I Am Vietnamese, an anthology that builds up a community

My achievements as a Blind Cook often supersede my identity as a writer. That’s what I was before I went on “MasterChef,” and that’s what I still consider myself, in spite of my latest lackluster attempts at the memoir. (That's a discussion for another day.)In fact, I find writing much more challenging than cooking; results are less tangible, and gratification, if it comes at all, is way delayed.It’s refreshing to have my writer persona recognized. I was asked to have one of my poems included in the I Am Vietnamese anthology. While it’s nice to pay tribute to my heritage and support meaningful causes, I would be untruthful if I didn’t admit part of me was just plain excited to have my words immortalized next to those of Monique Truong and Andrew X. Pham.The I Am Vietnamese project captures the voices of first- and second-generation Vietnamese-Americans like myself. One hundred percent of the proceeds benefit three charities whose combined mission is to promote Vietnamese values and ethics both in Vietnam and abroad. The project's Kickstarter campaign ends in just two days. Please peruse and share. Happy reading!