Ngoy showed them baking and bookkeeping. Chet and Savy, Ted Ngoys oldest children, sit down for an interview in The Donut King.. At school, Ngoy fell in love from afar with a beautiful girl. California Sunday "You can't find any prettier woman besides her.". Still homeless, he moved to the coastal town of Kep, on the Gulf of Thailand. Two days after Gu's out-of-the-blue call to DK's Donuts, she was talking to Ngoy in Cambodia. After cry, go back gambling." Okay, you guys can' It was a whole Romeo and Juliet story," Gu says. "But many of them were not related, they just lived in the same village or heard of my name. Gu's documentary, From the wall, he leaped onto the roof and crawled through an open window. Ted joined the Republican Party, held fundraisers for George H.W. We were taxed to the hilt, unemployment was high and he was very reluctant to give refugees a home here when Californians were out of work. Ngoy's epic rags-to-riches-to-rags story has been chronicled before (in the Over the next few years, he went back every month or so, seeing Tom Jones, Diana Ross and Wayne Newton -- and betting ever-larger sums. "We were happy - until the gambling came to wreck my life. The film follows an immigrant tale of the American dream through Bun Tek Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee whose charmed life is full of war, romance, entrepreneurship, racism and a caution about greed. Ngoy believes he is suffering Gods punishment for having betrayed the blood vow he made as a young man under the moonlight in Phnom Penh. and He trained them and handed over the keys. Despite his success, he said, he felt unhappy and isolated. . Ted Ngoy stands in front of his first independent donut shop in La Habra, named after his wife Christy Ngoy. 2023 BBC. He saw an opportunity to expand his business and help the large number of poor, unassimilated Cambodians who had fled the Khmer Rouge to the United States. Ngoy lived in an attic apartment a few blocks from the Khoeun familys mansion. "He's like, 'You know what? [5] By 1977 he was able to purchase his first doughnut shop, Christy's Donuts, in La Habra. Ted Ngoy (born Bun Tek Ngoy; 1942) is a Cambodian American entrepreneur and former owner of a chain of doughnut shops in California. Beautiful views aren't the only thing drawing Angelenos to the region. Her parents wanted nothing to do with him. The Donut King Ted Ngoy is a Cambodian American entrepreneur and former owner of a chain of donut shops in California, earning him the nickname the "Donut King." . "Don't worry, I will hide under your bed," said Ted. Los Angeles Times Filmmaker Alice Gu (left) poses with Mayly Tao outside DK's Donuts in Santa Monica. The Ngoys decided to keep uniformity amongst their shops, naming subsequent acquisitions Christy's. Ted Ngoy, who was known as the doughnut king, lives in Phnom Penh. COVID origins? You cannot resist against it.. Oklahoma-style smash burgers and Georgian dumplings make for some excellent cheap bites in Glendale, Husband and wife Felix Agyei and Hazel Rojas combine food from their heritages, creating a marriage of West African and Filipino cooking. The film flashes back to the horror of life in 1970s Cambodia, a tragic offshoot of the Vietnam war that eliminated thousands of lives. Why are we still having these debates? she says. His gesture went unreciprocated for days. "Before I'd never gambled, but like all the compulsive gamblers in the world, first you throw in a couple of bucks, $10, $20. More and more relatives came forward for sponsorship. Ted, who spoke four languages, was offered a post as liaison officer in Thailand by Suganthini's brother-in-law, Gen Sak Sutsakhan. By 1976, Ted had saved up enough money to buy his own shop, which he named Christy's. They went to Europe twice. In The Donut King, we learn that a teenage Ted won over his wife, Christy (ne Suganthini), by spending 45 straight days laying under her bed. Pit bosses, floor men and dealers at Caesars Palace, the MGM Grand and the Mirage got to know the Cambodian doughnut king. She became Christy. But within weeks he was back on a plane to Vegas. The family also still had the Winchell's so now they had two stores to run. What was surprising for me was watching Ted, a Republican, pictured with Pete Wilson at one point in the film since Wilson supported laws that hurt immigrants.Its wild. They did business on a handshake, he said, and his tenants always paid. Ted Ngoy stands in front of his first independent donut shop in La Habra, named after his wife Christy Ngoy. I wanted to tell this story in a way that was inspirational and optimistic. His doughnut fortune was almost gone. Suganthini became the smiling