Bonus Episode: Appreciating Culture Through Food | Asian American Pacific Islander Month

Melissa: 00:00:00

Foreign.

Becky: 00:00:08

Hey, what's up, everybody? My name is Becky, and I am here with three very special guests.

And so I want to give you guys an opportunity to introduce yourself with your name and with your Asian heritage.

Melissa: 00:00:18

Yeah. My name is Melissa, and I am of Filipino descent.

Chris: 00:00:22

My name is Chris, and I'm Vietnamese.

Emily: 00:00:25

My name is Emily, and I'm Mien.

Becky: 00:00:28

And I feel like the best way that we can truly appreciate other cultures, aside from sitting down and talking about conversations and just our background and traditions, is also sharing it over a meal with really good food. And I am the biggest beneficiary of today. And so we're here just to talk about some meals.

And so, Melissa, would you start with what meal did you bring today? And, yeah, just list out the name and kind of what goes into how you make it.

Melissa: 00:00:52

Okay. So I brought the Filipino staple, the lumpia Shanghai, and that is one of the most popular dishes that you'll find in the Filipino culture.

It's like a little mini egg roll, as a lot of people may recognize it as.

Becky: 00:01:08

Yeah. Okay. Okay.

Emily: 00:01:10

What about you? Okay.

Chris: 00:01:12

This is called yoi kuon. In American, like, culture, you'll just call it, like, a fresh spring roll.

So there's shrimp and pork noodles and a bunch of herbs, and you dip it with a peanut sauce. It's like a peanut hoisin sauce. So usually it's like an appetizer in restaurants.

It doesn't always have to be an appetizer, but it's usually paired with something else. It can be. It's so versatile. You can eat it with anything.

Becky: 00:01:40

Okay. Okay. And what about you?

Emily: 00:01:42

And I make kapoon, so it's something that I grew up with. It's noodles. It's a curry soup. So it's like red curry with Thai curry. You can make it with chicken, or you can make with fish.

It's something I grew up with eating because it was easy to feed a big group of. A big group of families. Also, it's just really homey and that curry ness of it, so.

Becky: 00:02:07

Yeah. All right, I'm gonna get two, because I'm already. I already grab a couple. Okay. Okay.

Melissa: 00:02:12

This is how the Filipinos do it.

Chris: 00:02:14

Okay.

Melissa: 00:02:14

You grab some while you're eating some already, so.

Chris: 00:02:18

And then do we, like, spoon the sauce?

Becky: 00:02:20

Yeah.

Melissa: 00:02:21

So there's two different sauces. There's a oniony, vinegary sauce, which is my personal favorite, or the classic sweet chili sauce that everyone usually uses for their dipping sauce.

Emily: 00:02:33

Okay.

Becky: 00:02:36

I'm shaking so much. And you said it's onion and yeah.

Melissa: 00:02:39

So there's onions, pepper vinegar, apple cider vinegar, a little bit of sugar, because Filipinos like their entrees sweet. So you'll like, taste that little hint of sugar in there.

Becky: 00:02:52

Okay. Okay. Okay. Do you want me to try it?

Emily: 00:02:55

Then I'll do this.

Chris: 00:02:56

So I. Julia, do it too.

Becky: 00:02:57

I'll try this with Charlie after. I kind of want to try this one version.

Chris: 00:03:01

Yeah, I'll take some too.

Melissa: 00:03:02

Go ahead. Got the vinegar?

Emily: 00:03:05

Yeah, I'll eat this.

Becky: 00:03:06

This is delicious. I've had these before at restaurants where they've been ordered for me.

Melissa: 00:03:11

Yeah.

Becky: 00:03:12

But they are delish.

Melissa: 00:03:14

They usually come in with pork. This one in particular is with chicken. I just wanted to make sure everyone's flavor palette was 10.

Not a lot of people eat pork, but it's usually made with pork. Minced vegetables, a lot of garlic. But this one in particular is made with chicken. Family favorite, anyone? And everyone is eating this at parties.

There's not even a question on what's in that. They'll just eat it.

Becky: 00:03:38

It's like, who's making it? As opposed to, should we have the. So, okay, you gotta get it. What do you guys think? Does it remind you of anything?

Chris: 00:03:46

We have a similar version. This is like the regular egg roll.

Emily: 00:03:49

Right.

Becky: 00:03:51

We've never had chicken before.

Chris: 00:03:52

This is the first time I've ever.

Becky: 00:03:54

Had it with chicken. This is super good. Yeah, Yeah. I really like the texture and the flavors.

Chris: 00:03:59

Yeah.

Emily: 00:04:00

So we have something similar too. But ours is called egg roll, but it's made not like the Vietnamese kind.

