MY STORY

My parents came to America as refugees of the Cambodian "Killing Fields".  I am a proud first generation Cambodian American born and raised in Dallas, TX. My food upbringing is unlike most kids, even with being of Cambodian descent. Upon arriving to America, New Orleans was my parents first American city.  Cajun and Creole cuisine was their first introduction to American food.  Gulf Coast Seafood was always a big part of childhood memories.  I had a grandma who started cooking as early as the birds started chirping . She was adamant about not eating out and preserving our Cambodian roots. My mom on the other hand was focused on us being American kids and embracing the diversity that makes up America.  She worked with people from various cultures and often brought their food home for us to experience together. Despite her 12-hour shifts, my mom still pushed to cook us something uniquely delicious to eat outside of my grandma's usual Cambodian food.  My adventurous, ambitious attitude stems from her.  I have carried that into who I am as a Chef embracing the diversity I have around me, capturing the world and expressing it through food.  All the while not forgetting my roots.

I am also a United States Army Veteran and served as a Food Inspector 68R MOS. I never quite understood the power that food possesses until my tour in Iraq. My job was to ensure the safety and quality of food for over 250,000 troops and foreign nationals within Victory Base Complex as well as the surrounding Forward Operating Bases. I lived in Saddam Hussein’s K9 unit house on the edge of “the wire” and looked into Baghdad airport rd often referred to as IED alley. Amidst all the chaos, food was often all we had to look forward to. It took us back to a safe place in our head. In many ways, that experience of having that safe place is what led me into the kitchen.

The first Cambodians all arrived in America with little English and little money. Their baggage was all emotional. There is a lot of inherited trauma that comes with being first generation and the children of refugees. I have learned to take it with grace in knowing that I have a bigger responsibility with telling and keeping our story on resilience for America to know. Overcoming the ruins of your past is what fortifies you. It sets the foundation for you to stand and rise up. This is my story as it is theirs. It is for me as it is for them. I am that stone foundation. I AM SEILA.