What We Brought: Far East Grocery owners share stories of hardship and success while catering to southeast Asian communities

The "Asian American" community is one of the most diverse in the country. In 2023, there were nearly 25 million Asian Americans in the U.S., making up about 7% of the population. That number is up with Asians being the fastest growing racial and ethnic demographic in the country. But within that, the histories, the lives, the cultures stretch across generations and across borders.

This is What We Brought — a limited series from Illinois Public Media about the Asian American experience in Central Illinois. It’s told through stories of resilience, adaptation, and identity. We're diving into the stories about what we carry with us, whether it’s memories, food, language, or even the echoes of trauma.

You’ll hear from Asian American voices of at least seven different cultures and diasporas, each now calling Central Illinois their home. They’ll share their stories — the journeys they took, the things they left behind, and, of course, what they brought with them. In this episode, we’re going grocery shopping and speaking to a Vietnamese family whose business connects the Champaign-Urbana community to the Far East.