Our Fourth of July: Finding Identity Between BBQ and Sticky Rice Dumplings

Every July 4th, a strange blend of aromas drifts from our backyard—grilled steak sizzling over charcoal, and the sweet scent of sticky rice dumplings steaming on the stove. This is how my family celebrates Independence Day: half burgers and popcorn, half salted egg yolk and lotus seed paste. As a child, I often wondered whyContinue reading “Our Fourth of July: Finding Identity Between BBQ and Sticky Rice Dumplings”

The Child’s Flag, the Parents’ Silence

My daughter received a small American flag outside the grocery store the weekend before the Fourth of July. “They said I can stick it in the garden or take it to the picnic,” she told me, clutching the little plastic flag like it was something ceremonial. When we got home, she placed it carefully inContinue reading “The Child’s Flag, the Parents’ Silence”