From potato chips to bánh cuón, Oakland teacher remembers migrating to US through food memories

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- There are many ways of remembering the past.

For graphic illustrator and high school teacher Thien Pham, it came down to food.

"When we were younger, my mom and dad were always working, we never saw them. Food was a way of them connecting with us because I would come home from school, they would not be home, but there would be food laid out on the table," said Thien Pham. "That was like my mom writing me a note saying, 'I thought about you. Here's your dinner.'"

RELATED: How this Vietnamese service center uniquely caters to Santa Clara County community, refugees

Thien's book Family Style is a heartfelt story that starts with his family's exile from Vietnam after the end of the war and adapting to his new life in the United States.

Thien expected to tell a sad story when he sat down with his parents to hear about what it was like to flee Vietnam aboard a small boat and living in a refugee camp in Thailand, often with little food or water.

"I said, Dad, that's got to be the worst time of our lives. And he said, no. He said, that was the best time of my life. And I said, what? Like, there was all these families and they were there to support each other. Now their future is wide open. So when I drew and wrote the book I wanted to show the joy and the humor and the fun," said Thien.

Each chapter of Family Style is broken down by a food memory, whether it's a potato chip or a Vietnamese dish like bánh cuón. Thien uses those memories to tell how his family migrated to the United States and adapted to life in the United States.

See our interview with Thien Pham in the video above.