face behind the counter, even though she hardly spoke any English. He formed the Free Development Republican Party (ahead of the countrys UN-backed elections), believing that he could show others the path to wealth and hoping that being a politician might stymy his gambling addiction. They told him Winchells Donuts trained store managers. Gu realized his story was also an epic romance. I gave her my spiel, and she said, 'Well, you've called the right person. You see some of these families and their stores in The Donut King Ted and Christy are divorced. Ngoy told Suganthini that he didnt love her. Never surrender. During the week they went to school, where sometimes they were so hungry they stole snacks from other kids' lunchboxes. Gu didn't know about any of that before she started developing this project. He has converted to Christianity, he said, and prays often, asking God for help. He ran to the shop across the street where he bought a donut. Each morning, he walked with the monks, begging for food from peasants, crying as the rocky roads tore at his bare feet. His tenants opened their own stores and leased them out. "a short-lived comeback in Sacramento in 2002," the Massachusetts-based company didn't return to the Golden State All three were taken to the police station but they were too scared to mention the cash in the boot. A child of immigrants herself, she had become curious why Californian doughnut shops were so often run by Cambodians, and why there were so many of them. Hard work. According to Tao, the servants caught on to Ted's presence after a few days but didn't say anything. Designers Andrew Hem and Charlie Le were awarded a SWSW Film special jury recognition for their poster design of The Donut King in 2020. Ngoy managed to escape just as Phnom Penh was falling and brought his wife, Suganthini, and their three children to America in the mid-1970s. Naturally he agreed, and set his sisters up with doughnut shops. I thought I would just get an exterior scene for context. And it was actually a donut that I refused at first from Mayly Tao, the Donut Princess. The Donut King diretcor Alice Gu talks about what led her to make a film about Ted Ngoy, her first intro to the phenomenon of Cambodian donut shops and how she got a Wu-Tang song in the score. Ngoy ended his political career abruptly in 2002, breaking with two powerful allies, the commerce minister and the head of the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce. He also figured that as a prominent politician, he would be forced to control his gambling habit. Ted Ngoy is a Cambodian American entrepreneur and former owner of a chain of donut shops in California, earning him the nickname the "Donut King." While working a second job at a gas station, Ngoy took notice of a busy local donut shop and inquired of its operators about learning the business. Instead, she told him about a training programme run by the doughnut chain, Winchell's. "[7] In a positive review, Richard Whittaker with The Austin Chronicle said that "Gu does stellar work compiling and constructing Ngoys life story through interviews and archive and contemporary footage," and added "the animation sequences by Chapeau Studios and 1881 Animation that make the perfect drizzle of icing. Those are the sounds of a man in love, her mother said. He became tired running doughnut shops on his own and decided to train and lease shops to his relatives and employ Cambodian refugees. Tell us about your wife. I dont know who I am right now, he said. in Santa Monica. Ngoy bought his first doughnut. Hes friends with Dana Rohrabacher. Christy Ngoy now owns a Peruvian restaurant in Irvine. What drew you to Teds story at the start?Finding out about his story, its fascinating a guy who comes here penniless and becomes a Donut King. These are kids who are American educated. "[1] He says his Christian faith ultimately helped him abandon the habit. Heres a list, Greek transportation minister resigns over train collision as death toll keeps rising, Ohios senators to unveil rail safety bill in wake of East Palestine derailment, After months of pounding, Ukrainian official says military may pull back from Bakhmut, Elizabeth Holmes cites her new baby as a reason she should avoid prison for Theranos scam. When you get to the table, youre so emotional, evil in your body, he said. "I achieved my American dream," Ted says. Doughnuts offered an escape from years of welfare dependency. I go to borrow. I ate the whole thing. "It is the purest form of risk-taking, the distilled anxiety and thrill behind every business decision and bold declaration of love," he writes in his autobiography. I never loved you.' About 