Maria Nguyen 
Owner of the Lily of the Valley Restaurant

   By Caroline Snyder
 
A rich tapestry of Vietnamese heritage is reflected in the life of Maria Nguyen, the owner of a quaint and distinguished restaurant in the heartland of 3M territory on 890 East 7th Street in Dayton’s Bluff.  She is the second of two Vietnamese owners in this locality.  Maria and her husband immigrated to Amarillo, Texas from Vietnam in August of 1982 at the age of 22.  The parents of five children, two of whom were born in Vietnam, they resettled their family in Dayton’s Bluff in 1985.  “We didn’t like Texas - it was much too hot!”  In her homeland in the city of Cam Rahn Bay the summer temperatures range is 98 to a cool 78 in the evening.  Winters are a mild 76 degrees average.  But she admitted she was not quite prepared for “Minnesota winters.”  “It was hard for the first few years but we adapted,” she cajoles and now she would not leave Minnesota for anywhere else.  With the arrival of 3 more children their family is now complete with a grandson being the newest member. 
 
Before becoming “Lily of the Valley”, the building housed an Italian bakery.  A Mexican restaurant became the second tenant.  After that, the first Vietnamese owner, Duc Nguyen (no relation) took over.  After an apprenticeship of 2 years in another restaurant, Maria finally became the present owner of “Lily.”  She has been the owner and manager of “Lily” since June, 1987.  She bought the building in 1990.   The name “Lily of the Valley” came into being because of her affection for the lily flower that is very much revered in Vietnam.  Because of her Catholic tradition, the lilies are a very significant symbol at Easter time.  So much so for Maria that at the time of her wedding she and her husband gathered the lilies in the fields for the wedding ceremony.  Sadly, her wedding photos were never recovered after the Communists destroyed their property

Maria and her family at her son's confirmation 
in 1996
 
The purity and delicacy of the “hue” (Vietnamese for lily) flower are reflected by her choice of white in decorating the restaurant.   The original Mexican decor is preserved with the stone arches and soft lantern lighting.  Her children all help in the preparation of the foods and delivery to her clients.   Her contracts with the elementary schools in the area are a significant asset to her business.   She provides catering service for special events such as PTA meetings and family dinners.  She has four delivery trucks (all white) and with the help of her family she is very dependable. Prompt delivery is the promise of the day.   There is only one daughter who is interested in food service and she is now attending college working on her degree.   Maria admits “Mom’s recipes” are the key to her success.  Today, her mother still packs 50-60 lunchboxes on a daily basis for the seniors in Texas in addition to having her own business. 

Maria is very fluent in English although she was hesitant to acknowledge this.  I found our conversation especially rewarding since I am always attune to learning some new words to add to my vocabulary.   In Vietnam, only one hour a week is devoted to studying the English language.  Maria’s expertise in English came about through her rapport with her customers, colleagues and her children who are fluent in both English and Vietnamese.    Her first job in Texas was with the Levi Company where she was employed as a seamstress for a period of 10 months.  30% of the workforce was Vietnamese and her coworkers were instrumental in making the transition to English.   In 1983 the salary was $12.00 an hour.  The company had the usual 90 day probation period for its employees but Maria learned 100% of the required material in just 3 weeks. 

When she reminisces about the “dedication and hard work” of her parents her eyes almost tear over.  The tradition of family helping family is very strong within this culture.  In Vietnam, her parents had a food and variety store close to the airport.  Their house was in the same establishment.  Her memories of the Vietnam War are very vivid.   In 1975 when she was 15 years old and in the 9th grade she recalls how she and her 11 brothers and sisters would bring Coca Cola in a cooler to the American soldiers who landed their helicopters on the airstrip, which was close to their home and business on the infamous Highway 1.   The soldiers would give them $1.00 each time.  When the Communists came to their country her family provided a safe haven for the South Vietnamese soldiers who wanted to discard their uniforms and change into civilian clothing.  Her father, a tailor, would outfit them with a change in clothing and would dispose of their uniforms.  Experiencing fear for their lives, this Good Samaritan saved many lives. 

Surrounded by 3M property, Maria is determined to keep her business intact.  She works 14-16 hour days and does all the meal planning and supervision.  She will hire up to 4 employees outside of the family during “busy times”.  The second oldest in the family, she learned at a very young age the virtue of perseverance and hard work.   All of her brothers and sisters reside in the United States.  One brother attended St. Thomas University and obtained his degree in marketing.  He is now a private marketing consultant in Florida.   Whenever the family needs moral, spiritual or financial assistance the rest of the family will always help out in any way. This is one reason for her feeling of security in face of any adversity.  This strong family commitment to the well being of each other is an unfaltering characteristic of their heritage and is evident in their daily lives. 

After Maria and I finished the interview she told me that she has another story to tell.   The story of her trip to the United States from Vietnam is worthy of a Part II and I would love to write a sequel to this very noble and ambitious woman.  Invincible is the only appropriate adjective that I can ascribe to a woman of her caliber in the community that she has served for the past 13 years.