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Seng Luangrath interview transcript, 2018-09-25

 File
Identifier: dcpl_dcohc007_04_tra.pdf

Scope and Contents

Seng Luangrath discusses her childhood in Vientiane, Laos, living in a multi-generational home, learning to cook from her grandmother, the impact of the Laotian Civil War and the Vietnam War on her family, attending a French-language school, learning that her family would be escaping Laos but that her sister would remain with her grandmother, the experience of being smuggled across the Laos border into Thailand, life as a refugee in Thailand then the Philippines, attending an English language school in preparation for moving to Berkeley, California, her marriage arranged by her mother, moving to Virginia and establishing a life with her new husband, her professional life before becoming a chef, opening her first restaurant and then expanding into Washington, D.C., her lifelong passion for cooking and serving her community, and the impact the community of chefs in Washington, D.C. have had on her career.

Dates

  • Creation: 2018-09-25

Creator

Biographical / Historical

Seng Luangrath was born in Vientiane, Laos where she grew up in a multi-generational home and learned to cook from her grandmother. At the age of 12, Luangrath fled Laos with her mother and brothers; her sister, who was viewed to be braver than Luangrath, stayed behind to care for her grandmother. Her family lived in refugee camps in Thailand and the Philippines. While living in a refugee camp in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, her mother remarried and Luangrath learned to cook various Lao regional cuisines from her stepfather. In the Philippines her family attended an English language school in preparation for moving to Berkeley, California in the United States. Luangrath attended Berkeley High School and then Laney College. In 1988 Luangrath married a man through a courtship her mother arranged, and moved with her new husband to Northern Virginia. Luangrath worked as a bank teller and accountant while her husband worked in manufacturing, food service, and flooring before the pair started a construction business for military housing. The business ultimately failed leaving the couple looking for new options. Luangrath dreamed of opening her own restaurant and the opportunity arose to take over a Thai restaurant, Bangkok Golden (now Padaek) in Falls Church, Virginia. The original menu featured Thai food but included secret Lao dishes. After a positive review from a Washington Post food critic, Luangrath began serving both Thai and Lao dishes. With encouragement from her customers and the Washington, D.C. chef community, she opened Thip Khao in Columbia Heights, Washington, D.C. with her son, Bobby Pradachith. Together Luangrath and Pradachith lead the Lao Food Movement which promotes Lao cuisine and culture and encourages ethnic minorities to be proud of their identities and cultures.

Extent

From the Collection: 1.13 Terabytes

Language of Materials

English

Repository Details

Part of the The People's Archive, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library Repository

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