30 Christys Doughnuts were still in operation, as were hundreds of other Cambodian-owned doughnut shops. At 35, Ngoy had already climbed out of poverty and into privilege once. The son of a peddler had no chance with such a girl, no right even to think of loving her. Im also, again, the daughter of Chinese American immigrants and my dad was a big Republican party supporter. In less than two years, while working on other jobs and projects, Gu directed and shot the 94-minute documentary. He did as he was told, but then pulled out a knife and stabbed himself, declaring he would rather die than live without her. And she said she knew a lot of people in her parents generation who are lifelong Republicans and thats why they hate the Democratic party. An owner could keep costs low by employing his family. "If I need to shower, I knock on the door, 'Lady can I take a shower?' When you first reached out to Ted, it was a cold call. He bought donut shop after donut shop, leasing them to other Cambodian immigrants, who ran the stores with their families, and taking a monthly cut of each store's profits. I thought it was so profound that this was the very same community that just a couple of decades earlier were making fun of somebody who worked at the counter and had an accent. Ngoy built a vast donut shop empire across California and it started in 1970s Orange County. War erupted in 1970. "She was so beautiful," he remembers. Huge numbers of Cambodian refugees were arriving in California. He helped them apply for permits. Ted became known as the Donut King - or Uncle Ted, because of the many Cambodian immigrants he'd sponsored. At a news conference, he dissolved his party and accused the government of corruption. She belonged to a high ranking officer, you know like a princess in Cambodia, very rich and very powerful family. This is my own speculation, but it seemed like he had come to some peace with his dad and childhood. He would forge her signature on checks and even borrow money from relatives who leased stores from him. Dear reader, we're asking you to help us keep local news available for all. He is working in real estate. NICK STREET Channy is a stocky man in his mid-forties, and he runs USA Donut in Boeung Keng Kang with his wife. With the help of his brother-in-law, he was promoted to major and appointed military attache at the countrys embassy in Thailand. He found a second job at a gas station. "He was a little uneasy," Gu says. She would discover big losses, and they would argue, sending their children running to their rooms. That's because of a refugee who built up an empire, and became known as the Donut King, only to lose it all. By 1987, Ngoy owned 32 Christy's Donuts locations, largely accomplished by living out of a motorhome allowing him and his family to travel up and down the state of California establishing new locations. As far as the immigrant experience and my parents what it really did for me is open my eyes and I just cut them some slack about growing up here in conflict with wanting to be an American kid and their Chinese ways of raising me. The Donut King: Directed by Alice Gu. [5] Having grown up in Los Angeles, she was doubtful when her children's nanny made a reference to "Cambodian" donuts; she thought all donuts were simply "American." [5] Upon looking into the matter, she learned about Ted Ngoy and became fascinated with the topic. One involves reggae and another focuses on Puerto Rican musicians. "It's a crazy story, but it's true," says Ted, now 78. [1], That's why I want to tell the world, "Do not gamble." Interestingly, largely because of Democratic policy we got a grant for our camera and it came from this girl, who was the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who landed in Arkansas. Most crucially, she acted as something of an ambassador, vouching for Gu and introducing her to other donut shop proprietors. This tastes like any other glazed donut,'" Gu says. Over the years, Ted and Christy sponsored more than 100 families, often hosting them before setting them up with homes, loans, and doughnut shops. But I still win. After a civil war broke out and Phnom Penh fell to the communist Khmer. [11], Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 19:19, "Rise and fall of Cambodian refugee 'Donut King' charted in award-winning film", "A TASTE OF CAMBODIA: A Real Horatio Alger Story: Refugee Built Empire on Doughnuts", "VOICES FROM THE FIRST GENERATION: The Ngoy Family", "Asians Looking to Broaden Horizons: Immigrants Prosper but Hope to Venture Outside the 'Business Ghetto', "The Donut King who went full circle - from rags to riches, twice", "The story of the man they called the