January 2024 Fourth Friday – Vietnam – Hà Do Phan

Born in Chevreuse, France, Hà Do Phan is the second child of a five-sibling family.  His parents were first generation immigrants from Vietnam. Hà and his family traveled widely around the world throughout his childhood and even lived in the USA for two years when Hà was a teenager.  Hà met his wife in 2005 in Paris and later he and his young family moved to the USA in 2018.  Hà’s wife, Bao started her French Pastry Baking activities, and initially offered her sweet treats at the Valparaiso Farmer’s Market in 2018. After just a couple years of doing the Farmer’s Market, Bao and Hà ended up opening Bao’s Pastry on Jefferson Street, downtown Valparaiso.

Ha Do Phan

Hà has always cherished his Vietnamese roots and culture and travels frequently to his home country.
 
Hà presented his story and featured the culture, cuisine, geography, politics and arts of Vietnam at the Valparaiso International Center’s Fourth Friday Speaker series on January 26, 2024.
 
Hà says, “I don’t have a precise nationality, or a unique citizenship, I am rather a “Citizen of the World” but when pressed, he says, “I am Vietnamese of Origin, French of Nationality and American of Adoption.”