VHM_0050

This rice cooker belonged to Đoàn Nam Sơn, who resettled in Louisiana in 1976 as a young student. At the time, rice cookers were difficult to find—especially in areas with small Vietnamese populations. Determined to preserve traditional eating habits, he searched across Chinatown neighborhoods until he eventually found this appliance. As he didn’t yet know how to cook rice manually, the rice cooker became essential for maintaining a familiar routine. In Vietnamese culture, meals revolve around rice—"truyền thống của người Việt là sống ba bữa ăn cơm."