The American Dream is a concept that has pervaded through the hearts and minds of immigrants for decades, rooted in the promise of freedom and opportunity. For those who were uprooting their lives and finding a new home in America, it was perceived to be a land where anything is possible and if you can dream it, you can make it happen. As children of immigrants, this notion is often told to us in faraway stories and perhaps even slightly admonishing reprimands whenever teenaged versions of ourselves would complain. But for many first generation immigrants, the idea of the American Dream was a lifeline. Arriving from war torn countries and nations riddled with conflict, America was a way for them to escape and to provide a better life for their families.
One such narrative comes from the Pham family. We first became acquainted with their story through our longtime collaborator and friend, Cody Pham. His mother, Kina, fled from Phnom Penh after escaping the Khmer Rouge and immigrated to the United States in 1986, where she met her husband, Tang Pham. He was born in Saigon and came to the US in 1988 on a refugee boat. Together, they now have four children and run a successful dry cleaning business in Culver City called VIP Cleaners.
While we were shooting our Fall/Winter 2025 campaign at the shop, Kina and Tang were incredibly gracious, continuing to work in between posing for shots and providing our production team with everything they needed to capture the images. Tang would alternate between greeting customers warmly and jokingly apologizing for his "unusual attire” compared to his regular uniform of a crisp, collared shirt and slacks. As a perfect complement, Kina would greet regulars at the front door, excitedly sharing with them that she was modelling today for a photoshoot, and posing and laughing with the customers. And when we wrapped for the day, Kina hugged each and every member of the crew.
We experienced the type of hospitality that feels like a warm embrace by family. Indeed, Kina and Tang asked us to refer to them as Auntie and Uncle (as is typical in many Asian cultures), as a way to show closeness and to communicate the unspoken words, “I see you as family.” When we had originally conceptualized this campaign, we had wanted to explore the idea of “Making It In America.” However, as our shoot unfolded and as we learned more about the Phams, the concept evolved into something much more complex and intimate. The shoot became more about family and in particular, the immigrant family.
“Family is really all about origin. I think about my family in terms of where we came from, who we are, who I am. Everything that I am is because of who they are, and the things that my parents and ancestors have sacrificed,” Cody’s sister, Savannah, tells us. “I would say resilience is what has kept my family going in America. I think especially given that my parents are both refugees and hearing their experiences and their stories, all the traumas and things that they've experienced, all the hardships that come with being refugees and immigrants in America—I think resilience really speaks to what they've done and who we are as a family.”
Along the same vein, Kina shares with us her experience as a first generation immigrant, “America is our third country. It is our dream. Because I have been through so much in my country, I cannot talk [about it] anymore.” Even through all the adversity that she has faced in her life, Kina still looks to the future with hope and purpose, instilling strong values into her children. “Family means a lot to me. You know, growing up in the United States, [you have to be] hard working,” she explains. “And we are training [our children] really well to be hard working people. Also teaching them to work hard, do good in school and to be good to society.”
It is evident that these values are held close to the hearts of Kina’s children. As Cody tells us, “For me, family is my heart, my soul, everything. Everything around me—I don't even think too much consciously about it. It just exists in the air. That's what family is to me.” He reflects, “I think most of us who are, you know, kids, immigrants, or anything like that out here, family is everything. And not only am I here to do everything I can for them, but they're going to do everything for me as well.”
And even more simply, Tang emotionally expresses to us, “Family means everything in the world for me.”
Rebuilding a life from the ground up. Moving past a life of adversity and violence. Finding love and hope for a better future. These are the pieces that make up an immigrant family. It is a story that fills our hearts and brings us to tears, reminds us of our own families and parents. We feel a sense of pride and wonderment at the resilience that these people in our lives have shown. We hope to find strength in the same way that they have, and we will continue to celebrate immigrant stories.
Explore more images from our FW25 “Making It In America” campaign, and check out new pieces from Asian-founded brands such as CAMPBELL&KRAMER, CODA, SUSUMU, Geel, Victoria, Find Me Now, and Second Skin.
A heartfelt thank you once again to Kina, Tang, Savannah and Cody Pham.
Location
VIP Cleaners
3128 S Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90034
Creative Credits
Photographer: Ja Tecson / @jatecson
Model: Devyn Adair / @devynadair
Makeup: Steph V. / @steph.face
Hair: Rachel Lita / @rachellitahair
Creative Director: Kayla Wong / @kaylaiw
Art Director: Zarah Cheng / @zarahcheng
Field Producer: Karen Chen / @_chen_karen
Stylist: Hannah Roquero / @hannnroquero
Social Media: Jenny Kim / @jennykiimm