LOCAL BUSINESSES SUPPLY TO NUMEROUS CULTURES

By Bailey Reed

WithBowling Green’s large refugee and immigrant population, several families decided to share their culture through local businesses. In this story, four Bowling Green businesses that are immigrant owned are delved into in terms of their founding, origins, and ownership.

Cho Vietnam Market

Cho Vietnam Market is a Vietnamese grocery with cuisine and goods from all around the continent of Asia. The market opened in 2018.

The owner is Sun Hoang, an immigrant from Vietnam who moved to Bowling Green in 2005 with his family due to Vietnam’s poor quality of life at the time. Ai Hoang, Sun Hoang’s son, spoke in his father’s place due to his English speaking abilities.

“My parents wanted us to have a better life,” Hoang said, speaking on his family’s decision to immigrate to the United States.

Hoang’s family had to wait ten years to be permitted to move to the United

States. They started the immigration process in 1995.

Once they settled into Bowling Green, it was Hoang’s mother who came up with the idea of opening the market.

“It was mostly my mom’s idea,” Hoang said. “She likes this kind of job. It is her passion.”

Hoang said that the community response to the business has been positive, and explained that he enjoys being part of the Bowling Green community.

“It was worth the wait,” Hoang said.