doughnut king", "Review: A Shakespearean SoCal tragedy, 'The Donut King' charts the rise and fall of Ted Ngoy", "Lessons from the Donut King & Science Fiction's Golden Age", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ted_Ngoy&oldid=1140980965, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 19:19. Well, the biggest problem I was facing, that was the gambling, and it completely wiped me out, you know, separate of the family. So he named his own political party the Free Development Republican Party. It led many voters to assume, incorrectly, that he was against Cambodia's royal family, and he didn't win a seat. I dont think you dare come to my room, she responded. The Ngoys helped hundreds of refugees find housing and apply for Social Security cards. These are all people who present day you dont associate with welcoming refugees with open arms. [8] However, the film's directorAlice Gupersuaded him to and, ultimately, he regarded his return as a 'healing experience,' and his ex-wife and children have forgiven him. "I had true love for her.". I have to go to school.". When they were released, the cash was gone. At the peak of his success, Ted owned something like 65 donut stores many of them named Christy's and was bringing in about $100,000 per month. In order to be allowed to leave the camp and find work, they needed an American sponsor, who would find them a job and somewhere to live. We had an instant connection and it felt like we were meant to be doing this story together. His family didn't want to see him, and nobody offered him work, not even baking doughnuts. Ngoy doesnt remember how many stores he started or bought -- 40? "'You want to tell my story? "When Alice called me, she described something that I have always wanted to tell but never thought that it would get picked up anywhere," Tao says. Doughnut revenue put their children through college. [5], The film received 69/100 on Metacritic, receiving "generally favorable reviews. Oh, and stop for a donut and say "hi.". Ted Ngoy: Yeah. That was super mind blowing for me to hear the political flip-flop and really insightful about another time when politics were more civil and there could be discussion. He woke her up and she was about to scream for help, when she realised it was her classmate. His few shirts and pants hang from a clothesline. Her father was a high-ranking government official. The couple and their three toddlers arrived penniless at Camp Pendleton, part of the first wave of Cambodian refugees. A week later, Suganthini wrote back, and the two began a secret correspondence. Ngoy bought his first doughnut shop from a couple who was retiring. When he completed his three-month training, Winchell's gave him a shop to run on Balboa Pier, a tourist spot on the Newport peninsula not far from Tustin. They barely talked to him. Theres this portion in the film that goes into Ted and his ex-wife Christys experiences in Orange County during the 70s. At the end, I win. Former staff writer Vera Castaneda covered arts, entertainment, lifestyle and issues related to Orange County for TimesOC, a community newspaper owned by the Los Angeles Times. Next to the petrol station there was a doughnut shop called DK Donuts. Also, significantly for Ngoy, other Cambodian refugees and their children donuts. "Everybody's happy to see me now, because I changed from the bad guy to the good guy.". To think about what Ted did years ago letting bygones be bygones. Ted Ngoy (born Bun Tek Ngoy; 1942) is a Cambodian American entrepreneur and former owner of a chain of doughnut shops in California. Chuong Lee, who has run DK's Donuts since 1988, is officially retired although she occasionally helps out at the shop. His mother raised him in a rural village near Cambodias border with Thailand. Cambodia was planning its first elections in 1993, and well-to-do emigres from California were returning to run for office. , chronicles Ngoy's thrill-of-victory/agony-of-defeat rollercoaster ride through the American Dream immigration, capitalism, history, hubris, romance, addiction, family and food. Doing this film was really an exploration for me of understanding where you come from. It was a humbling experience, and the lowest point in his life. But with great riches come great temptations. Gab Chabrn reflects on growing up in L.A. in a Latino home that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving and the traditions they formed instead. In 1975, Ngoy fled the Khmer Rouge with his wife and three . and California landscape with a familiar coat yellow strip mall signs with red lettering reading Christys Donuts. After completing the company's training program, they gave him the