this is for mẹ

I wish that I could tell my younger self that ao dai was not just a dress that my mother would lend me, but the dress of my motherland.

In this Q&A with Phin founder, Bao Nguyen, Jess Boyd delves into the poetry, passion and proverbs behind the coffee shop that creates community and caffeinated comfort in Seattle's Little Saigon.

I clutch my phone tightly and press the little glowing call button next to “Mom.” With every ring, I imagine invisible electronic waves pulsing through the air, trying to connect.You answer, propping your phone against the basket full of mint and basil you’re preparing for phở that night.“Mom is cooking, but I’m listening. What do you want to talk?”

A love letter to all my mẹ, dì, cô, bác, chị, em.

I would not be blamed for the illness in another person's heart. 

In this light filled letter to Asian women in the midst of dark times, Xoài Phạm offers a loving reminder of the resilience, beauty and wisdom that we are born from.