Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam is the engrossing and heartfelt tale of a family that leaves Vietnam and eventually settles in the United States. It is told from the point of view of a man remembering his time from his childhood through his maturation into an adult. This biographical story is relayed in a graphic novel that Thien Pham wrote and beautifully illustrated. With its depiction of the struggles his family faced, Family Style takes an unflinching look at the realities of life for many immigrants.
Each chapter begins by focusing on a different dish, sometimes showing the preparation of these dishes in detail. The book feels like part cookbook and part memoir with food ranging from Southeast Asian dishes to Northern Californian cuisine. One dish that Pham goes into detail about how to prepare is báhn cuón. When his father buys a báhn cuón stall in a refugee camp he must learn to prepare the dish properly. Pham takes great care in illustrating every step of the process of his father learning this trade, from making the rice flow batter to rolling the rice paper with a bamboo stick. When his mother tries the attempt and declares that “it tastes like home” the readers can’t help but root for this family to succeed.
The artwork is superb with every single panel filled with detail to draw in the readers. The illustrations start strong with an introduction to Pham’s first memory with entire pages of blackness. With only a single square of text to illustrate what it was like in the darkness and confusion when the boat leaving Vietnam is attacked by pirates. The darkness is juxtaposed with red-saturated glimpses of the action while the parents reassure the children. This incident is a shocking story to begin the broader tale that gets the reader’s attention straight away. Pham makes use of bold lines and undersaturated colors to convey his memories. The ocean is made of shades of green striated into layers to represent the waves that give a real sense of movement.
When his parents take work picking fruit in the early hours of the morning to supplement their income, the reader can nearly taste the strawberries that the children eat on the ride home. Pham manages to depict the poverty and hardships that the family faced while still maintaining a focus on the sense of community he experienced in his family and beyond. The book was riveting and can be easily read in a single sitting because it’s so engrossing. But it will make people want to revisit it and look for the details in the panels that were missed the first time around.
Sampan: Why did you consider the graphic novel the best format by which to relay your story?
Thien Pham: I feel like the sequential art form, with its juxtaposition of words and pictures, is the best way to give the reader the fully realized and immersive story that I wanted to tell.
Sampan: Who/what are your artistic influences and what is an influence that might surprise your readers?
Thien Pham: I have a lot of art influences that I have absorbed throughout my career, but really my biggest influence are from my friends and peers who I draw comics with every day. Most of the time I draw and write with my best friends Briana Loewinsohn who did the graphic novel “Ephemera” and Gene Yang who did “American Born Chinese”. Getting suggestions and feedback from them is essential to everything I do.
Sampan: Out of all the dishes you mention in the book, which do you eat most often these days and why?
Thien Pham: I’m really good at making a steak. Steak is my go-to simple, quick meal. So, I eat that a lot, but instead of eating steak with potatoes, I usually have it with rice and egg.
Sampan: The “American dream” gets mentioned in the book—what does that mean to you?
Thien Pham: To me the American Dream is the freedom to be and do what makes you happy.
Sampan: In your book we see you get your passport and the ability to vote in the United States, have you done any traveling since receiving your passport? If so, where did you go and where do you want to go?
Thien Pham: Because I was never able to travel, I was very intimidated by the idea, but since getting my passport I’ve been to three places outside of the US: Costa Rica, Taiwan, and Japan. To my surprise I loved it. I want to travel a lot more. I plan to return to Vietnam this November.
Sampan: How do you think leaving Vietnam, your time in a refugee camp, and your early experiences effect your life now?
Thien Pham: I think the biggest impact my immigrant experience has made in my life is my love for community. In our immigrant journey, we were part of and depended on so many communities. Now as an adult I find myself continually seeking out friendships and community in everything I do.