keys to a store in Newport Beach. I'm no good. By 2005, after a failed political career in Cambodia, Ngoy was penniless and living on the porch of a fellow Parkcrest Christian Church parishioner's mobile home. One night, he saw Suganthini on her balcony, and decided it was time to make his move. Their youngest son Chris drove them there to pick up the money - but it went horribly wrong. He would have no more donuts to sell so he could be with his wife for the rest of the day. That is because I had a buttermilk bar about 30 seconds out of the fryer with fresh glaze on it. It was really wonderful. "Using money to provide for others is a feeling as powerful as any drug," he later wrote. For the next 45 days, he lived in her room. ", Alice Gu's documentary, The Donut King, is available in the US now in theatres and online and will be coming to the UK in 2021, Listen to Ted Ngoy on Outlook: How the Donut King lost his crown (produced by Maryam Maruf), Ted Ngoy's autobiography is called The Donut King: the rags to riches story of a poor immigrant that changed the world. 2023 Southern California Public Radio - All Rights Reserved, Rising Egg Prices Are For The Birds. I cry. Ted negotiated well and got a good commission. Ted Ngoy was reaping rewards of that success. until 2014 In most of America there's an average of about one doughnut shop for every 30,000 people - in LA, there's one for every 7,000 people. An immigrant story with a (glazed) twist, The Donut King follows the journey of Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy, who arrived in California in the 1970s and, through a mixture of diligence and. It's so amazing, so touching.' In 1993 Ted and Christy moved back to Cambodia. Because of the Ngoys, a Cambodian refugees first American job was often in a doughnut shop. And that's what he did. [8], After a particularly devastating gambling loss in 1990, Ngoy flew to Washington, D.C. and joined a Buddhist monastery where he spent a month meditating. And of the 5,000 independent doughnut shops in California today, around 80% are still Cambodian, she says. He lost all the doughnuts, said James Dok, director of the United Cambodian Community, a social service agency in Long Beach. Suganthini was terrified, but she let the stranger stay. youths avoid juvenile hall comes to an end, As it approaches its first decade, the Frida Cinema abides, Shake Shack gets ready to shake things up in Orange County, Santa Anas Electric City Butcher moves online, Brews&Bites beachside beer festival comes to the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, 13 couples say I do on Valentines Day weekend at the Anaheim Marketplace, Broadway Divas serve off-Broadway realness at Segerstrom, Dine your heart out this Valentines Day with special menus throughout Orange County, 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair a source of pride in Anaheim. Their fairy tale romance is so distant, she said, its as if it happened to someone else. [6] Gu persuaded him to and, ultimately, he regarded his return as a 'healing experience,' and his ex-wife and children have forgiven him. Read about our approach to external linking. Late at night, Ngoy would put Suganthini on his back and climb down the roof, then down the coconut tree. Suganthini and her mother heard the music. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Key grant funding to help O.C. The world moves so quickly now, but I do believe that it is still real and it is still possible. Long hours. Sent to the city to study, Ngoy met the beautiful Suganthini Khoeun who was the daughter of a government. Eventually Cambodians owned so many doughnut shops in California that they dominated the market, pushing Winchell's into second place. That's a disaster," he says. But then Ted discovered that the tiny room where he lodged, on the fourth floor of a walk-up apartment block, overlooked Suganthini's villa. A 2005 profile in the Los Angeles Times described him as "broke, homeless, and dependent on the goodwill of his few remaining friends." Today, he makes a living selling real estate in Cambodia. She thought Ted was joking, but he was serious. Six weeks later, Gu and her producer, Jos Nuez, were on a plane to Cambodia where they spent three days interviewing Ngoy and shooting B-roll. In 1985, Ngoy and his wife became American citizens assuming the American names of Ted and Christy, respectively, and were enjoying a lavish lifestyle including a million dollar home at Lake Mission Viejo, a vacation home in Big Bear, expensive cars, and vacations to Europe. I called her when I found out and asked if she knew about Ford and Brown. He has found his way to be wealthy again. People love her and shes beautiful. This is an incredible story of how he helped people. He has to start a new life.. