Most recently, I have been introduced to the well-rebounded known not artist but sculptor that goes by the name of Isamu Noguchi. After listening to the The Play Mountain Podcast on Spotify, taking me through his journey to his abstract structures inspired me to write this post correlating his story to David Tran a Vietnamese Chinese descendant refugee creating a delicacy drizzled on many multi-cultural dishes, known as Siracha Sauce.

As things took a rough turn in the Vietnam War of 1978 following the Sino-Vietnamese war of 1979 , the communist government was intensifying attention towards the immigrants with Chinese Ancestry since they were under the suspicion of spying and trying to take down Vietnams military by being on the inside forcing David and his family to flee with others on the Huey Fong Cargo Boat.

Noguchi story may differ from not going through his situation of being forcibly to flee to America but due to the Attack of Pearl Harbor by the Japans to America grounds, chaos erupted in central areas such as Los Angeles the government declaring war putting bounties wanting Japanese Ancestry Immigrants to be gathered to be sent to concentration camps for so called protection.

As Noguchi voluntary entered the Colorado River Relocation Concentration Camp to live how Japanese Americans were taken away from their home to a new jail like situation to call home. What he saw within the months there is plain play equipment for children very rigid and they have been the same sought out design for decades, this was a key moment to his defying new play mountain designs of it being non-directive, pulling together all different type of shapes to create an abstract playground and more play structures children could play on. As time goes on, 1985 was the year Noguchi opened the The Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, a collective collection of his sculptures throughout his life.

Speaking for most Asian-Americans, we have lots of sauces to be added and seasoned to our food. I think the only well-known Asian Hot Sauce known in the U.S by Westerners is Siracha since it is seen on Pho, Burgers, Pizzas, even maybe Tacos!. David Tran quotes “I knew, after the Vietnamese resettled here, that they would want their hot sauce for their pho… But I wanted something that I could sell to more than just the Vietnamese.” This was a revelation for the Asian-America Community.