I was not supposed to be a singer.

As a first-generation Hmong American daughter of war refugees, I discovered my vocal gift at age 10. My parents raised a breed that had never existed in the history of my people. Per our culture, they groomed me to be an educated and obedient nyab, a future daughter-in-law, and discouraged my craft. With this conflict and its impact on me, it would take 18 years to accept my calling as a vocal artist.