I came from Laos with my family back in 1981. I already had the skill of being a hairstylist back in Laos, so my older brother, who had been in America before me, was spreading the news of my talent throughout the Lao community here. Once my family and I landed in Philadelphia, with the sound of the airplane's engine still buzzing in my head, I was dragged into the house to cut everyone's hair. They paid me $10 each, which was a lot back in those days! This lead me to the idea of going to cosmetology school in order to get a license and support my family. At the same time, I also took English courses at the Community College of Philadelphia to better my language and writing skills. After gaining experience at a local salon, I decided to open up my own in 1987 proudly named, Seng's Beauty Salon. We were the first business to open up here in our neighborhood and it basically started a chain of other businesses to open as well. Now, the neighborhood has developed as one of the South Philadelphia Business Districts and is continuing to thrive within our community with markets and shops of Lao, Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Mexican culture. We are also home to the annual Laotian New Year block party, celebrating with numerous street vendors, Laotian performers, and community activities. Seng's Beauty Salon has been proudly serving our community for almost 30 years, while also gaining attention from Inquirer Magazine. I hope to see this community continue to thrive as our next generations begin to take over. My family has been doing quite well living in America, I'm so proud of them.