DFW International Dinner | June 14, 2011

The DFW International Community Alliance is the portal to international North Texas, a region in which 44% of the residents are new Americans of first or second generations. They are a network of over 1,600 internationally-focused organizations in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex. Their mission is to build mutual understanding and respect by linking diverse international cultural communities. As you can imagine, being a third-generation Vietnamese American is very important to me. I believe that cultural backgrounds should never be forgotten, always kept and appreciated. I am very proud of my heritage and of Vietnam before 1975.

I have had the honor of attending this dinner last fall and I had a spectacular time! Naturally, when I got the invite again this year from Anne-Marie Weiss I said yes! The food was so diverse and featured cuisine from Colombia, Indonesia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, and Pakistan. I had a wonderful time sampling all of the different dishes and enjoyed the baklava for dessert! 

Since the event is a dinner geared towards Mayors, I had the privilege of meeting Phil Dyer, the Mayor of Plano. It was great to learn that he too attended the University of Texas! 

The night was filled with amazing success stories, victories, and accomplishments. It was inspiring to be in a room full of such incredible individuals who decided quitting was never an option. I hope one day to follow in their footsteps and continue to make a significant difference in our community. 

Of course, an event like this would never be possible without dedicated volunteers. I’d like to thank them for taking initiative and coming out to support DFW International Community Alliance and servicing their community.