“Sabaidee! Hello! My name is Derick Sengsavanh Sananikone. I am from, what I like to call, PhiLAOdelphia, (Philadelphia).”
“My name, Sengsavanh, was created by combining my parent’s names. It also continues the family line of Sengs. Almost every member of my family’s first name starts with Seng. Seng in Lao, means Light.”
“My name means, the light from Heaven. Or Heaven’s Light. This name was gifted to me and I’ve taken it upon myself to uphold my name by being Heaven’s Light towards life and to my peers. When I was really young I quickly understood that every single person has a story of life hardships.”
“I knew it was important to always be kind to others and to never judge someone based on observation or assumption. I also longed for world peace. My mindset has always been my proudest trait. My name, Sengsavanh, has always been my superpower.”
“There are many life goals that I uphold myself to achieve in this lifetime. One of my goals is to help lift and spread the Lao diaspora and share my culture with anyone who is willing to be open, listen, and embrace.”
“Growing up heavily exposed to my culture and in a community that was in open arms, I knew the importance of our history, and our future.”
“Back in the 1970’s, my grandparents escaped Laos on a small boat late in the night, crossing the Mekong River to Thailand. Just like many other similar stories, starting life over in America was not easy. My grandmother went back to school, earned her college degree and achieved a license in cosmetology.”
“She successfully opened her own hair salon and it was the first business to open in the now established 7th Street Business District. A home to a diverse community of refugees and immigrants.”
“Still standing after 36 years, the salon has now become a family business managed and operated by three generations of our Lao family. My families’ sacrifice, hard work, and dedication inspires me everyday to continue to strive towards success. They are my rock and my light.”
“I have decided to become the third generation to operate the salon. I received my license of cosmetology to assist my family in leading our small business towards success. In the past year, our family salon has been highlighted in Visit Philly’s Top 20 Asian-owned businesses.”
“The salon has also been featured in The Cultural Fabric publication emphasizing the Lao community in Philadelphia. Working at a Lao salon has become a great chance for me to meet many people within the Lao community. I’ve learned to converse in our native language, and have grown a true sense of community while being there.”
“I used my bilingual powers to aid in assisting Lao people in receiving their yearly flu shots, and more recently in receiving their Covid-19 vaccination doses at local clinics where language translations weren’t available.”
“The community in PhiLAOdelphia especially, has been my greatest support system, inspiring me to work hard in spreading our stories to uplift Lao people and culture.”
“What I embrace most about being Lao is our story. Although many of us have lived the same history, our stories still remain individually different and unique. Each story is golden and holds so much emotion and value. Every voice speaks a different tone, and every word is written in a different font.”
“I also take inspiration from many other Lao community leaders across the country that I’ve been honored to meet and learn from. These leaders use their own platforms and unique mediums to push the narrative and do their part for the community. Seeing others working hard for our people inspires me to do my part.”
“During my process, I’ve had the chance to meet with Catzie Vilayphonh, founder of non-profit organization, Laos In The House. I instantly connected with the organizations’ mission of sharing Lao stories through the art of storytelling.”
“And since the org was based in Philly, it was a no-brainer for me to become a volunteer.”
“It’s been a few years since I began, and I am incredibly honored to have learned so much from being a volunteer with Laos In The House. I’ve gained meaningful relationships with my fellow volunteers and have also had the privilege to connect with many other Lao community leaders from around the world. Through this, I have attended community events from coast to coast. Overall learning from all of my experiences to better reach my goals.”
“Although the future is uncertain, there are many goals I’d like to conquer. But I hope within the next few years, the paths lining to my goals become more clear. I see myself continuing to utilize my voice and skill-sets to spread Lao culture. ”
“I see myself continuing to utilize my voice and skill-sets to spread Lao culture. I also see myself within the entertainment industry, as a performer or entertainer proudly representing my people. One day I hope to become the voice of the first Lao Disney Prince.”
“The closest goal to my heart and my dreams is to become a performer/entertainer. Ever since I was 6 years old, I have loved to sing. In high school, I joined the school choir and found my love for the stage while performing in school plays and musicals. During that time, my life was devoted to performing.”
“To this day, attending concerts always makes me emotional. It is my all-time dream to perform a concert and hear thousands of voices singing my lyrics back to me. However, once high school graduation was over, adult life had to begin. I put singing and performing on hold and focused on a career, like any good Asian son.”
“Putting a pause on music was my biggest regret. If there was a lesson I’d share with anyone, it would be to never give up on your dreams and to never stop practicing your passions. Recently, I’ve been trying to pick up where I left off, relearning notes, doing vocal lessons, and possibly picking up an instrument.”
“Sacrifices. There are many times in life when you have to sacrifice one thing in order to gain another. Sacrifices are never easy but sometimes it’s necessary to get one step closer to the finish line.”
“Through these years, I’ve learned that success does not come knocking on your front door. If you really want to achieve a goal, you must work hard for it. The hardest part of starting something, is actually starting it. You have so many voices in your head trying to push you down, making up numerous excuses, but just start and the rest should naturally flow.”
“Also mental health is important. It is okay for you to say no. Sometimes putting your ‘Self’ first is the best option. I would also tell my younger self to never stop singing.”
“In the next few years, I hope to create more singing content and share my passion with the world on social media.”
“In Lao culture, I particularly love our food. As a landlocked country, we have many inspirations to take from, but we create what I believe is the best. World renowned Chef Gordon Ramsey recently stated that Lao food is the best food in the whole world. Our herbs and flavors hit every palette of the tongue, enhancing all the senses of the body. Lao food is the most common way I introduce and embrace Lao culture to my friends. ”
“My family enjoys hosting many parties, in which I always take the advantage to invite my non-Lao friends and even my Lao peers to step into our home, no shoes of course, and to enjoy Lao food together along with great conversations on the side. There’s nothing that brings people together as much as food.”