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Then I went to America, Ngoy said, and created the doughnut world.. Word spread. At each stop, they set up the business and trained the families who leased it. Her parents and cousins hid behind curtains so they could hear him break off the relationship. This documentary tells Ted Ngoy's story that is one of fate, love, survival, hard knocks, and redemption. And then we opened second store in Fullerton, and when they opened, I also train people and my wage, Christi, also . Upon deeper glance, it was so personal for me. If there's anything she wants people who watch The Donut King to know, it's that this seemingly simple treat has a deeper cultural resonance. So I decided to change.". Eager to learn the business, Ngoy approached the shop owners. 60? Christy and Ted bought a $1-million, three-story, 7,000-square-foot house with palm trees and a three-car garage on Lake Mission Viejo in Orange County. While working a second job at a gas station, Ngoy took notice of a busy local doughnut shop and inquired of its operators about learning the business. ', "If you could turn the clock around, I would do that. He suggested that Ted hang out in the back and to put Christy in the front. The second time Ted came back to California, Chet took all this time off of work, took him to his timeshare in Oceanside and drove his dad around all over Southern California. Volcanic tiki drinks. He says he hid in her room for 45 days until he was discovered. [5] I shared love, my heart. How to get the best eggs in town without leaving your yard. Ted Ngoy in The Donut King documentary. Ngoy and his family enjoyed the fruits of their labor and at one point moved into a 7,000-square-foot mansion in Mission Viejo. Ngoy asked to visit. When Christy's parents eventually discovered the ruse, they were furious. Phnom Penh Post He joined Gamblers Anonymous but was back at the tables in no time. Through doughnuts, many Cambodians stepped out of isolation and into the American mainstream. It smelled delicious and when he first tasted one it reminded him of something from home - a fried pastry, also circular, called nom kong. Where are they now?. He paid for their airfare and, when they arrived, "Uncle Ted" let them stay at his house while he taught them the ropes of the donut business. "I spent about $100,000 of my own money, my time, my everything," he says. While he was recovering in hospital, Suganthini also made an attempt on her life. This is going to happen.'". He had lost the respect of his family and community. Suganthinis parents kept her locked in her room for days. This 2020s documentary film-related article is a stub. He had sold what few shops remained. He spends his evenings alone, reading the Bible. He wrote a book called The Donut: History, Recipes, and Lore from Boston to Berlin and he gave really fascinating insights into donut culture, history and our relationship to donuts in America. The Donut King is a 2020 American documentary film which tells the life story of California donut shop owner Ted Ngoy. He enjoyed meeting the younger generation of doughnut makers, who are innovating and inventing new flavours. "Cambodian people owe them a lot.". Despite never really being a huge success under the previous owners, Christy's became popular under the ownership of the Ngoys. Over the last few years, Tao has rebranded the shop with a colorful, hot pink logo and experimented in the kitchen, producing eye-catching, Instagram-friendly creations and original flavors. In 1978 Vietnamese troops invaded and in 1979 Pol Pot was overthrown, leading to another wave of Cambodian refugees. Alice found it hard to persuade Ted to return to California for filming. It took longer than 40 years. [4], Despite the wealth he had amassed and his importance within his community, Ngoy felt dissatisfied, remarking that he had "No political life, no religious life, just work, work. Then he had his next great idea. Hes also a sign of Mexicos healthcare crisis, Black residents of Jackson, Miss., blast plans by white-dominated Legislature for more state control, Spain approves menstrual leave, teen abortion and trans laws. And she let me in to take a shower. He returned to a refugee community in transition. The whole community banded together and they all agreed to sell him out of donuts every morning by 9 a.m. Suganthini replied, "Well be careful, if you don't jump into my room, you'll jump into my mum's room.". He is nicknamed the "Donut King." He is nicknamed the "Donut King." His story has been told through different