So ours is like with the vermicelli noodles and cabbage, carrots, minced pork with mushrooms, like a type of mushrooms in there. So. And then you just mix it all together with all the seasonings. So it's very similar.

Becky: 00:04:22

And are they deep fried or pan?

Chris: 00:04:24

Yeah.

Becky: 00:04:25

Okay.

Melissa: 00:04:25

Deep bread.

Chris: 00:04:25

That's also why I'm not right. Anything.

Melissa: 00:04:28

Pride is good.

Emily: 00:04:29

Deep bread.

Becky: 00:04:29

And I'm there. Okay. Okay.

Chris: 00:04:31

Deep fried.

Melissa: 00:04:31

I mean, I've seen people kind of like saute it and let it get salt soggy quickly. I like mine deep fried this size. So this one's called Shanghai because they're smaller. There's a lot of different varieties of lumpia.

You'll see the bigger varieties, vegetable varieties. I really like these Shanghai versions because they're snack size. So you could get away with eating a lot of them. And nobody knows.

Becky: 00:04:53

Yes. No one knows if that's your first or your fifth.

Melissa: 00:04:56

Exactly.

Becky: 00:04:57

And is there a way. Is. Am I eating it right? Is it okay to eat it with my hands, or is there, like, another way to eat it?

Melissa: 00:05:03

Oh, yeah. We're Filipino, so we eat everything with our hands.

Becky: 00:05:06

I'm Mexican, and we get the same.

Melissa: 00:05:07

So you're not eating it with your hands. You're not doing it right.

Becky: 00:05:11

That is delicious. I'm definitely going to come back for a couple dozen more after this, but I would love to get started on these.

And so is this the same way we can just grab it with our hands?

Chris: 00:05:22

Yeah.

Becky: 00:05:22

I'm going to go ahead and grab mine, then. Ooh. Okay. Thank you. And I'd love to hear a little bit more about what goes into how you make these.

Any childhood memories that this, like, kind of brings up whenever you're cooking it?

Chris: 00:05:44

Yeah. So this is super simple.

Becky: 00:05:46

So you'll see.

Chris: 00:05:47

I mean, you're able to see everything in it because the rice paper is clear, right? So you got the shrimp and pork, the vermicelli noodles and the herbs. So there's, like, mint, and then there's the purple herb as well.

And so, like, my favorite memory is, like, this is a type of meal where you can't, like, take it and then go sit in front of the TV and eat by yourself.

Like, this is a very communal dish, because if you were to eat it at our house, there's, like, the rice paper, which is completely dry, and then you have a bowl of water, and in the middle, and you have to dip the rice in to wet it to make it, like, soft like this. And then you have to grab, like, the ingredients that you want.

Like, some people don't like shrimp, or some people, you know, want more herbs or whatever. And you put it all in there, and then you wrap it up, and then you eat it. So everything's at the table. You can't, like, leave the table.

You have to be there.

Becky: 00:06:43

This isn't a TV dinner.

Chris: 00:06:46

And I remember my mom would be like, yours is so ugly, so skinny, and I need to do it. Why do you. You know, the shift has to look nice and, like, all these things and stuff.

She ends up just making it, like, you know, and so that's, like, one of my, like, favorite memories is, like, I'll sit next to the mom and, like, make sure, you know, I'm doing it kind of right. But she just ends up, like, hijacking it. I'm like, nick. Yeah. I turn around, and there's, like, five already made. I'm like, this is what.

You sit next to her.

Emily: 00:07:16

So is that why you purposely sit next to her?

Chris: 00:07:19

You know, so so it's super fun. And then this is like the. Oh, I didn't even try the peanut.

Emily: 00:07:23

Peanut.

Chris: 00:07:23

So.

Becky: 00:07:24

Okay, let me try it.

Chris: 00:07:25

There's no flavor, because it's not. There's no, like, seasoning in this. All the flavor is in the sauce. Yeah. So it's a peanut hoisin, garlic.

Becky: 00:07:33

I still really like it. I feel like I can taste a lot of the mint, and I love mint, and so that's really, really nice.

Melissa: 00:07:40

Yeah.

Becky: 00:07:40

Really refreshing. And I don't feel like this is a meal that I would, like, hate myself after I eat it. Like, you know what I'm saying?

I feel like I could eat a lot of this.

Emily: 00:07:48

Yeah.

Becky: 00:07:48

And never get out all my veggies and. Yeah, it's fresh.

Emily: 00:07:52

What do you mean?

Melissa: 00:07:53

Yeah, it's really good.

Becky: 00:07:54

I'm going to try the peanut sauce next. And is this exactly what it sounds like? It's just peanuts. Okay. And you said it's like, this is pork and then shrimp.

Chris: 00:08:03

Yep.

Becky: 00:08:03

And then are there other toppings that you typically can use, too, or is those the staple ones?

