SACRAMENTO, Calif. — When Theresa Saechao Rother became a children's book author, she wanted to make sure one aspect came across loud and clear in her work — her Iu Mien heritage.
Saechao Rother first started writing story drafts nearly 10 years ago when her daughter Iris was born in 2014, but she says her passion for storytelling started from a very young age when her father used to tell her Iu Mien folktales to put her to sleep.
"My parents weren't familiar with reading books, buying books or being able to afford books to read to my siblings and I during bedtime," she said.
She immigrated to Sacramento from Thailand in 1990 when she was just 7-years-old. She still recalls brief experiences of being in refugee camps and stepping into the U.S. for the first time. Back in Thailand, her father always had a passion for education, but had to put it aside to work in the rice fields and provide for the family.
Saechao Rother's father passed away seven years ago, but she still calls him her 'hero.' Now, she holds on to the memories of her dad's storytelling abilities.
"I remember he told 'Three Sisters and the Black Snake,' the Mien folktale, and that's one of my favorite stories. I think it's my father's skills and talent in how he tells the stories, he's very animated," said Saechao Rother.
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The folktale would become the story and title of Saechao Rother's first children's book, which was published last year along with Josh Rother, her husband and illustrator of the book.
"I think my father's purpose to tell the Iu Mien folktale at the time... is to teach us how to be good, be selfless, listen to your parents, do your chores and eventually you'll get rewarded by just being kind," said Saechao Rother.
She says those are the same values she hopes to pass on to her children, too. She says telling Iu Mien stories is especially important because Iu Mien history is rarely ever recorded, only passed down through oral histories.
"Not every clan has heard of the Mien folktale, especially our generation. I think it depends on how that was passed down from their parents," said Saechao Rother.
Now, she's using her passion to ensure Iu Mien youth see themselves reflected in more stories.
"In the past, it's been non Mien writing books about us, our history, our culture. Mainly missionaries that study abroad in Southeast Asia would write books about the Mien culture, language," said Saechao Rother. "So that's very important to me even being a Mien author and including my name Theresa Saechao Rother. Saechao is automatically a Mien person, a Mien author."
Saechao Rother is launching her second book now, titled "Fish for Dinner," which incorporates cultural humor around a popular cultural striped bass fish dish. At the end of the book, she includes a recipe for her family's baked striped bass dish.
She will be holding a book launch and book signing party Saturday, July 8 at Tree Top Sac in West Sacramento. The event will be from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saechao Rother says she is looking forward to publishing even more Iu Mien children's books in the future.
"Now that I'm able to publish books, I can write more about our Mien culture and history to preserve for the younger generation, for my children," she said.
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