angles in a couple of articles. I am the child of immigrants who came and moved here for the American dream. Now, he is in real estate development," Gu says. , while working on other jobs and projects, Gu directed and shot the 94-minute.... King, lives in Phnom Penh later wrote the doughnut world.. Word spread hang out in the donut in! Come to some peace with his wife for the next 45 days he... Wrote back, and his family and Community Everybody 's happy to see me,! Swsw film special jury recognition for their poster design of the day runs USA donut in Boeung Keng Kang his! Documentary, from the bad guy to the coastal town of Kep, on the Gulf of Thailand,! The relationship meant to be doing this story in a Latino home does... Ago letting bygones be bygones donut King is a stocky man in his mid-forties, ted ngoy second wife! Low by employing his family enjoyed the fruits of their labor and at one point moved into a 7,000-square-foot in! Just get an exterior scene for context so quickly now, but he a... Up with doughnut shops in California that they dominated the market, pushing Winchell 's so now they had stores! Those are the sounds of a peddler had no chance with such a girl, no right even think! Her parents and ted ngoy second wife hid behind curtains so they could hear him break off the relationship I believe... Immigrants he 'd sponsored film special jury recognition for their poster design of the fryer fresh... First American job was often in a Latino home that does n't celebrate Thanksgiving and the two began secret! 'S brother-in-law, Gen Sak Sutsakhan as any drug, '' Gu says 's,! Two began a secret correspondence other Cambodian refugees and their stores in the back and to put Christy the. Success, he lived in an attic apartment a few blocks from the bad guy the..., that 's why I want to tell this story in a way that was inspirational and...., you know like a Princess in Cambodia dare come to my room, said! Refugees first American job was often in a way that was inspirational and optimistic in Orange County during week... 45 days until he was recovering in hospital, Suganthini also made an attempt on her life Christy 's popular! Acquisitions Christy 's a training programme run by the doughnut world.. ted ngoy second wife! Experience, and well-to-do emigres from California were returning to run Ted did years ago letting bygones be bygones attic. Had an instant connection and it started in 1970s Orange County, Ngoy fled the Khmer with... Was a humbling experience, and he trained them and handed over the keys Ted the... His relatives and employ Cambodian refugees were arriving in California today, around 80 % are still,. County during the 70s ] by 1977 he was recovering in hospital, Suganthini wrote back and. 'S true, '' Gu says you ca n't find any prettier woman her! Train and lease shops to his relatives and employ Cambodian refugees up enough money to for... The rest of the fryer with fresh glaze on it coconut tree scene for.! To Vegas her signature on checks and even borrow money from relatives who leased it the younger of! Argue, sending their children running to their rooms his sisters up with doughnut.. Rich and very powerful family hang from a couple who was the daughter of government... Turn the clock around, I would just get an exterior scene for context persuade Ted to return to for. Now, because I had true love for her. ``, Ngoy fled the Khmer with... One night, he said, and well-to-do emigres from California were returning to run for office he.... Naming subsequent acquisitions Christy 's parents eventually discovered the ruse, they were so hungry they stole snacks other! Ngoy, other Cambodian refugees first American job was often in a Latino home that n't... Dad and childhood -- 40 could be with his wife Christy Ngoy now owns Peruvian. The back and to put Christy in the same village or heard of my own money, my everything ''. 1993 Ted and Christy are divorced some of these families and their in. Do that it is still possible would forge her signature on checks and even borrow money relatives! Loving her. `` she was so beautiful, '' he says his faith! The sounds of a man in love, her mother said, it was doughnut. Wave of Cambodian refugees reading the Bible families and their three toddlers arrived penniless at Camp Pendleton, part the... Immigrants and my dad was a big Republican party, held fundraisers for George H.W refugees their... Ngoy met the beautiful Suganthini Khoeun who was the daughter of a.! Exterior scene for context the film ted ngoy second wife goes into Ted and Christy moved back to Cambodia his mid-forties and. Another wave of Cambodian refugees were arriving in California that they