Chris: 00:08:07

Those are the staples. You can have different herbs. Like, some people can put cucumbers, carrots.

But we, like, if you're at a Vietnamese house, like, there's always these two. Like, the mint and the purple leaves are always going to be in the garden. Like, so you just go.

Go out in the backyard, and you just snip it and then bring. Wash it and bring it in, and they grow. Like, every year they come back. I have a garden, and I never.

I never water it, and somehow it comes back to life.

Like, they know I'm Vietnamese, and so, you know, grow for me, and, like, they'll hop over, like, to our neighbor's side, and I'm like, I China contain it.

Becky: 00:08:47

But, yeah, they love that.

Chris: 00:08:48

So you'll always, like, this is a. These herbs are always in there because they're just so readily available. You know what I mean?

Becky: 00:08:55

Yeah. That's good. That's good. Okay.

Melissa: 00:08:57

I really like the freshness of it.

Becky: 00:08:58

Me, too. It's, like, very refreshing. I really like it. The peanut sauce is really legit.

I don't think I've had peanut sauce not in already mixed into something before, so. And you mentioned having an outdoor garden. Is that, like, really common? Almost, like, necessary for soup for Vietnamese cuisine. Okay.

Emily: 00:09:18

Yeah.

Chris: 00:09:18

Because there's herbs in almost every dish that we. There's always a vegetable and whatever dish. And so it's, like, pretty cumbersome to, like, go to the grocery store or the Asian store. Right.

There's not like a. It's not like a Walmart. Right.

There's only like, a pioneer is where all the Asian stores are, you know, so we usually just go once a week and get what we. But the herbs don't always stay fresh all that time. So it's always important to have something in your garden.

And if I don't have it, like, I'll go to my parents, and if they don't have it, they come over to mine. I'll look out the window, and I see my parents is like, take all you want, and they just, like, grow.

Becky: 00:10:00

So, okay.

Chris: 00:10:00

Yeah, we just share the different kinds of herbs and vegetables that we have. So I'm curious.

Emily: 00:10:06

Why not?

Becky: 00:10:06

Okay, that's cool to know. Is there anything like that for you with. With anything like this or anything other in your cuisine?

Is there anything that, like, you have to have in your house at all times, whether it be, like, fresh. Fresh herbs or fresh mint or whatever?

Melissa: 00:10:20

Rice, I mean, I think that's a staple of any Asian.

Emily: 00:10:24

There's a lot of rices.

Melissa: 00:10:25

My favorite is long grain jasmine rice, but I could get down with some sushi rice, too. Like, you know, my kids love steak sticky rice. So, like, all types of rice is actually readily available in my household.

But growing up, it's rice and then some kind of, like, ground meats to either make lumpia, to make these other thing called torta. They're like little meat patties that my mom used to always cook.

So when, you know, when she was in a pinch and she came home late, that's something that she just fry up really quickly, we would eat.

Emily: 00:10:57

So.

Melissa: 00:10:57

Cool. Any ground ground meat with, like, vegetables. It was always readily available at my house because you could kind of put it in anything.

The wumpia wrapper kind of fry it up or.

Becky: 00:11:07

So Is there any specific kind of meat that is preferred?

Melissa: 00:11:11

I think pork.

Becky: 00:11:12

Okay.

Melissa: 00:11:13

You see, pork put in a lot of Filipino cuisine with whatever it is, but they started putting a lot of, like, chicken and a lot of other ground meats in it, but I see pork a lot.

Becky: 00:11:24

Okay. Okay. I actually really like pork, but I don't. I think, like, in.

I don't know if I have a whole lot of recipes that I can think of to like, make it, aside from, like, pork chops or something. So. Yeah, that's good to know that. Maybe I'll have to hit you guys up.

Chris: 00:11:38

Okay.

Becky: 00:11:39

Okay, great. So now I would love for you to talk more about what you brought for us.

Emily: 00:11:43

So I brought Kaboon. So that's something that you always have noodles in the house. So you're either making some kind of noodles, but growing up, we had kaboon.

A lot of times we had it with fish, but I, I don't like to make it fish because I don't like deboning it.

Becky: 00:12:00

Oh my gosh. Yeah.

Emily: 00:12:01

So I was like, no. So we kind of switched over to chicken. But like I said earlier, it's a red curry paste with like a yellow Thai curry paste with it.

So you saute that for a little bit until it's kind of. The aromas are coming out of it. And then you put your coconut milk in there. And then on the side you're boiling your chicken.

So the chicken boils for they. About an hour, an hour and a half, depending on, you know, how. Yeah. How big it is and how tender you want your meat to be.

So once that's done, you kind of shred it. And I kind of put some chicken into like a mortar and I kind of just unsmash it so you can have like more flavor in that soaked into your chicken.

