My Daddy Tells Me…

My Daddy Tells Me… is a heartwarming children’s book highlighting the life-changing power of a positive father-daughter bond. Each day, Mai’s dad showers her with affection and admiration by giving her positive affirmations. My Daddy Tells Me… emphasizes the importance of fathers giving their daughters verbal encouragement that will ultimately shape their self-image and how they identify with their society and environments. Her daddy’s affirmations counter pervasive and damaging cultural myths about gender, color, cultural practices, and traditional family dynamics.

Mai is a free-spirited, biracial Vietnamese African-American girl being raised by her loving daddy, who gives her positive affirmations throughout the story that support her vibrant personality and many interests. She, in turn, is a bright spot in his life as he navigates leaving Vietnam for a new life in the US. Their father-daughter bond is infectious and representative of the sweet essence of trust and understanding between a parent and child.

The imagery and experiences from each spread were drawn from my own experiences. My mother was twenty-one years old and my father was only twenty-two years old when they were in an arranged marriage. Within two years, they had my older sister Behai, then me. When I was nine months old, my family migrated from Vietnam to a refugee camp in the Philippines before arriving in the U.S.

Similar to my own story, My Daddy Tells Me…, portrays Mai and her dad’s journey from Vietnam to America. The pictures capture intimate moments shared between Mai and her father at birth to them sharing the emotional trauma of migration and cultural conformity. Despite their hardships, their love and adoration for one another propel them into a world of opportunity. This is one of the only children’s picture books to depict a Vietnamese refugee experience without centering it in the narrative. Instead, it is only one dynamic in a tale of family life.

I have been blessed to have a plethora of strong, independent, nurturing female teachers in my life. Their ability to create a safe space for children to explore their autonomy and cultural differences was influential to my decision in becoming an early childhood educator. Within my career, I've worked with young children and their families as a teacher, supervisor, center director, early childhood advocate, and community resource liaison. My experiences in the field have led me to work with research-based early childhood theories and research on human development: specializing in infancy to six years of age.

My career as an early educator has led me from teaching children to influencing the systematic landscape of, early childhood educators, professional development, adult learning, and diversity and inclusion in the workforce. I seek to generate provocations and collaborate with my community of educators and passionate leaders for our youngest citizens. My objective is to ensure early childhood educators are equipped and prepared to deliver high-quality care to a diverse population of families.