a story with me about a time when his classmates would bully and tease him because of the darkness of his skin. They would make racial epithets as they followed him home after school. By the age of 12, he started working as a laborer and farmer among other side jobs he could fulfill to take care of my grandmother until she passed away from Alzheimer's disease.
My dad has been a clear example of dedication, hard work, and perseverance. Every day I am grateful for the sacrifices he’s made to ensure my family’s quality of life was enriched with love, security, and affection. My dad’s extraordinary story is my biggest inspiration. I hope to be a beacon of strength for him to address the trauma and oppression we have faced in our past, and continue a path towards healing.
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I will use my children’s book as a tool to amplify the biracial Asian-Black narrative in AAPI literature. My mission is to inspire other voices from underrepresented communities to share their stories through different mediums of art.
Our society needs more diversity in children’s literature collections. We need representation.
We can cultivate conversations and learning spaces that promote a sense of belonging and trust for all children. Furthermore, children’s books have the ability to connect generations together and support the reclamation of their narrative and story.
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My Daddy Tells Me champions standards of equity, diversity, and inclusion set forth by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, a reputable leading early education organization. The emotionally rich images will increase a child’s social and emotional development as they join Mai and her father throughout the story.
This book has many dynamics, but the cornerstone of this book is bringing families together. My Daddy Tells Me… pays tribute to fathers who sacrifice their well-being for the betterment of their children and family.