But that's what kind of, you know, I grew up on and something I lied to make, especially when I'm missing home.

Becky: 00:12:54

Yeah.

Chris: 00:12:54

So I love that.

Becky: 00:12:55

So I'm. Yes, let's dig into this. I'm so excited.

And it just feels like even with all the dishes that you guys brought, there's just like a lot of like always green stuff, like some element of green stuff in there. And I feel like, I don't know, maybe my upbringing was just very carb heavy and so I'm just. I just love that.

It just feels like you guys incorporate a lot of like natural things like in, in the meals now.

Emily: 00:13:26

Like growing up, my parents always had a garden. So like your green mustard, your cilantro, your green onions, all that stuff came from the garden.

Becky: 00:13:35

Wow.

Emily: 00:13:35

So we didn't eat out a lot, so.

Becky: 00:13:38

Okay. I'm going to try the quail egg first because I'm just so excited to try.

Melissa: 00:13:42

Don't get addicted. Take a little boil.

Becky: 00:13:47

They have like a different texture and I feel like regular eggs.

Melissa: 00:13:50

Yeah.

Emily: 00:13:51

But if you want more.

Becky: 00:13:51

Or chicken eggs. Not regular, but.

Melissa: 00:13:54

Yeah. Whenever Emily makes hot pot, she knows to put quail eggs just for me. Cuz I could go down on like 10 quail eggs.

Emily: 00:14:04

They're so good.

Chris: 00:14:05

Yeah, they're so petite.

Melissa: 00:14:06

Yeah.

Becky: 00:14:06

Yeah, they're really good. It's like kind of firmer than a chicken egg. I can't do this but the yolk.

Melissa: 00:14:14

Is like super soft and like kind.

Emily: 00:14:17

Of just melts in your mouth.

Becky: 00:14:19

Okay. I'm trying to figure out the process of this because I don't, I don't eat with spoons like this.

And so I'm trying to figure out, I'm trying to master it.

Melissa: 00:14:27

You got it.

Chris: 00:14:27

Yeah.

Melissa: 00:14:28

You're doing it. Yeah, you're doing it.

Becky: 00:14:32

So do you make your own meatballs?

Emily: 00:14:34

No, unfortunately.

Chris: 00:14:36

No.

Emily: 00:14:36

It's too much of a frosting. Store bought meatballs.

Becky: 00:14:40

Yeah, it was iconic. It's so good. And you said this is coconut milk, right?

Emily: 00:14:47

Yes.

Becky: 00:14:47

Is there ever any dairy in like, like any cow dairy in, in your food?

Emily: 00:14:54

No, I can't think of any, actually. Not like. Yeah, no.

Becky: 00:15:00

Okay.

Emily: 00:15:01

Yeah, usually a lot of it's like coconut. Like you'll use just like the coconut milk but not like dairy. Dairy.

Chris: 00:15:07

Yeah, you did put a lot. Do you want a new one?

Becky: 00:15:12

I need a napkin. No, no. So some napkins.

Emily: 00:15:15

There's always behind us.

Melissa: 00:15:17

Don't play with the Asian. Yeah, the Asian spice is a different kind of spice.

Chris: 00:15:22

I like it. I always have to have it, but thank you. Like, symptoms start to develop.

Emily: 00:15:27

This one that's spicy. Cause my mom grows her own Thai chili. And then what they do, harvest it and then they dry it out and.

Chris: 00:15:34

Then they blend it and then they.

Emily: 00:15:36

They stir fry it in.

Becky: 00:15:39

It kind of, it kind of, you know, it kind of tackles the back.

Chris: 00:15:42

Of the girl, you know, steak.

Becky: 00:15:44

But it is really good. And is there like, because I feel like growing up, I only had soup whenever I was like, not feeling well. Is that like part.

Is that a thing or is it soup all the time? Like, you don't need to feel a certain way to have soup.

Chris: 00:15:58

Yeah.

Becky: 00:15:58

You know what I mean?

Emily: 00:15:59

It's soup all the time. Different types of soups they make. So.

Becky: 00:16:03

Yeah, it's always, always, always on the table.

Emily: 00:16:06

Yes.

Becky: 00:16:06

I love that.

Emily: 00:16:07

Yeah. Like, I always make fun of mother. Mom, why are you making soup again? It's like once a week we have like a different type of soup.

But then now I was like, oh, I miss it. Yeah.

Becky: 00:16:17

Yeah, it's like it, it's a little spicy. But the noodles and the. I don't know, like, I think also the coconut milk helps. Like it not be. I don't know, it's just a lot of flavor.

I feel like I had spicy things that are spicy and that's all they contribute. Like, that's the point is just pain. But with this, it's like the spice is very flavorful like, it's with a. It's good, you know, Like, I don't know.

