Mai Hoang

Meet Mai Hoang

Central and Eastern Washington Reporter for Crosscut, a non-profit news site

May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Join us as we bring you this special series on the Grapevine, celebrating this community of Washington wine industry professionals, while learning what their culture and AAPI Heritage Month means to them.

Suman Kumar: How do you identify within the Asian American and Pacific Islander community? Specifically where you and/or your family immigrated from, or still reside. 

Mai Hoang: My parents and older brother lived in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in Vietnam and left right after the end of the Vietnam War in April 1975. They first lived in Columbus, Ohio, where a local church sponsored their arrival to the U.S.  They moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where I was born, in 1982.

SK: What is your role within the Washington Wine Industry? 

MH: I’ve covered the wine industry since 2006, when I was hired as the business and agriculture  reporter for the Yakima Herald-Republic. I’ve covered numerous wine grape harvests, winery openings and wrote about different trends happening in the industry. I’ve witnessed the incredible growth of the industry through my reporting – when I first arrived to the Yakima Valley in 2006, there were just under 500 wineries and we’re more than double that amount now. I’ve continued my coverage of the wine industry in my current position as Central/Eastern Washington reporter for Crosscut, a nonprofit news site.

SK: What brings you joy about your heritage and culture?

MH: Food has been an expression of love for my family. Whether it’s a holiday celebration or wedding, my family never wanted anyone to be without good Vietnamese food. My best friend’s first experience with Pho – the Vietnamese beef noodle soup – was when she had my mom’s during a visit home from  our university. She was hooked and even has made Pho a few times (and even got tips from my mom!). My mom makes so much food when she visits that my family is able to enjoy it for months afterwards.

SK: Does your family have any traditions that are especially important to you?

MH: My parents still send me (and my husband) money for the Lunar New Year (known as Tet in Vietnam) even though we’re not children any more. This is probably an example of how your parents always see you as “their baby!”

SK: Who are the role models or mentors that have influenced you or helped guide you?

MH: My mother was 32 years old with a small child when she arrived in the U.S. She had me at 39. She had to deal with all the difficulties of being a working mom plus adjust to an entirely new country, culture and language. She worked extremely hard and sacrificed so much to make sure my brother and I were successful.  Now that I’m about the same age (and a working mom), I appreciate the determination and grit she showed in making a new life not just for herself, but for my brother and me.

SK: What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?

MH: I was one of a handful of kids of Asian descent at my school growing up. I’ve been the recipient of racist comments that were hurtful.  When I was a child it seemed that assimilating was the only way to survive. It’s great that we don’t have to hide our heritage and culture - we can highlight it. I love seeing how members of the AAPI community are making their mark across different industries.

Read Mai’s article here: Corkscrews to cans: WA wineries adapt to sustainable packaging