Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month- Daniel Vang

Potawatomi Casino Hotel honors Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month- Meet Daniel Vang

The annual celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month honors the historical and cultural achievements of people of Asian origin. We’ve had the honor to sit down and highlight Daniel Vang (23 years old), the co-GM of RuYi at Potawatomi Casino Hotel and part of the Hmong community. Daniel went into depth about his current role, cultural traditions, and what AAPI means to him.

Q- What is your current role, and what inspired you to work for RuYi?
A-    My current role at Potawatomi Casino Hotel is co-GM of RuYi. What inspired me to work here was when I was hired to be the GM of Solstice Lounge, the VIP lounge at Potawatomi. What helped me get through the doors was when both of my brothers were cooks here.

Q- What is your favorite dish at RuYi and why?
A-    My favorite dish at RuYi would have to be the Pho. Pho is a very simple yet complicated and complex dish. It is delicious. Every single mouthful is filled with a burst of flavor and beaming with a delicious taste. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

Q- What’s the most exciting part of your job?
A-    It'll have to be the guest interaction. Getting to know the guests, seeing them every day, learning more about them, and being a part of their experience at Potawatomi is a very fulfilling task.

Q- What is your proudest career accomplishment to date?
A-    My proudest career accomplishment to date would be the team I put together at Solstice Lounge before the room was shut down. The team we built and had was very much like a family, even though it’s cliché to say. Every day we arrived happy to see each other and to get through the slime together. The job was hard, but the people made it easy.

Q- In honor of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, what is your favorite cultural tradition?
A-    My favorite cultural tradition would be Hmong marriages. It is a strenuous and complex process put together by two people. Those two are meant to be if you can get through it together.

Q- How has your heritage shaped the person you are today?
A-    Honestly, it's filled me with a straightforward and clear-cut view of life: hard work, dedication, and results. If it weren't for my traditions, my outlook on life would not be as simple. Looking at the work and the philosophy my people have is very clear cut. It's just to get the job done and get it done well; that's been instilled in me.

Q- What is one activity or dish from the Asian side of your culture that you think everybody should try?
A-    It will have to be pork soup. That dish is so delicious and only has five ingredients. It is the most simple and well-put dish you will taste. It features vegetables and fatty meat that can fill you through the winter.

Q- What does Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month mean to you?
A-    It means to me not to forget my people because they did a lot of work to make sure I got to where I am right now. I'm sure if they could see what they did for me and the results they got, they'd be happy with me and where I am now. So to not forget them and not forget what they did to get me to where I am.

Thank you for reading and learning more about Daniel Vang! You can visit him and enjoy the Pho soup at RuYi today. You can view the menu here.