Melissa: 00:16:39

I think that coconut milk really helps, like, with the spice to the. Calms it down a little bit. Then also the freshness of, like, the vegetables. It just gives that crisp, like. No, it's not. It cuts through the spice.

Becky: 00:16:51

Yeah. I love that. Well, and we kind of talked about family or memory kind of tied to this dish. Do you have a memory tied to this dish?

Emily: 00:17:02

Yes. Like, I think what it is, is, like, what I was saying. Like, we usually make it with fish growing up, so it was like, we'll.

We'll go fishing with my parents, and then when we come home, like, whatever leftover fish. Is that what they usually. They use catfish. So we'll go catfishing, like, Saturday mornings and stuff, like, super early.

Chris: 00:17:20

It'll be like 4 o' clock.

Emily: 00:17:21

My dad's okay, we gotta go. Everybody packed the car, and then, you know, we'll be out there all day. And then at night, like, about dinner time, we usually come home.

And then after that, they'll just, you know, clean all the fish, put whatever they want on this side, and then whatever they want for the soup, then, you know, they'll boil it and just, like. It's just the love that gets put into it at the time and love it. So it was just something we always kind of had together. Yeah.

Becky: 00:17:48

So is there, like, a culture of, like, we cook together and we eat together? Like, is that part, like, every. Because I feel like. I don't know. I think for me, growing up, all I can talk about is my experience.

But, like, growing up, like, you kind of stayed out of the kitchen if you weren't cooking, and then afterwards you cleaned. Like, that was kind of the dynamic of it. Is that kind of how it is, or everybody pitches into.

Emily: 00:18:11

Usually, like, the women will pitch in. Like, the men are like, oh, I. I did my job. I, I. When I caught the fish, and there you go.

But a lot of times, like, all the women are in the kitchen, and then we're all cooking together, you know, and then, like, the men are just kind of hanging out to the side or just doing something else, but you eat together. That's the thing. So everybody played a part in making. Putting that meal together or play some kind of part in it.

But, yeah, we all kind of eat together. The kids have their own table, the adults kind of have their own table, you know, so. But yeah.

Becky: 00:18:47

Is it the same for you guys?

Melissa: 00:18:49

Yeah. Like, with making lumpia, it's kind of Like a communal experience. Growing up, when we made lumpia, it was a family effort.

So my mom would be the one putting, like, the. The ground pork and the vegetables together.

She'd have this big old silver pot because she would make them in abundance, because people would order from her because they love her lumpia so much. So she would just make a ton. And so she'd have, like, gloves on with, like, just mixing everything together.

She had to, like, put everything on, like, a wooden kind of thing on the floor so she could reach it. Cause she's a little on the short side.

So she'd be the one mixing everything, while me and my cousins or my siblings would be the one ripping the lumpia wrappers apart. Because they come frozen and all stuck together, and they're so thin. So you kind of have to be delicate. Be delicate by ripping them, like, apart.

And so we would have a competition, like, who can one rip them apart the fastest and not rip any of them, like, who has all the perfect lumpia wrappers? And that's how we would help our mom. And then someone would be squeezing the Olympia, like, filling in, Then someone would be rolling them.

Then someone would be closing it up with egg wash. So it's more of a communal experience for me growing up. And that's why I really love seeing it in all our gatherings, because it means a lot.

Becky: 00:20:08

Yeah, yeah, yeah. What about you?

Chris: 00:20:10

Yeah, it's the same. Like, I hear your stories, and I can imagine, like, depending on the dish, the different responsibilities that we're allowed to have. Allowed to have.

And so my mom really, like, likes her food. Like, her pride is in her food. Right. And so, like, she will do all, like, the main, like, seasoning and the main cooking.

But we kids would be, like, washing the veggies or, like, peeling them off. Bean sprouts will be, like, plucking the ends, you know, like, all the prep kind of work, and she does all the main, like, heavy duty. Yeah, yeah.

So that there's no, like, finger pointing. Yeah.

Becky: 00:20:49

I love that. I. I think that is something that I see people missing out on is, like, the having meals together.

Like, I feel especially like younger, young adults, like, if they are perhaps away from home, like, they're. They're just living with roommates at a different paces of life. And so, like, people just kind of learn to be roommates with people. And. And so I.

I don't know. I just really like that.

It just feels like the food is not just about being delicious and being sustenance was about bringing people Together, it feels like. And I just really enjoy that. That being said, I feel very. I just love. I just love hearing all these stories because I feel like all of.

I feel like every person and every. Every heritage has a way that it points to Jesus and how it points to God's goodness and his creativity with creation.

And so I would just love to ask, like, is there a way that you feel like these foods, or even just, like, family history or just family dynamic has been able to point you to Jesus or just, like, encouraged your faith somehow?

