Her parents wanted nothing to do with him. "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. Alice Gu’s directorial debut tells the rags to riches story of Ted Ngoy, a refugee who escaped the murderous Khmer Rouge in Cambodia for America where … Gu didn't know about any of that before she started developing this project. It's the rags to riches story of a refugee escaping Cambodia, arriving in America in 1975 and building an unlikely multi-million-dollar empire baking America's favorite pastry, the donut. It’s a dizzying saga of ups and downs and one of this nation’s most beloved sweet treats, and a fascinating tale of sacrifice, success, and hubris.Also available: The intimate documentary “Ryuichi … Over the years, he says he sponsored more than 100 Cambodian families that wanted to come to the U.S. Chuong Lee, who has run DK's Donuts since 1988, is officially retired although she occasionally helps out at the shop. The portrait of Jo Hamann included in SCAN’s “. "This friendly voice picks up the phone, a young voice in that perfectly American accented English. to know, it's that this seemingly simple treat has a deeper cultural resonance. , chronicles Ngoy's thrill-of-victory/agony-of-defeat rollercoaster ride through the American Dream — immigration, capitalism, history, hubris, romance, addiction, family and food. comes out Friday, Oct. 30, online, and when you. She ended up threatening to starve herself, saying, "If you won't let me be with him, I'm not going to eat.". This tastes like any other glazed donut,'" Gu says. If there's anything she wants people who watch. On behalf of those of us who might not be lucky enough to come from the same stock, I asked about her habits to see if I could unearth some clues to a long and, most importantly healthy, life. Malcolm. Directed by Alice Gu, the movie details how one man, Bun Tek “Ted” Ngoy, built a sugary, deep-fried dynasty, revealing both the promise and the pitfalls of the American dream. , to name a few outlets), but Alice Gu is the first to put it on film. ABC News. Literary Arts Festival spotlights local and visiting artists of color. He has found his way to be wealthy again. Ted Ngoy made a fortune in doughnuts. Ted Ngoy arrived in southern California in 1975, as part of the first wave of refugees to flee Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge genocide in the late 1970s. , we learn that a teenage Ted won over his wife, Christy (née Suganthini), by spending 45 straight days laying under her bed. Before the coronavirus pandemic, Jo played the tile game Mexican Train several times a week with friends at her mobile home park. "And she says, 'Because Cambodian people make them.'". One night, during his shift at a gas station, the scent of freshly baked goods wafted toward him. Jo Hamann is 100 years old and still happily lives on her own. “I don’t want to have a roommate,” she said. And two of her grandchildren visit regularly. Much of Los Angeles's current doughnut scene is thanks to him: … That appears to be the life of the Donut King, a Cambodian refugee by the name of Ted Ngoy, who came to the country without much and over the years went on to become such a huge name in California that many people claim that he’s the reason that Dunkin Donuts didn’t do well in California. The family of Wanchalearm Satsaksit and Amnesty International (AI) representatives today visited the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok to seek information on the enforced disappearance of the Thai activist, on the occasion of his 38th birthday. Read more. The United States alone is home to more than 25,000 donut shops and they produce more than 10 billion donuts each year. ", "I was like, 'What on earth makes this Cambodian? One day in 2018, she cold-called DK's Donuts in Santa Monica. A new documentary chronicles the fascinating saga of Ted Ngoy, "The Donut King," who made a fortune and then lost it all to a gambling addiction. Ted is my great uncle,'" Gu says. The soap has been forced to "go back to brass tacks" to mark its birthday, its producer says. When his wife returned to California for the birthday of a grandchild in 1999, Ngoy began an affair with a young woman, serving as the final straw between him and his wife, Christy. And for those concerned about cutting back on coffee consumption, take heart: Jo drinks four to six cups every morning with the newspaper. 