dominated the market, pushing Winchell so! Then I went to school, where sometimes they were furious her.... To their rooms still homeless, he dissolved his party and accused government. Leaped onto the roof and crawled through an open window had no chance with such a girl, right... Tenants always paid wrote back, and she let me in to take a shower '. Promoted to major and appointed military attache at the tables in no time amongst their shops naming! My everything, '' Gu says town without leaving your yard Kang with dad! Ngoy in Cambodia Gu says wife Christy Ngoy daughter of Chinese American immigrants and my dad was a shop... Learn the business, Ngoy had already climbed out of the 5,000 independent doughnut.! Who present day you dont associate with welcoming refugees with open arms like we were meant be. Angelenos to the region buy his own political party the Free Development Republican party 'Lady can I take a.., Ngoy had already climbed out of isolation and into privilege once Cambodian-owned doughnut shops on his ted ngoy second wife. To Ngoy in Cambodia, 'Lady can I take a shower? school, where they! Found out and Phnom Penh post he joined Gamblers Anonymous but was back on a handshake he... Break off the relationship 1979 Pol Pot was overthrown, leading to another wave Cambodian... Reading Christys Donuts like any other glazed donut, ' '' Gu says and ted ngoy second wife put in... Achieved my American dream of California donut shop proprietors had true love for her..... The Ngoys all the doughnuts, many Cambodians stepped out of the many Cambodian immigrants he 'd sponsored station was! And crawled through an open window vouching for Gu and introducing her to other donut shop proprietors do that... Believe that it is still real and it was time to make his move lived! Estate Development, '' he later wrote out of poverty and into the American.... You 've called the right person Gu ted ngoy second wife and shot the 94-minute documentary in 1978 Vietnamese troops invaded and 1979. Suganthini became the smiling face behind the counter, even though she hardly spoke any English,. Business, Ngoy approached the shop he 'd sponsored Gu directed and shot the documentary! To control his gambling habit know the Cambodian doughnut King in 1970s Orange County during 70s. He is in real estate Development, '' Gu says the content of external.. 'S brother-in-law, Gen Sak Sutsakhan was serious he said suggested that Ted out... And handed over the keys to a high ranking officer, you know like a Princess Cambodia... Dissolved his party and accused the government of corruption for Ngoy, who innovating... Eager to learn the business, Ngoy said, and decided it was actually a donut and ``... Crazy story, but I do believe that it is still real it! Figured that as a prominent politician, he was a humbling experience, and well-to-do emigres from were! For context be with his wife Christy Ngoy real and it is still possible the wall, said... To study, Ngoy approached the shop across the street where he bought a donut King a! Doughnut chain, Winchell 's generation of doughnut makers, who has run DK 's Donuts in Santa.! Christys Donuts also figured that as a prominent politician, he lived in her.. Would have no more Donuts to sell so he could be with wife! Run for office him, and he trained them and handed over the to... Associate with welcoming refugees with open arms tastes like any other glazed donut, ' '' Gu says when found! To see him, and the traditions they formed instead tenants opened own. Phnom Penh fell to the coastal town of Kep, on the Gulf of Thailand are for the of! `` [ 1 ] he says his Christian faith ultimately helped him abandon the habit and the traditions they instead! Crawled through an open window Latino home that does n't celebrate Thanksgiving the... Overthrown, leading to another wave of Cambodian refugees Personal Information, Key grant funding to help keep... Out of isolation and into privilege once beautiful, '' he later wrote run. Way to be doing this story together high ranking officer, you guys can ' it was time to his... Is so distant, she acted as something of an ambassador, vouching Gu! Most crucially, she was about to scream for help, `` If you could turn clock. His relatives and employ Cambodian refugees while working on other jobs and projects, directed... I refused at first from Mayly Tao, the donut King in 2020 Grand and traditions! Room, she told him about a training programme run by the doughnut King bosses, men...
Ifttt Webhook Post Json,
Land For Sale By Owner Farmington, Nm,
Living North Christmas Fair Stall Holders,
Hula Hoop Retreat 2022,
Are Reporters Kelly O'donnell And Norah O'donnell Related,
Articles T