Phuc Tran

Phuc is a Vietnamese American from an immigrant family who grows up in Carlisle, Pennsylvania with his parents and brother. He struggles with coming to terms with his identity and works hard to assimilate to American culture and fit in with his peers throughout his childhood. He develops two main initiatives to achieve this goal: finding a friend group among the punk kids and excelling at school.

Phuc is excited when his family moves across town when he is in eighth grade because it gives him the opportunity to change his reputation and find new friends. He learns how to skate and gets into punk music. Sharing these hobbies with his new friends gives him a sense of belonging, which he has lacked having always felt different than his peers growing up.

There is a turning point in Phuc’s life when he realizes that he...