Chris: 00:21:54

Like, what.

Becky: 00:21:54

What does that look like?

Melissa: 00:21:56

Well, I think for me, you know, being Filipino, I think what you could understand about a Filipino is our hospitality. And so we usually express that a lot through our food. So when, you know, you go to a family gathering, you ask people, like, come eat.

That's like, the first thing you ask. Like, oh, come eat. Did you eat yet? Come eat. That's like, the first. Like, they don't need to know your name.

They just want to know if you've eaten that.

Emily: 00:22:19

Yeah.

Melissa: 00:22:20

And so, like, bringing that into your house and, like, inviting people in that way really points to, like, what Jesus did, right? Like, he communed with people, with different kinds of people. He made sure people were taken care of.

So it really just shows, like, in our culture how big our God is also with our values and our traditions.

Becky: 00:22:40

That's good. That's really sweet. What about you guys?

Chris: 00:22:43

The first word that comes in my mind when I think of, like, the Vietnamese culture, I don't know about you guys, is, like, obedience. Obedience is so big in our culture. Like, regardless of what religious background you have, it's like, you always obey your elders.

This is just, like, ingrained in us. No matter even if you're an adult, you know, you have your own family, you still, like, honor, and you obey your parents.

So obedience and love always went hand to hand. So they would say, if you really love me, then you would obey me.

And even if we didn't fully understand why we had to obey or the logic behind that, we would trust our parents, and then we would see the blessing that comes from it. And so, like, that's how I come to understand John 14.

Like, it doesn't, like, rub against me, you know, like, somebody's like, if you like you, I have to obey you.

Emily: 00:23:32

You like to.

Chris: 00:23:32

But it's like that. There is, like, no dissonance in obedience and love. Like, in the Asian culture or just in the. Or in the Vietnamese culture specifically.

Like, that was just an expression of.

Becky: 00:23:44

Our love that's really sweet and good perspective too. What about you?

Emily: 00:23:48

Yeah, I think for me it's a little different because, like, I didn't grow up in a Christian household or anything like that. My parents are very traditional Buddhist Taoists, so for me it was like my grandpa was a shaman, huge in their community. So.

But for him to allow me to go to church or for my. I was in a tutoring program growing up, and my tutor was a Sunday school teacher.

So she had asked my parents, hey, is it okay for me to take them to church and kind of introduce them? You know, and then I was very shocked at like, my grandpa, like, okay, you know, like, go ahead.

You know, and then that's just kind of like just seeing that. And then like, also like a lot of the.

For me was like, okay, my parents believe in this, but this is what I want to choose to believe in, you know, so it was a hard battle, but I think what a lot of it was when I first moved to Texas, you know, and kind of coming to Philadelphia and just kind of seeing, hey, this is what, you know, Christians putting my faith more into Christ and, you know, continuing to do that. So my parents didn't really not let me go to church. So kind of just seeing my mom's support now, especially now, more like, I.

If something's wrong, like, just pray. And my mom would never say that before growing up.

So it's just like, I guess me putting my faith in Jesus and kind of having her see the difference in me. Yeah. So it's different from my parents perspective and then just coming to faith, being here, being with my husband, and I guess growing up, it's.

In my culture is like, if you married somebody that outside of the culture, that's kind of like what you have to follow. And so my husband was Christian, so my grandpa was just like, okay, well, now this, you know, this is, this is a route you're gonna take.

You're kind of like not kicked out, but in a sense kicked out of like our, our, our ancestral, like, line. Now you're with your husband and you have to, you know, follow what he believes in and yeah, he practices.

Chris: 00:26:05

Yeah.

Becky: 00:26:05

So it's very like, they respect marriage.

Emily: 00:26:08

Yeah.

Becky: 00:26:08

Like they respect like your husband's leadership. Yeah, that's. That's really, that's really interesting because I feel like. I don't know, I think I've.

I've heard and seen of people that have maybe, you know, become believers and their parents aren't. And there's like a lot of combat It's a very combative, volatile situation. So that's encouraging to me that your parents seemed very respectful.

Emily: 00:26:32

Yeah.

I was first scared to, like, let them know, hey, you know, mom, I've been baptized, you know, but, like, kind of like, okay, it's time to tell them, like, hey, Mom, I got baptized. And for her to, like, good, you know, like, okay, anything you need, always just pray to him, you know?

So just kind of seeing her, I was like, okay, yeah, yeah.

Becky: 00:26:50

No, that's really sweet. I. Yeah. I think, you know, we talk a lot about Yalls upbringing and just family dynamic.

Is there one thing that you wish people knew about, you know, your respective heritage? Like, is there something specific that you would, like if you had 5 seconds to share with someone, one thing. What would that one thing be?

