Go Away With … Sahra Nguyen

“My parents escaped Vietnam on a boat after the war ended in 1975 and they came to the United States as refugees,” said coffee entrepreneur Sahra Nguyen. “I was born and raised in Boston … surrounded by lots of immigrant families from the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Puerto Rico. I attended the Boston public school system, which was as diverse as the city of Boston. Having a lot of exposure to diverse cultures at a young age helped shape my love for culture and community.”

Go Away With … Mai Whelan of “Squid Game: The Challenge”

“At eight years of age, it was an easy transition [to the U.S.],” said “Squid Game: The Challenge” winner Mai Whelan. “The hardest was learning English, because there are so many tenses. In Vietnamese, we have general, formal and no tenses.”

Go Away With … Adrian Sutherland

“I didn’t feel comfortable writing in Cree before, but as I’ve become more comfortable with writing songs and making music, now it feels like more of a natural fit,” said “Precious Diamonds” musician Adrian Sutherland. “I’m pleased with how the songs turned out.”

Go Away With … Raymond Lee

“It’s always interesting to me the weight that [some Asian Americans] carry around from not having grown up with people who look like them,” said “Quantum Leap” star Raymond Lee. “I was fortunate enough to grow up in Koreatown and Glendale, where our star quarterback was Asian and the smartest three students in our class were Asian.”

Go Away With … KEEHO of P1Harmony

“When you’re in a new country by yourself, there’s nothing greater for character development than putting yourself out there,” said P1Harmony leader Keeho. “Having traveled so much as a kid helped me adapt to new environments. Honestly, it was not difficult for me when I moved to Korea. There was some culture shock, but it was overall just fun for me.”

Go Away With … Pictoria Vark

“My favorite memory from my travels was when we were on tour in 2022 in Ventura, California, and I went paddleboarding by myself between load-in and soundcheck,” said Victoria Park, who performs under the moniker Pictoria Vark. “It was in this weird harbor and I thought it wasn’t going to be that cool because it wasn’t out on the ocean, but there was a whole family of seals resting on the docks and barking at each other. I got to be way closer to them than I would’ve otherwise. It’s a cherished moment I have just with myself.”