Sènsé Nail Spa invited to speak at VAEDA/WAVA.

We were deeply honored that we were invited to speak at Seattle's first Vietnamese American Economic Development and Chamber. It's purpose is to provide a voice for the communities such as Little Saigon in the International District. This was an excerpt from that 8 minute speech...

"The winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize wrote a book called, “Creating a World without Poverty.” He compares the poor to a bonsai tree.

You can take the seed of the largest bonsai tree and grow an exact replica large or small scale depending on the size of support you give it.

It turns out the problem is not with the seed. It is with the soil.

I believe this new Economic Development Agency and Chamber will be the first step in providing richer soil for future generations to grow and thrive from.

I hope the struggles of millions of people will not be forgotten. The seeds that were originally planted in me as a young boy from my parents. The work ethic. The ability to survive. The human spirit to achieve. To push and to grow. Crossing oceans. Overcoming Poverty. Working beyond mental and economical limitations to provide a better life for their families.

I hope this spirit. These seeds. And this soil will be instilled in this new Chamber. I hope that becoming stronger as Vietnamese Americans, we can honor these stories. These efforts. These immigrants that came here and given us a piece, a little inspiration of hope, and reminded us that this truly is the best Nation in the world.

I hope this new soil allows us to weave our stories into the fabric of what it means to be American.

And I hope one day our families that arrived to this country can proudly say, “this is the type of community I wished my family had when they arrived to America.”


Blogger cut this photo off. Pictured are some of the 25 founders of this new chamber. Zodiac Aeronautical Group. Wild Rock. Countrywide. Seattle University. Cathay Bank. Nguyen Law. Annie E. Casey Foundation. Tamarind Tree. US-Asia Gateway. Williams & Wyatt. Vietnamese Community and Activity Center. Homesight. Western United Fish Co. JTD Real Estate. Viet Wah Group. Tran Law Firm. UW Business & Economic Development Center. Phuong Dong Newspaper. Triway Enterprises. And Sènsé Nail Spa.