Emily: 00:27:11

I think for us, a lot of people ask what mian is, but. Or, like, where. Where they're from. And we don't have a country. We were originally ancestralized back, back, back, back.

I don't know when we were originally Chinese, but because of the war that broke out in China, a lot of people fled. A lot of people fled to the mountains of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia.

And they kind of created their own language because they didn't want to be captured. So they were captured. They would be imprisoned back in time. So they created a language in the language and culture that's Myan.

So I speak Myan, and that. That is my culture. So that's something that, you know, where we don't consider ourselves Chinese anymore, so we consider ourselves Yumian.

There's seven clans in Myan. So if you notice a lot of Myan people, their last name are Sei Chao, Se Li, Se Fong, Sei Chen. So there's seven of them.

But the se part came from when a lot of people were in refugee camps when they fled to Thailand. So the Americans had added that, so say part to a lot of their names. So once a lot of man people became US Citizens, they removed that say part.

So my parents are back to Chow, because that was the original name. So, yeah, it's just something, you know, a lot of people don't know. Like, people like, what is Myan?

Becky: 00:28:43

What?

Emily: 00:28:43

What? Do you have your own country?

Becky: 00:28:44

What country is it?

Emily: 00:28:45

Yeah, so we don't. But a lot of us are from Thailand and Laos. Like, my parents were from Laos. They fled to Thailand. I was born in Thailand.

I was born in the refugee camp. Because we waited so, so long to come to the United States.

A lot of us were sponsored by Christian churches But, yeah, so that's just kind of who we are and who I am.

Becky: 00:29:09

Yeah. So, yeah, that's good. What about you guys?

Chris: 00:29:15

I think, like, by thinking of the broader audience, like, when they would interact with Vietnamese people, and, like, I know it sounds so stereotypical, but, like, in nail salon is probably, like, where most people will, like, truly, like, interact with the Vietnamese person and very, you know.

And so I think, like, to help the broader audience kind of understand because, you know, Vietnamese people are very blunt, and especially the older generation. I can't say this to everybody. Like, we'll just say and ask questions just because we're curious.

So, like, if they don't see a ring on your finger or whatever, like, why you had no husband, why you. You know this. And they're not trying to be judgmental. Oh, they're really just curious. They want to know why, like, you're a beautiful person.

Why aren't you me? You know, and so I think some people can, like, take that offensively. Like, they're asking too many personal questions.

They seem, like, judgmental, but it's actually out of place of curiosity. So if anyone had, you know, growing up, my aunts and uncles, like, if I, you know, I would. You know, I went to college. I wasn't living at home.

And when I come back, you know, I may look different or I'm skinnier or I'm fatter or whatever, they would always make a comment, like, they'll let.

Emily: 00:30:32

You know, what are you eating?

Chris: 00:30:33

Like, what are you? And I don't take offense. You know, it's just like, they're curious. They want to know because they care. And so that's the.

That's one thing I want people to understand. I'm a Vietnamese person. Asks you what. You might feel like an offensive question. It's just because they. They were curious, and they want to care.

Becky: 00:30:49

Yeah, yeah, that's. That's a good thing to keep in mind. Don't take offense. Like, it's okay. Like, they legitimately just want to know. Yeah, that's good. What about you?

Melissa: 00:30:58

I think for us, for Filipinos, you know, not a lot of people. I mean, Filipinos are known, but not well known within the Asian community as, like, Asian.

So, like, yes, there's a lot of different Filipino skin tones, colors, languages. We have, like, over 100 different dialects in Philippines alone. So, like, we get, you know, kind of characterized as just being Asian.

But, like, Filipinos have adapted a lot of different. Different communities, like, from my food, like Olympia, Shanghai, that came from China, we Just kind of adapted it to our tasting, our language.

A lot of our words come from the Spanish language, you know, so we have a lot of different things that we say the same hoochara. Like, all these things are the same.

Becky: 00:31:45

You said something earlier, and I was like, that sounds exactly like in Spanish. But I didn't say anything. I can't remember.

Melissa: 00:31:53

See, our torta is a little different than your. So, like, we've adapted a lot of these different cultures within the Filipino community and kind of just made it our own.

And I think that's what I want people to learn, is that Filipinos, they are adaptable.

You know, put them in any situation, they'll thrive, whether it be, like, you know, in the Philippines being American or coming to Texas, you know, you'll find a Filipino cowboy. So, like, I don't know, but they're fully adaptable. So that's why I want people to know about them.

Becky: 00:32:21

That's really cool. Yeah. Like, now that you're saying that, I'm like, oh, my gosh, like, now. And, like, with these things in mind, like, I'll know what to look for.

Like, and I'll have, like, conversation starters in that, too. And so, like, that's really sweet.

