I was thirteen, and it was our first Mother’s Day in America. We were Burmese immigrants, a family of six, one too many for a small sedan but we wanted to stay together. My youngest sister, only four, crouched on the floor of the back seat while the rest of us squeezed close, giggling together. When the police lights flashed, everyone went silent. The officer was stern and would not bend, his ticket costing more hours of minimum wage than we knew existed. Our smiles faded and the day grew quiet, a happy moment changed into something we never forgot.
Dellun Chow is a Burmese American chef, entrepreneur, and writer in Southern California. His work explores memory, technology, ambition, and the search for stillness.