Hao Tran keeps on keeping on during the pandemic, although her days have changed quite a bit. As a high school teacher, she is working from home and relying on webcasting to communicate with students. As co-founder of The Table Market and Culinary Studio, she continues to sell essential grocery items, although customer traffic has slowed and her cooking classes have been cancelled. Hao suggested we Zoom our episode, which we tried with partial success. Hao’s life –– like everyone else’s –– has been impacted by the coronavirus, but she has faced danger and disruption before. Her father, Ky Dinh Tran, was 38 when he gathered his family –– wife Le Hong Thi Nguyen, son Hoa, and daughters Hanh and Hao –– and fled Saigon in 1975 just before the city fell to a communist regime. Ky was a South Vietnamese Navy captain and successful businessman and feared being sent to a labor camp and losing his children. The Tran family left with the clothes on their backs and survived a difficult stay in a refugee camp before eventually settling in Arlington and helping to establish the Vietnamese-American community that still thrives there. Once in Arlington, the former wealthy businessman worked menial labor for low wages. Hao’s mom, a college-educated nurse in South Vietnam, found work only as a house cleaner. Still, the family stayed together, thrived, and lived happy lives. Hao is remaining strong and positive during this current crisis and setting a positive example for her children and her students. She’s also helping keep The Table alive by selling tasty products such as gourmet breads, cheeses, oils, meats, and produce to go. Thanks for appearing on the show, Tran, and for picking such a fun song. Sorry I made you cry during our interview. — Jeff Prince
Love it.