And I think it's just, like, the beauty of community and of being at a church that isn't afraid of diversity, but, like, embraces it. And, you know, I came into this knowing very little about what we were going to talk about, but if you have kind of the.

The understanding of, like, my. My understanding of life is not the only one, and my understanding of life is not superior to anything else.

Like, and there's just so much beauty in creation and in God's people that we can all just come together and get to celebrate and enjoy food, enjoy stories, like, and even just different culture dynamics that are just really sweet. Yeah. I just. I love that we get to talk about this and talk about, you know, being someone that's completely ignorant to all of these things.

Like, it's just been. Thank you, guys for sharing, like, your stories and this.

Yeah, I just think that's just one of the beautiful things about being in community and being part of a church that celebrates. Celebrates and embraces diversity of different. Different heritage, different culture, different languages, different people.

And so with that in mind, like, I. We kind of talked a little bit about, like, what's one thing you wish people would know?

But again, like, why is it important for people to embrace other cultures and heritages? Like, what is what. What, as believers, should we be changing Our perspective on, as it comes to engaging in people from different backgrounds.

Like, what is. Like, why. Why should we even have to. Is it okay to kind of live in your bubble of what you're familiar with?

Like, why should we engage with one another in that?

Melissa: 00:34:02

Well, I think it's biblical, right?

We are called to go out to the ends of the earth of all nations, to make disciples of all nations, not just our own nation, you know, so it's important for us to not only recognize other cultures, also celebrate them so they know, like, we have the love that Jesus has inside of us and we love who they are also. They might be different. They might value, have other values and traditions, but we love them because we're all one under Christ, you know?

So I think it's important for us to know their culture and how to reach them in that way.

Emily: 00:34:33

Yeah, yeah, that's good.

I think tying with that, you know, just understanding them because, you know, letting them know that, hey, you know, we love Jesus and because Jesus loved us, we need to love others the same way and not judge others just because they are different, just because their skin color or their culture is different or their religion is different. We still need to love them the same. Like he loves us.

Becky: 00:34:57

Yes. No, that's great.

Chris: 00:34:59

I kind of echo what you're both saying. It's like you think in Revelation, right?

When at the end of time, and they, you know, you see, like, people of all tribes and all tongues, all people there, and they're worshiping the same God, right? And you have to wonder, how did they get there? Yeah, yeah. Like, how did these. All these diverse people get there in this perfect kingdom?

Is because somebody told them the Gospel. It wasn't inherently in their culture to know who Jesus is, but somebody brought the good news to them.

So if you don't understand someone's culture, like, it's hard to build bridges to the Gospels. It's hard to make connection.

And, like, when you do that and you embrace these different cultures, you're playing a role in God's story of the kingdom that we're going to see.

Like, you're part of this bigger story that you're going to see at the end of time, and that's already forming right now as we're talking, and then also thinking, like, we're all image bearers, right? Like, we all bear the image of God and no one person, no one culture can bear that image perfectly. Right. Like, we're so different.

But every aspect of the Hispanic culture, the Mien or Filipino Vietnamese Culture, even as you're sharing, like, about hospitality or about, like, valuing marriage and cleaving to your husband or honesty or obedience, like, those are all one aspect of our culture that point to, like, the perfect image of God, right? So, like, by appreciating, celebrating our differences and our diversity, we're able to see, like, a fuller image of the image of God.

Becky: 00:36:36

Yes, yes, I agree with you 1 million percent. And I. Yeah, I agree especially with the. I believe every culture and heritage in their own way, points to King Jesus.

Like, and I've, you know, in visiting other countries, like, I've been able to identify, like, they're already like Jesus and they don't even know it, you know? And so, like, what a beautiful way to be able to point people to King Jesus. Like, this is what he's done in my life. He can do the same in yours.

Like, we don't have to have common ground as far as, like, familiarity. Same food, like, same skin, same language. Like, we don't have to have that foundation. Like, we are all made in the image of God and like, and so.

And God is worthy of our praise. Like, he's worthy of our worship, but he's also worthy of their worship and their praise.

And so it's just whenever you're able to expand your horizon and be just, like, curious, like, but not curious to, like, I don't know, to be better, a better, more cultured person, but just curious as a genuine desire to, like, I want to know this person. I want to see them. Like, how. Tell me about your family. Like, tell me about kind of what dinners look like. Like, tell me about those aspects.

Like, I think it's just such a beautiful thing that it makes you appreciate God and His creativity and his sovereignty more.

Melissa: 00:37:48

Right?

Becky: 00:37:48

So I agree with you guys. So thank you guys so much for sharing this delicious food. I'm gonna take this to go, but thank you guys so much for listening. Again.

Here at Builder, we love and we're cherish and celebrate diversity, but we also want you to know that you are loved and you are seen by King Jesus, and we would just love to see you guys on a Sunday or a Wednesday.