Oral history interview with Nong Poonsukwattana

Collection

Identifier: SR 12320

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Nong Poonsukwattana was conducted by Monica Salazar on August 12, 2019. The interview was recorded for The Immigrant Story, an organization that documents and archives the stories of immigrants and refugees in the United States. Poonsukwattana’s landlord was also briefly present.

In this interview, Poonsukwattana discusses her family background and early life in Bangkok, Thailand, and talks about experiencing child abuse. She talks about immigrating to the United States after marrying an American citizen in 2003; about adjusting to life in Portland, Oregon, including learning English; and about working as a waitress in Thai restaurants in Portland, including Pok Pok. She discusses developing recipes, opening Nong’s Khao Man Gai, a food cart in downtown Portland, in 2009, and then a restaurant of the same name in 2011. She then describes opening a second location for her restaurant in 2018. She closes the interview by sharing her plans for the future, by talking about managing her restaurant staff, and by discussing her experience with the immigration process.

Dates

2019 August 12

Creator

Poonsukwattana, Nong, 1980- (Interviewee, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and The Immigrant Story. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/

Biographical note

Nong Poonsukwattana was born in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1980. In 2003, she married an American citizen and immigrated to the United States. The couple settled in Portland, Oregon, but soon divorced. Poonsukwattana remained in Portland and worked at Thai restaurants, including Pok Pok. In 2009, she opened Nong’s Khao Man Gai in the Alder Street food cart pod in downtown Portland, and in 2011, she also opened a restaurant by the same name in Southeast Portland. In 2018, she opened a second location in downtown Portland.

Extent

107 Megabytes (1 audio file (M4A, 47 min., 37 sec.))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with Nong Poonsukwattana conducted by Monica Salazar on August 12, 2019, for The Immigrant Story. Poonsukwattana discusses her experiences as a Thai American and a restaurant owner in Portland, Oregon.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Access to audio recording is provided online in OHS Digital Collections.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of The Immigrant Story, June 2021 (RL2021-057).

Publication note

An article about Nong Poonsukwattana, "The Ingredients of Leadership" by Monica Salazar, was based on this interview and published on The Immigrant Story website at https://theimmigrantstory.org/the-ingredients-of-leadership/.