Free Immigrant Kitchen Event!
We are thrilled to be partnering with The Historical Society's celebration of Minnesota "Unraveled" Storytellers
Here is an event you are not going to want to miss:
Immigrant Kitchen is partnering with the Minnesota Historical Society on June 25 to bring you a night of live music, exhibition, storytelling, and of course, food!
Unraveled is the Minnesota Historical Society produced podcast exploring our state history. Next month, we will celebrate the voices behind the stories with this dynamic event, where Yer-Yang Robertson. will present a traditional Hmong dinner in honor of her late mother, Pai Vue, who was born in 1947 in Long Cheng, Laos.
From a young age, Pai developed a deep love for cooking, preparing meals for her family and dreaming of one day opening a restaurant of her own. Her passion for food became a source of comfort, creativity, and connection throughout her life. At 15, Pai was forced into marriage and quickly took on the responsibilities of motherhood. Despite the hardships of poverty and raising a large family, she continued cooking and eventually began selling homemade pho and stir fry from a small food booth to help support her children.
During the Vietnam War, Pai and her family fled Laos in search of freedom, enduring immense loss and sacrifice before eventually immigrating to the United States in 1980 where she raised nine children. Although Pai never had the opportunity to fully pursue her dream of becoming a chef, her love for cooking deeply influenced her family, especially her daughter, Yer.
Today, Yer honors her mother’s legacy through culinary arts and Asian-Italian fusion cuisine, carrying forward the stories, flavors, and resilience that Pai shared through every meal she made. Pai Vue’s story is one of perseverance, sacrifice, and love, a legacy that continues to live on through food, family, and future generations.
Yer will present a menu in honor of her mother, who recently passed away.
In addition to Yer’s meaningful culinary tribute to her mother, Vivian Mims, BFA + Immigrant Kitchen favorite will demo her famous collard greens and cornbread recipes (+ free samples!) in conjunction with curator James Curry’s exhibit, Soul Force.
This event is free and open to the public. Sign up quickly— it is expected to fill up fast.
We can’t wait to see you there!