Students sharing food at the Vietnamese potluck on the Miramonte football field on Sept. 23, after Thein Pham read his graphic novel, “Family Style.” (L-R) Isa Ahmed, Hana Shukairy, London Hill, Ariana Caragol, Lina Parikh, Corey Losee, Madison Chong, Derek Shang, Miles Gaffney and Ryan Jones.
On Sept. 23, the entire Miramonte ninth-grade student body attended a celebratory potluck after reading the graphic novel, “Family Style” by Thien Pham.
Pham’s book, on the 2023 Best Book of the Year lists from NPR, Publishers Weekly, Booklist and School Library Journal, is about his family’s immigration from Vietnam to America in 1980. It’s illustrated and written through the lens of his food memories.
The potluck included different Vietnamese foods, and many students brought food from their own cultures to share. Pham, who is an art teacher at Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, attended the lunch.
Throughout the book, Pham wrestles with questions like: Am I Vietnamese enough?
Freshman Matias Thaler said the book is important because it teaches youth that it’s enough to just be who you are.
“That resonated with me because I grew up around a lot of Spanish people, and now I’m not in that Hispanic culture anymore,” said Thaler. “So, oftentimes I think to myself, am I Hispanic enough?”
Another student, Giselle Kronenberg, who read the book and attended the potluck, said Pham is empowering students to be themselves.
“My favorite part of the book is seeing how he grew up and used his Vietnamese culture to be a good thing and bring him closer to people,” said Kronenberg.
Miramonte’s English Department Chair, Colleen Williams, is excited Thaler and Kronenberg were impacted by the weight of Pham’s story.
“This was such a fun book to teach. Each chapter focuses on a specific food memory of the author, so we had students draw their own comic of their first food memory,” said Williams.
Pham published the book last year after getting the idea in 2007. However, what ultimately led to his decision to start writing occurred when his parents finally told him their perspective on moving to America.
“When I heard the story from them, I was so moved that I knew I had to do it,” said Pham, who, being an art teacher, meant he was more than up to the task of doing all the illustrations himself.
Pham’s willingness and dedication as a kid, and now as an educator, inspired Miramonte freshman Palig Horoupian.
“It’s important to know everyone’s story and what they’ve been through, and obviously he has been through a lot, but achieved so much,” said Horoupian.
Pham has illustrated three other graphic novels and hopes his work will encourage students to learn how important immigration is to the United States.
“Mostly I want them to see that we all have important stories to tell,” said Pham. “I want them to tell theirs and their family’s story, and I’m excited to read all of it.”