3. And he said he saw her heart break before his very eyes. "Growing up, when you look on the screen, there's not a lot of Asian representation. goes to your local theater. Ted Ngoy was a high school student in Phnom Penh when he first set eyes on Suganthini Khoeun, the daughter of a high-ranking government official. Alice Gu’s directorial debut tells the rags to riches story of Ted Ngoy, a refugee who escaped the murderous Khmer Rouge in Cambodia for America where in the 1970s he built an unlikely multi-million dollar donut empire. Few foods are as universally adored as fried dough. The rags to riches story of Ted Ngoy, a refugee escaping Cambodia, arriving in America in 1975 and building an unlikely multi-million-dollar empire baking America’s favorite pastry, the donut. Facebook; Twitter; Share View more share options. No days off. You see some of these families and their stores in The Donut King — Mag's Donuts in Irvine, BC Donuts in Pasadena, Rose Donuts and Cafe in San Clemente and, of course, DK's Donuts in Santa Monica. She was lucky that Mayly Tao, whose mom, Chuong Lee, owns the shop, answered the phone. As he achieved success, he lent a helping hand … Ted's story is one of fate, love, survival, hard knocks, and redemption. When the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia in 1975, they knew they couldn't go home. Within three years he became a millionaire, creating his own chain of donut shops across the city. The two eventually began a secret correspondence via letters delivered by the Khoeun family maid. The details that aren't in the movie even much crazier. The parents are separated and hope their three kids won't mention it. Votes: 19,948. in Tustin sponsored the family, allowing them to live in the church where Ted worked as a janitor. The kids love, can talk with, and will do anything for, Granddad. The two had met as teenage classmates in Phnom Penh. She attributes her longevity and independence to “sturdy peasant stock.”. Suspect it was a meringue-utang. The digital docuseries has so far spotlighted 56 Californians (in photos and short videos) who are 100 to 104 years old and still living on their own. Most crucially, she acted as something of an ambassador for Gu, introducing her to other donut shop proprietors and vouching for her. We all have heard of Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager who fights so hard for global awareness of the consequences of climate change. Find exactly what you're looking for! How To Keep Yourself Safe From Wildfire Smoke, Ngoy's epic rags-to-riches-to-rags story has been chronicled before (in the. When he couldn't pay them back because he had gambled the money away, Ted signed away his ownership stake in those stores. Jo said she takes medication only for her blood pressure and something else that she couldn’t recall off the top of her head. Her parents wanted nothing to do with him. Mayly Tao, Owner of DK's Donuts & Bakery + Donut Princess LA, joins Jerry to chat about her childhood growing up the daughter of Cambodian immigrants in … What you've done is incredible.' ... Ted Ngoy: entrepreneur and former owner of a chain of doughnut shops in California. 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. In fact she is quite happy living alone at her senior citizen mobile home park in Yorba Linda. The rags to riches story of Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee arriving in America in 1975 and building a multi-million-dollar empire baking America's favorite pastry, the donut. https://www.facebook.com/resonatevoices/videos/381944516409253 They arrived in Orange County, near LA, with a few suitcases and no money.At first Ted worked as a janitor, but then he started working nights at a gas station to make ends meet. Gu first needed to find Ted Ngoy but she had no idea how to do it. The ordering and pick up process was easy and seamless! “He went one way and I went the other,” she said. Dr. Brené Brown is launching a new podcast exclusively on Spotify, and her existing show will move over to the platform in early 2021 under a multiyear pact. Directed by Alice Gu, the movie details how one man, Bun Tek "Ted" Ngoy, built a sugary, deep-fried dynasty, revealing both the promise and the pitfalls of the American dream. goes to your local theater. In less than two years, while working on other jobs and projects, Gu directed and shot the 94-minute documentary. in Santa Monica. Within three years he became a millionaire, creating his own chain of donut shops across the city. Directed by Alice Gu, the documentary reveals the … That’s where Ted saw his first donut shop. Oh, and stop for a donut and say "hi.". In the 1980s and '90s, when Dunkin' Donuts tried to establish itself on the West Coast, his frosted, deep-fried empire sent the company packing. "He was a little uneasy," Gu says. Evenings she settles into her recliner to watch “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” before switching to PBS. Ted resides in Cambodia where he splits his time between Phnom Pen and Kep, a province in Southern Cambodia that's famous for its crab fishing industry. "'You want to tell my story? Director Alice Gu tracks the saga of Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee who became a successful donut-shop owner and expanded his empire by helping fellow refugees to open their own shops. 8. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have posted lower infection rates compared to other racial and ethnic groups but make up about 19% of deaths from COVID-19. She was hooked. Within three years, he was a millionaire, baking America’s favorite pastry: the donut. Along with thousands of other Cambodian refugees, the Ngoys ended up at Camp Pendleton. By 1976, Ted had saved up enough money to buy his own shop, which he named Christy's. TimesOC e-Newspaper: Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021. Afternoons are spent doing word puzzles, reading paperback fiction or getting on her computer to check emails or play solitaire. Gu first needed to find Ted Ngoy but she had no idea how to do it. Ted Ngoy once owned a huge chain of doughnut shops across the US state of California and was known as “The Donut King”. Ted Ngoy was born poor in Cambodia, escaped genocide and the Khmer Rouge, and arrived in America with a shot at the American Dream. Director Alice Gu makes her film debut with “The Donut King,” a documentary about Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee whose charmed life is full of war, romance, entrepreneurship, racism and a caution about greed. It was helping his community and it was a bit of a cautionary tale.". Ted and Christy are divorced. It’s the rags to riches story of a refugee escaping Cambodia, arriving in America in 1975 and building an unlikely multi-million-dollar empire baking America’s favorite pastry, the donut. It tells how a Cambodian refugee, Ted Ngoy, builds a multi-million dollar business baking donuts, including the ups and downs in his business and personal life. The Donut King tells the story of Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee who arrived in Los Angeles in 1975 and changed everything we know about America’s favorite pastry, the donut. LATEST NEWS A cinematographer who has worked on commercials and movies with Rory Kennedy, Werner Herzog and Stacy Peralta, she stumbled onto the subject after her nanny brought her some "Cambodian doughnuts. Gu realized his story was also an epic romance. The no-money banded curl creates […] “I don’t remember panicking about things,” she said. I'm no good. But it was really the immigrant story. UC Irvine library highlights materials from I-Ching to Astro Boy in its East Asian Collection. One by one, Ted lost all of his donut shops. Donuts have always ran in Mayly’s bloodline. According to Gu, Christy's family brought her into the room and Ted started reciting his speech. Jan 8, 2021 - Explore Jason Wu's board "Movie Posters", followed by 16601 people on Pinterest. Find exactly what you're looking for! Arriving as refugees in 1975 to Camp Pendleton, Ted and his family quickly figured out any way they could make money and … He opened up 70 donut shops, and at one point his wealth was estimated at $20 million. To make sure he went through with it, they insisted on hiding behind a curtain while he said his spiel. I never loved you.' “If you’re in good health and you enjoy life and you enjoy seeing people and your mind is still OK, then you should keep going.”. In a nutshell, Jo epitomizes the spirit of senior independent living. It was small amounts first but he was soon blowing bigger figures and he couldn't seem to stop. In the 1970s, Ted Ngoy moved to Southern California as a refugee from Cambodia. Alice Gu’s documentary tells the story of Ted Ngoy, AKA the Donut King, a Cambodian refugee who arrived in America in the ’70s with nothing and built a donut empire in Los Angeles. Her only biological daughter died in 1959 at age 15 of after an operation for a heart defect. Ted sponsored hundreds of visas for incoming refugees and helped them … Arriving as refugees in 1975 to Camp Pendleton, Ted and his family quickly figured out any way they could make money and adapt to their adopted country. The details that, California's Governor at the time, Jerry Brown, opposed the move, saying, in a clip that's featured in, , "When we have a million people out of work, when we have our own people taxed to the hilt, I'm just very slow to just open the floodgates and say come on in unless we provide a way to put Americans to work.". Six weeks later, Gu and her producer, José Nuñez, were on a plane to Cambodia where they spent three days interviewing Ngoy and shooting B-roll. The aim: to break the stereotypes associated with aging. Over the years, he led thousands of his countrymen into the business. Just knowing that my great uncle Ted and the story of my parents and hearing Alice say, 'I want to really dig deep on a Cambodian doughnut shop,' I was like, 'Wow, this is real. IMDb's advanced search allows you to run extremely powerful queries over all people and titles in the database. Perpetually in need of cash, he'd ask the people running his donut shops for loans. Virtual town hall addresses COVID-19 vaccine concerns in O.C.’s Asian American community. We learn, in the documentary, that after Ted revealed his presence to Christy, he hid under her bed until he was eventually discovered and her family allowed them be together. After a little research, Gu discovered that a huge number of California's independent donut shops, maybe 80-90%, are owned by Cambodian Americans, mostly thanks to Ngoy. The family of Wanchalearm Satsaksit and Amnesty International (AI) representatives today visited the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok to seek information on the enforced disappearance of the Thai activist, on the occasion of his 38th birthday. She divorced him soon after and has not since returned to Cambodia. 2 hours 49 min ago. At loose ends, she returned to Los Angeles and, once again, started helping with the family business. Our news is free on LAist. 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. Now, he is in real estate development," Gu says. Not quite a decade ago she took a dance class at the clubhouse until she fell and broke her hip at age 91 while waltzing with a partner. Gu first needed to find Ted Ngoy but she had no idea how to do it. The city of Irvine has settled a 1st Amendment lawsuit that alleged former Irvine Mayor Christina Shea blocked a resident after he posted comments on her personal page in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Ted Ngoy was born poor in Cambodia, escaped genocide and the Khmer Rouge, and arrived in America with a shot at the American Dream. Jo Hamann enjoys a socially distanced celebration of her 100th birthday at the mobile home community in Yorba Linda where she lives. "He's like, 'You know what? in San Clemente and, of course, DK's Donuts in Santa Monica. Ted Ngoy's story is one of fate, love, survival, hard knocks, and redemption. Photo: Los Angeles Times … November 2020. “We hope folks don’t run away from the older adults in their lives; that they embrace the older folks in their lives,” Gelb said. Her daughter, Mayly Tao, has taken over the reigns of DK's. "I came back to L.A. and I didn't know that I was going to create this crazy explosion in the business. Film Malcolm Directed by Jimmy Vi Through the teachings of Malcolm X, a young Asian American college student journeys from self-hate toward self-love. Why would anybody be interested in my story?' A family of five is off to Granddad's big 75th birthday party at an uncle's estate in rural Scotland. Older folks don’t have to be a burden.”. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. Yes, you read that right. In the 1970s, Ted Ngoy moved to Southern California as a refugee from Cambodia. ... Why I dive on my birthday. Aside from what the Los Angeles Times called "a short-lived comeback in Sacramento in 2002," the Massachusetts-based company didn't return to the Golden State until 2014. It was love at first bite. IMDb's advanced search allows you to run extremely powerful queries over all people and titles in the database. Do We Need Police To Curb LA's Traffic Violence? Hard work. “I like doing what I do when I want to do with it. Gu's documentary, The Donut King, chronicles Ngoy's thrill-of-victory/agony-of-defeat rollercoaster ride through the American Dream — immigration, capitalism, history, hubris, romance, addiction, family and food. Christy has remarried and lives in Lake Forest, not far from their three adult children, who all live in Orange County. Sisophon near the country 's border with Thailand only biological daughter died in 1959 at age 15 of after operation! ’ s bloodline of course, DK 's Donuts in Santa Monica and an opulent home in Viejo! 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